Software Quality Overview for Executives and Managers – Spring 2015
15 Middlesex Canal Park Drive
Woburn, MA 01801
USA
This course has been canceled.
Speaker: Arie Avnur, AA Software Development
By: March 24
Members: $185
Non-Members: $195
After: March 24
Members: $195
Non-Members: $215
Decision: Wednesday, March 27
Phone 781-245-5405
email sec.boston@ieee.org
Fax 781-245-5406
Make Checks payable to:
IEEE Boston Section
One Centre Street, Suite 203
Wakefield, MA 01880
Course Overview:
This is a high level review of software quality subjects, considerations and possibilities. It is intended to help managers and executives that are not software professionals understand the factors affecting software product quality and know what is possible.
OUTLINE
• Introduction – Motivation (1/2 session)
o Quality definition: dependability, satisfaction and elation
o Why quality?
o How common are software project failures?
o The role of quality in financial performance
o High-end products and premium pricing
o Quality as a strategy; e.g. Apple
o Quality software – specific requirements
o The web’s curse
• Software development processes and their Quality pros and cons (1/2 session)
o The old waterfall
o Incremental development
o Agile processes
o Incremental deployment: Agile + very short cycles
• Software Quality Tools (1/2 a session)
o Requirements as the tool to understand what the customer expects
o Design – can we do without it?
o Verification
o Validation
o Quality standards
o Software configuration (as in revision) management
o Quality metrics
o Incentives
• Quality pitfalls, risks (1 session)
o Off the mark requirement
o Architecture and design
o The fallacy of the test-fix cycle paradigm
o Error conditions, exceptions
• Front-end quality (1 session)
o Formal methods vs. Semi-formal methods
o Requirements first
o Comprehensive architecture and top-level design, only then agile
o Modeling; use verifiable models: FSM, event-state analysis
o Exceptions by contract (from design by contract)
o Design/requirements workshops rather than reviews
• Recap and Conclusions (1/2 session)
o Have the right people
o Quality as a strategy
o You can’t test your way to quality
o Focus on Correct by Design or defect prevention rather than fixing
o Your own checklist of quality software
o “Professionals are recognized by the sharpness of their tools”
Target audience
Non software professional managers and executives who face software product quality challenges and could use some knowledge of the subject.
Benefits of attending the course
1. Gain top level knowledge of factors and measurements of software quality
2. Have some tools to deal with situations, understand reports
Speaker Bio:
Arie Avnur has been developing software for close to 40 years; coding all along while advancing in responsibilities from individual contributor to team leader, mid-level manager, and executive. Currently, he consults and promotes software quality concepts. Arie earned this experience with all sizes of organizations: Fortune 500 companies to small startups. He had the privilege to be close to some of the early concepts of software engineering and progressing with the field to the latest AOP and Agile concepts.
Material: Lecture slide files downloaded, example and exercise downloads.