5 Part 5: V-Modell Reference Work Products
5.3 Products
5.3.2 Planning and Control
5.3.2.3 QA Manual
Process module: Quality Assurance
Responsible: QA Manager (when using process module Quality Assurance)
Activity: Preparing the QA Manual
Participating: Project Leader, Quality Manager, RFP-Manager
Work Product Attributes: initial
Purpose
The V-Modell is a generic process standard which must be adapted to and concretized for an actual project. The QA Manual specifies the adaptations and features required for quality assurance. Thus it documents type and scope of the V-Modell application within the project and is information source and guideline for all stakeholders.
The »QA Manual includes a brief description of the project's quality targets, the specification of the products and processes to be tested, the organization and specifications for planning and executing quality assurance measures within the project and specifications for quality assurance measures to be executed by external suppliers. The QA Manager shall develop this central product in coordination with the key persons of the project.
In particular, the QA Manual specifies frequency and necessity of generating further products which are required for the quality assurance of the project, e.g. »Quality Status Report s, »Qualification Records and evaluation reports.
Generates
Evaluation Report Product Configuration, Evaluation Specification Product Configuration, Qualification Record, Evaluation Report Document, Evaluation Report Process, Evaluation Specification Document, Evaluation Specification Process, Quality Status Report (see product dependency 4.14)
Depends on
Evaluation Specification System Element (see product dependency 5.16)
Project Manual (see product dependency 5.37)
Hardware Implementation, Integration and Evaluation Concept, Software Implementation, Integration and Evaluation Concept, System Implementation, Integration and Evaluation Concept, Enabling System Implementation, Integration, and Evaluation Concept (see product dependency 5.43)
Request for Proposal (see product dependency 5.49)
Project Manual, Request for Proposal (see product dependency 5.55)
Project Manual, Contract (Acquirer), Contract Addendum (Acquirer) (see product dependency 5.57)
Example Work Products
5.3.2.3.1 Quality Targets and Requirements
This subject defines the quality assurance requirements and the intended targets, e.g. a required test overlap or formal specification techniques. »Quality Targets and Requirements regarding the item to be developed will not be specified here since they have already been defined in the Requirements Specification. If an organization-specific quality management manual is available, the targets and requirements specified therein shall be adapted to the specific project.
5.3.2.3.2 Products to Be Evaluated
This subject specifies the products to be tested by an independent quality assurance activity. The selection must be justified. The appropriate evaluation specifications and evaluation reports for these products shall be prepared. The specification as to which system elements will be tested are documented in the corresponding implementation, integration and evaluation concepts.
5.3.2.3.3 Processes to Be Evaluated
This subject specifies the processes to be tested by an independent quality assurance activity. The selection must be justified, stating also the standards and guidelines on which the test is based. The appropriate evaluation specifications and evaluation reports for the processes to be tested shall be prepared.
In addition, the testing of further processes may be required due to current events in the project or its environment, e.g., an above-average deviation between estimated and actual planning.
5.3.2.3.4 Quality Assurance - Organization and Directives
In this subject, the V-Modell standards regarding product and process quality assurance will be concretized and adapted to the project. It will be specified if, when and and which QA products shall be used for project quality assurance, which methods, guidelines and standards will be used as basis for their preparation and with which tools or »Project Management Infrastructure components they will be processed.
Based on the quality targets, organization and authorities of project quality assurance will be specified. The constructional and analytical quality assurance measures will be presented.
Constructional measures include, but are not limited to, defensive programming, type-checking languages, standards, process models, checklists, guidelines. Analytical quality assurance measures include test measures for documents, e.g., reviews, tests of system elements and process tests.
In addition, procedures for output checks and input checks must be specified, e.g., tests of off-the-shelf products and furnished items.
Within the scope of quality control, it shall be described how arising »Quality Problems should be treated, tracked and solved by corrective actions. In addition, it shall be specified for which problem types an unscheduled »Quality Status Report must be prepared.
If contracts will be awarded to »Sub-Suppliers, the applicable quality standards shall be specified.
5.3.2.3.5 Quality Assurance of Delivery - Organization and Directives
This subject concretizes the standards for the quality assurance of the delivery. The acquirer conducts an acceptance test for every »Delivery.
Therefore, the supplier must ensure that his delivery fulfills the requirements of the acquirer. The requirements are replicable based on the »Evaluation Specification System Element. They include, but are not limited to, a list of acceptance evaluation cases proving the fulfillment of the requirements included in the Requirements Specification.
The results will be recorded in the »Evaluation Report System Element.
5.3.2.3.6 Directives for Evaluation Specification for Off-the-Shelf Products
Like all system elements, also off-the-shelf products can and should be tested. For this purpose, a »Evaluation Specification System Element will be prepared. In order to achieve a uniform quality assurance standard - particularly in case of off-the-shelf products - this subject specifies targets for the evaluation specification of off-the-shelf products. These targets shall be integrated into the corresponding system element evaluation specification. The targets may include requirements regarding scope and quality of the documentation, the manufacturer and the use test.
5.3.2.3.7 Directives for the QA Manual of the Supplier
The acquirer may specify a variety of quality assurance requirements for the supplier. They will be documented here, included into »Annex 3: Directives for the QA Manual (Supplier) of all »Request for Proposal and adapted as required. These specifications may include, e.g., scope of product and process testing and constructional quality assurance measures to be applied beyond the specifications in the V-Modell.
Exemplary Product Content
Possible specifications include, but are not limited to, the following:
- scope of documentation,
- development standards and methods to be used,
- specifications for internal tests of the supplier, and
- specifications for the planned configurations of the deliveries.