ISO 9000-3 Digest Friday, 30 August 1996 Volume 01 : Number 021
In this issue:
re: The "Good Times Virus" HOAX!
[none]
[none]
[none]
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y
Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000 practices
RE: Guidelines to improve the quality of
RE: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000
Re: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000
ANNOUNCEMENT: Alias Addresses
Re: Re[2]: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO90
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From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 1996 10:30:20 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: re: The "Good Times Virus" HOAX!
**** This important message is being distributed by the QUALITY.ORG system
owner to all of the QUALITY.ORG mailing lists...if you're subscribed to
more than one mailing list at QUALITY.ORG, you'll get duplicates of this
message...my apologies, but it's unavoidable ********
Warning! There is NO SUCH THING as the "Good Times Virus"...Never has been!
It looks like "warning" about the so-called "Good Times Virus" is
starting to show up on mailing lists again, so let me remind you now NOT
to redistribute it to any of your other mailing lists. IT'S A HOAX. THE
"GOOD TIMES VIRUS" HAS NEVER EXISTED!
PLEASE do NOT distribute this hoax anywhere else.
For all the information on the "Good Times Virus" hoax, review this URL:
http://www.quality.org/qc/goodtimes.txt
and this one:
ftp://usit.net/pub/lesjones/good-times-virus-hoax-faq.txt
You'd check with a competent authority if someone unknown to you came up
to you on the street and told you the President had died. Why don't you
check with competent computer virus authorities when you read a message
from a stranger on the Internet about a purported virus?? Remember that
CREDIBLE and VERIFIABLE DOCUMENTATION is what we're all about in Quality,
and that should include the Quality we also exhibit in our computer
dealings. Just because you found it on the 'Net doesn't make it true.
Please do NOT further perpetuate these virus hoaxes like the "Good Times
Virus"!!!
Thank you!
Bill
==============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
Domain Owner Pager: +1 800 604 6149
QUALITY.ORG Fax: +1 703 716 0479
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
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Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 12:54:18 +0530 (GMT+05:30)
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From: skreddy@indpsc01.ce.philips.nl (Karunakar S Reddy)
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:58:50 +0530 (GMT+05:30)
Subject: y
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From: Dan Buonodono
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 09:49:17 -0400
Subject: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000 practices
I have recently been assigned as the Information Technology Quality
Assurance Analyst for Michigan State Government, and am eager to
make an impact in the quality of software that is purchased or produced
by or for the State.
One of my current assignments is to develop guidelines to improve the
quality of software (developed by external consultants as well as state
personnel) using ISO9000 type practices.
Does anyone on this list have such guidelines, standards or procedures
that they would be willing to share?? Any books, other publications or
web sites that would help me "jump start" this task?? Thanks.
Dan Buonodono
buonodonod@state.mi.us
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From: gregory_gogates@Merck.Com (Gregory Gogates)
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 12:34 -0500 (EST)
Subject: RE: Guidelines to improve the quality of
Dan,
A good site to start with is the Config Mgt site.
http://www.iac.honeywell.com/Pub/Tech/CM/
There are also newsgroups comp.software.testing that deal with Software
testing
The IEEE computer society is another good starting point.
http://www.ieee.org
Greg Gogates
practices
I have recently been assigned as the Information Technology Quality
Assurance Analyst for Michigan State Government, and am eager to
make an impact in the quality of software that is purchased or produced
by or for the State.
One of my current assignments is to develop guidelines to improve the
quality of software (developed by external consultants as well as state
personnel) using ISO9000 type practices.
Does anyone on this list have such guidelines, standards or procedures
that they would be willing to share?? Any books, other publications or
web sites that would help me "jump start" this task?? Thanks.
Dan Buonodono
buonodonod@state.mi.us
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From: "Gomes, A Ferdinand PL"
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 96 13:56:00 GMT
Subject: RE: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000
Hi Dan,
Since you are in Michigan you could try the Michigan Quality Council web
site to obtain some contacts of member organizations. The MQC is set up to
help Michigan Businesses including the state! Their web site address is
http://web.miep.org/mqc/
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Ferdi Gomes
Unisys, Plymouth MI.
