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Pushing for software quality assurance

In my experience, some programmers and program development managers resist investing time in software quality assurance (SQA). In a recent research article on "Resistance Factors in the Implementation of Software Process Improvement Project in Malaysia," from the Journal of Computer Science 4(3):211-219 (2008), the authors summarized extensive published research on why people resist SQA. Experts have found that there are several categories of stumbling blocks to integrating SQA into the software development process (Table 1, p 213):

• Human: failure to gain top-level, thoroughgoing support for process improvement.
• Political: perceptions of loss of power.
• Cultural: organizational resistance to changes in long-established patterns.
• Goals: unclear, undefined, unmeasured goals leave people confused and uncooperative.
• Change Management: SQA must be integrated with and support the mission-critical goals of the organization.

An essential step in implementing new SQA processes – and continuous process improvement (CPI) in general – in any organization thus involves convincing all involved stakeholders (employees, managers, shareholders and even customers) that the project is worth the effort. I have some ideas from teaching that may be helpful in this task.
Continued

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