Software Development in an ISO 9000 company

ISO 9001:2008 standard defines requirements for a process-oriented Quality Management System. This means that desired results are achieved more efficiently when the related resources and activities, together with encompassing customer needs and satisfaction, are managed as a process. Quality Management System is specified in a Quality Manual document featuring a three-tier structure, which consists of Quality Processes (including Quality Policies), Quality Procedures and Work Instructions.

The problem is that Work Instructions are sometimes too bureaucratic. A good example of that approach is Tricker’s book on ISO 9000. According to it, a Work Instruction takes about 16 pages. Half of them contains purely administrative data (document data sheet, distribution list, amendments, list of annexes etc.). That makes the whole Quality Management System documentation superfluously thick.

Another drawback of Tricker’s approach is form-orientation: Work Instructions focus on how to fill-in the forms used by the Quality Procedures. What we propose is to make Work Instructions shorter (some elements can be omitted, some, e.g. terminology, can be put together and placed in one section). Moreover, Work Instructions should describe practices specific for a given methodology of

software development.

In our opinion, quality organization needs two things: general Quality Management System operating on a high abstraction level and a Thesaurus (knowledge database), which should materialize company’s knowledge. In the thesaurus templates of e.g. Quality Plans, historical data concerning past projects etc can be deposited. This information will be indispensable during planning and improving software processes.

The clauses of ISO 9001:2008 can be split into two parts. One part describes the general Quality Management System (chapters 4, 5, and 6) while the other part specifies requirements for a methodology to be adopted by an ISO-9000 company (chapters 7 and 8 of ISO 9001:2008). In the remaining part of the paper we will focus on requirements imposed by chapters 7 and 8 of the ISO 9001:2008.

ISO 9001:2008 standard defines requirements for a process-oriented Quality Management System. This means that desired results are achieved more efficiently when the related resources and activities, together with encompassing customer needs and satisfaction, are managed as a process. Quality Management System isspecified in a Quality Manual document featuring a three-tier structure, which consists of Quality Processes (including Quality Policies), Quality Proceduresand Work Instructions. The problem is that Work Instructions are sometimes too bureaucratic. A good example of that approach is Tricker’s book on ISO 9000. According to it, a Work Instruction takes about 16 pages. Half of them contains purelyadministrative data (document data sheet, distribution list, amendments, list of annexes etc.). That makes the whole Quality Management System documentation superfluously thick.

Another drawback of Tricker’s approach is form-orientation: Work Instructions focus on how to fill-in the forms used by the Quality Procedures. What we propose is to make Work Instructions shorter (some elements can be omitted,some, e.g. terminology, can be put together and placed in one section). Moreover,Work Instructions should describe practices specific for a given methodology ofsoftware development.In our opinion, quality organization needs two things: general Quality Management System operating on a high abstraction level and a Thesaurus (knowledgedatabase), which should materialize company’s knowledge. In the thesaurustemplates of e.g. Quality Plans, historical data concerning past projects etc can be deposited. This information will be indispensable during planning and improving software processes. The clauses of ISO 9001:2008 can be split into two parts. One part describes the general Quality Management System (chapters 4, 5, and 6) while the other part specifies requirements for a methodology to be adopted by an ISO-9000 company (chapters 7 and 8 of ISO 9001:2008). In the remaining part of the paper we will focus on requirements imposed by chapters 7 and 8 of the ISO9001:2008.

Effects of ISO 9001 Implementation

Overall we can say that a company sought certification primarily to meet internal needs rather than as a response to external market forces. However the first action to be certified seems as a proactive response, we could not see a clear effort in the company to evaluate the actual results of this process.

Despite all, it has been stated that the certification has enabled them to achieve higher quality, productivity thus product reliability and increase in customer satisfaction. From the aspect of cost dimension it was declared that ISO 9001 implementations had moderately positive impacts on cost reductions by the increase in productivity and decreases in spoilage, rework and scrap. A factor affecting the occurrence of previous impacts is careful selection of the appropriate supplier.

Overall the most important impact of certification was stated to be the improvements in the brand image of the company from the viewpoint of their customers. This will also be very advantageous in the retention of existing customers and attraction of new ones. As a result of the synergy between the stated improvements company achieved a significant competitive advantage compared to competitors that are not certified.

Company has neither any application nor any action regarding TQM and quality costs.