----------
|From: iso9000-3-owner
|To: iso9000-3
|Subject: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000
|Date: Thursday, August 29, 1996 9:49AM
|
|I have recently been assigned as the Information Technology Quality
|Assurance Analyst for Michigan State Government, and am eager to
|make an impact in the quality of software that is purchased or produced
|by or for the State.
|
|One of my current assignments is to develop guidelines to improve the
|quality of software (developed by external consultants as well as state
|personnel) using ISO9000 type practices.
|
|Does anyone on this list have such guidelines, standards or procedures
|that they would be willing to share?? Any books, other publications or
|web sites that would help me "jump start" this task?? Thanks.
|
|Dan Buonodono
|buonodonod@state.mi.us
|
|
|
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From: Glen Ford
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 19:28:08 -0400
Subject: Re: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO9000
At 09:49 1996-08-29 -0400, you wrote:
>I have recently been assigned as the Information Technology Quality
>Assurance Analyst for Michigan State Government, and am eager to
Congratulations.
>make an impact in the quality of software that is purchased or produced
>by or for the State.
Good luck.
>
>One of my current assignments is to develop guidelines to improve the
>quality of software (developed by external consultants as well as state
>personnel) using ISO9000 type practices.
>
>Does anyone on this list have such guidelines, standards or procedures
>that they would be willing to share?? Any books, other publications or
>web sites that would help me "jump start" this task?? Thanks.
>
>Dan Buonodono
>buonodonod@state.mi.us
>
Obviously the first place to start would be software standards: ISO 9000-3
is ISO 9001 adapted to software production. I would also suggest the
Canadian Software standards Q396 available from the Canadian Standards
Association. It takes a holistic view to software management rather than a
process view. Then there is the Software Engineering Institute's Capability
Maturity Model (http://www.sei.cmu.edu/) which is rather a slug but quite
well developed. (Also very prescriptive).
In the commercial world, I would suggest Kepner-Tregoe's Project Management
Methodology. It's very good with the important parts. I don't know if there
is a book available on the subject or not.
I also have a primer available on my website on project management
(http://www.io.org/~gford/bwca/models.html). Although it agrees with the KT
and ISO methodologies be warned it is a primer.
All of these deal with the high level project management. Personnally, I
believe that these have more to do with success than any other level. I
strongly believe that QA works while QC doesn't.
However, quite often when IS people mention standards they are referring to
low level standards (rules and conventions or Work Instructions in ISO terms).
At that level, the most important thing is to understand where the IS
group(s) are. Your peers may be anywhere on the continuum from seat of the
pants through structured through data oriented to OOT. While you can move
them from one to another you need to understand the creation of percieved
needs. There is no point in developing standards appropriate to OOT if your
team is stuck in the 1960s.
Once you've determined where they are then you can search out references
appropriate to that level.
Hope this helps a little ...
__________________________________________________________________
Glen D. Ford
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Bwca Management Consulting/CanDa Software
visit our Websites at: www.io.org/~gford/bwca.html
and www.io.org/~gford/canda.html
Pick up free software at www.io.org/~gford/canda.html
Read our Organizational Development Models at www.io.org/~gford/bwca/models.html
Comments are encouraged.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, ya gotta laugh ...."
__________________________________________________________________
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From: "Bill Casti, CQA (Moderator)"
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 21:53:39 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT: Alias Addresses
***This message is being mass-mailed to all quality.org lists and
addresses. My apologies for any duplicates you may receive, but it's
not easily avoidable.***
QUALITY.ORG is launching one of its few for-profit ventures, to pay for
upgrades to our system and equipment. We're going to be renting alias
addresses for $25.00 a year.
Beginning September 15th, everyone who wants one can have an email address
"@quality.org", by means of an "alias address" linked to your current or
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"Aliasing" means that you will still keep whatever email address and
service provider you already have, but that you will also have a
portable "@quality.org" address, which you can take with you to any
service provider. All email directed to your quality.org address will be
automatically rerouted to you at wherever your email account is. Aliasing
does NOT provide you with an account on or access to the quality.org
system. It just gives you a publicly-distributable address with the word
"quality" in it.
The aliasing will be ready to launch on September 15th. Orders will be
accepted any time before then, for rollout on that date. Orders received
after the rollout date will be effective for twelve (12) months from the
date we receive your check/money order. Checks returned for NSF will have
their aliasing immediately disabled.
Payment should be by check or money orders for twenty-five dollars ($US
25.00), made payable to: Casti Consulting, and mailed to:
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PO Box 53
Herndon VA 20172-0053
Be sure to include:
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- your current email address (to which your quality.org address
will be aliased)
- your preferred QUALITY.ORG email addresses (please give us your top
three choices, in order of preference, in case your #1 & #2 choices are
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- remember that you'll have to let us know if you change your
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IMPORTANT NOTE: ASQC Sections--current and future--and the groups and
individuals who already have quality.org alias addresses are
"grandfathered" and will not be affected by this for-cost venture.
