QA Part 2

In the second part of my quality assurance series, "So, you think you do quality assurance? Part 2: Advanced Quality," I focus on the importance of measuring and re-evaluating the SDLC process to enhance quality. I begin by stressing the need for a variety of metrics and KPIs to assess and fine-tune the SDLC, distinguishing between lagging and leading indicators and their roles in evaluating processes and products. I emphasize that quality assurance is a team responsibility, not confined to a specific role.

Key metrics discussed include lead time, cycle time, total wait time, number of production incidents, mean time to recovery, escaped bugs rate, and the cost of fixing bugs in production. Each metric provides insights into different aspects of the SDLC, from development efficiency to the impact of defects on the end product. I also cover code coverage and cyclomatic complexity, explaining their significance as indicators of code quality and system complexity.

I argue that these metrics should not just be collected and analyzed, but actively used to make informed decisions and improve the SDLC process. By implementing and fine-tuning quality gates and reviews, including architecture and code reviews, teams can enhance their output quality while reducing defects and inefficiencies.

This article is intended to guide software professionals in using advanced quality assurance methods to achieve high-quality software products, emphasizing that quality assurance extends beyond bug detection to encompass the entire software development process.