How do you make decisions that optimize software quality?

From: Andrew (analystresearch2002_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 08/11/04 

Date: 11 Aug 2004 12:41:31 -0700

Hi there,

  Thanks to all for your feedback on my previous question on unit
testing.

  I want to step back and ask the group a broader question. Imagine
you are the VP Engineering at a large software company with the
mandate that you must deliver software at the absolute lowest possible
total cost of development and deployment - that means, low cost to
engineer but with high enough quality that post-release deployment
costs are also low (limited bugs, etc).

1) What are the top 3-5 problems or issues be in your experience that
would strain my ability to be low cost AND high quality?

1a) How do people resolve these 3-5 problems? Tools? Software
lifecyle methodologies? Which of these tools and methods can be
provably shown to mitigate those 3-5 problems or is it just
statistical/anecdotal suggestion?

2) What are the top 3-5 risks (i.e. not guaranteed to be a problem,
but could manifest as a problem) that would strain low cost/high
ability?

2a) How do people prevent those risks from arising? Tools?
Methodologies? Can the tools and methods be provably shown to
suppress the risks or is it statistical/anecdotal suggestion?

3) What are the top 3-5 decision tradeoffs that a VP Engineering has
to make to deliver software - i.e. not problems here, but just
decisions that have to be made between deliving in one way vs.
another?

3a) How do people determine the optimal decision for those tradeoffs?

Any input on these questions - even if only for a subsection would be
greatly appreciated. I hope it actually spurns some good discussionn
because my guess is that different people have different opinions.

Relevant Pages

  • How do you make decisions that optimize software quality?
    ... would strain my ability to be low cost AND high quality? ... lifecyle methodologies? ... What are the top 3-5 risks (i.e. not guaranteed to be a problem, ... What are the top 3-5 decision tradeoffs that a VP Engineering has ...
    (comp.lang.java.softwaretools)
  • Re: How do you make decisions that optimize software quality?
    ... > would strain my ability to be low cost AND high quality? ... The ability to find good people. ... and then putting processes/tools in place to compensate. ... > lifecyle methodologies? ...
    (comp.object)
  • Re: How do you make decisions that optimize software quality?
    ... > would strain my ability to be low cost AND high quality? ... The ability to find good people. ... and then putting processes/tools in place to compensate. ... > lifecyle methodologies? ...
    (comp.lang.java.softwaretools)
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