Regards.
Bill
==============================================================================
Bill Casti, CQA Email: help@quality.org
Domain Owner Pager: +1 800 604 6149
QUALITY.ORG Fax: +1 703 716 0479
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUALITY RESOURCES ONLINE at: http://www.quality.org/qc
==============================================================================
------------------------------
From: Glen Ford
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 23:10:31 -0400
Subject: Re: Re[2]: Guidelines to improve the quality of software / ISO90
At 08:17 1996-08-30 -0500, you wrote:
> Glen,
>
> Most frequently when QA does not work it is because QC is either
> bottlenecked or sold out.
In software I would contend that Quality Control as a concept is unworkable.
Unless Quality is built into the process (ie the defining conceptual
difference between QC and QA) the quality process will fail. I suggest to
you the work by Yourdon on "Good Enough Programming" as an important piece
of thought on this subject. Software is an organic creation. Unlike
manufacturing in which each stage is an assembly of either components or
sub-assemblies, software is a cumulative process with each stage building on
(or completing if you prefer) the outputs of its predecessors.
Over the last 20 years one of the key lessons learned by Software
professionals is the need to involve all stakeholders in the process -
client, user, developer, designer, implementer and tester. Only through this
wide involvement can buy-in and quality be achieved. In other words the
Quality Assurance concept.
Quality Control (ie test at the end) groups - whatever their organizational
name - invariably become bottlenecks and fail to perform. Project Management
especially in Software, is a balancing act between the different definitions
of quality - bugs, dates, functionality etc. Since QC groups are not
involved in the process they are not aware of the trade-offs (agreed to or
otherwise) required to create this balance. To make matters worse, often QC
groups are not involved in the process enough that they will continue to
grow. As a result, they become targets as a result of their own resistance
to change ("But it doesn't look like the old one").
When Quality Assurance fails in my experience it is because it begins too
late or because it presumes knowledge of the definition of quality. In short
basic Project Mangement guidelines (build a Project Charter) are ignored.
The only other case is when the programmers are unwilling or incapable of
building quality into their product.
> Most frequently when TQM does not succeed
> it is because QA is either bypassed or sold off. Most frequently
I would be tempted to claim it is more because of the "lets try the next
fad" attitude of this generation of management and their consultants. My
experience with TQM consultants is that they preach without understanding
and do not seek to learn from the past. As a child of the sixties myself, I
can't help but draw the comparison to the phrase "When I was 25 I said
'Never trust anyone over 30'. Now that I'm over 30 it looks a little
different" (yes, I know excuse my paraphrasing). The environment has changed
but the reasons remain.
> where BPI/BPR fails it is beacause TQM is either only front-end lip
> service or an excuse for ZQM (zero). For more on getting quality
Again I disagree. If this were true BPR would succeed more often and (in my
experience) succeed where it fails and fail where it succeeds. Radical
change is seldom easy or successful. Successful BPR must be performed on a
regular and routine basis. In essence, the sloughing off of old habits must
be done regularly. Otherwise it becomes radical surgery instead of precise.
And like surgery, any radical procedure has a large risk factor.
Additionally, there are a number of political and human reasons for its failure.
The biggest failure I have ever engineered was in a simple purchasing
system. The old process was to call in the PO, type the PO, receive the
shipment and then record the receipt. The result was a bottleneck in
receiving which had to do all the inventory record keeping. So we
re-engineered. The PO became the receiving document - receiving only had to
enter the actual receipts and changes. Simple huh? Basic systems design.
Used in millions of organizations around the world. It failed! Why? The
buyers didn't know what they were purchasing - they relied on the supplier
to know. Result 90% rejection rate. Lip service to TQM? Nope this was long
before TQM and yet involved adherence to the TQM philosophy (I had already
learned how to succeed by that point).
> management beyond the awareness stage see "Quality is Still Free" by
> Phil Crosby or "Secrets of Sfw. Quality" by Kaplan, Clark & Tang.
>
> Mike Berens
Among others.
__________________________________________________________________
Glen D. Ford
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Bwca Management Consulting/CanDa Software
visit our Websites at: www.io.org/~gford/bwca.html
and www.io.org/~gford/canda.html
Pick up free software at www.io.org/~gford/canda.html
Read our Organizational Development Models at www.io.org/~gford/bwca/models.html
Comments are encouraged.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, ya gotta laugh ...."
__________________________________________________________________
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End of ISO 9000-3 Digest V1 #21
*******************************