Improving Software Quality Through Communication

1. Improving Software Quality Through Communication Kanchan Bajaj, SENTEL Corporation Kbajaj@sentel.com www.sentel.com 972-308-1880

2. Overview • Project Overview • Customer Needs • How SENTEL improved quality through communications • Results • Q & A

3. Speaker Information About Me? • Kanchan Bajaj • Software Project Manager, Quality Assurance Analyst • 8 years of Engineering experience • Numerous projects in Defense and Commercial Companies • Software Development and Project Management experience

4. Company Information About SENTEL Corporation • SENTEL is an engineering services company that develops, tests, implements, and supports innovative technology that improves defense, enables communication, and protects lives. • Founded in 1987, SENTEL has garnered numerous awards for its work. • SENTEL was assessed as a Level-2 software development organization in accordance with the Software Engineering Institute’s Capability Maturity Model (CMM).

5. Project Overview RGS – Report Generation Software • Automates the examination process from case-building and assignment to assessment and archiving • Computes tax, penalties, interest, and adjustments • Provides taxpayer an accurate, legible, and easily understood audit report • Allows for timely responses to taxpayer correspondence • Automates the No-Reply process from case creation through case closure

6. Project Overview Customer Base • Used by approximately 26,000 users in all Business Operating Divisions, Appeals, and National Research Program (NRP).

7. Customer Needs RGS in the Past… • Communication problems between client and team • Poorly defined requirements = poor product quality • Scoop creep – lots of late requirements • Multiple build deliveries – squeeze in one more critical change • No credibility with their upper management • Unwanted stress

8. Customer Needs The Customer Wanted to… • Control Scope creep – fewer late requirements • Control Schedule – be knowledgeable when to test • Improve overall Program image • Decrease stress

9. What SENTEL Did How did SENTEL Improve RGS? • Changed the Management • Revised Methods • Changed the Overall Process

10. What SENTEL Did Management Changeover • Hired a new Program Director • Had credibility of being successful in Government environment • Knew that customer wanted to improve their status in organization

11. What SENTEL Did Methods Revision • Implemented portions of XP (Extreme Programming) with the SEI-CMM Level 3 • Emphasis on customer involvement and team work • Introduced pairing with XP • Team analysis and estimation process • Building nightly builds

12. What SENTEL Did Process Improvement with Customer Communication • Made improvements within the team • Changed all-in-one build mentality; new changes go in the next build • Changed the Testing Process • Improved customer relations • Implemented Peer Reviews

13. Making Full Use of the Tool Implemented a Tool that Helped us • Track requirements – # submitted and # delivered • Track estimates – helped in creating realistic schedules • Track development status – accurate prediction on % completion in real time • Control development – traceability • Control test plans and test data – all under source control • Supply schedules that clearly showed a defined critical path

14. We Continued to Communicate Improvements Made within the Team • Improved planning process – customer sign-off • Baselined requirements • Improved estimation process – all in the tool • Baselined RGS schedule • Integrated schedule with the customer’s end-game schedule • Tracked schedules weekly with customer with collected actuals

15. Improvements: Planning Source-Controlled Everything • Requirements • Design documents • Source code • Test plans and Test cases • Test proofs at each level of testing

16. Improvements: Testing Process Changed Testing Process • Test plans independently written by Test developers • Test plans peer reviewed by customer analyst • Common-sense approach to regression testing • No full regression testing on all platforms all the time • Test proof created for each level of testing • Eliminated test level that added no value • Implemented threshold for system end-to-end testing • Common sense approach to test automation

17. Improvements: Peer Review Implemented Peer Reviews • Customer analyst peer reviewed design docs • Customer analyst peer reviewed test plans • Developer-to-Developer peer review during team level testing • Developer-to-Tester peer review during system level testing

18. Improvements: Customer Relations • Held Weekly/Daily Change Control Board meetings for current release cycle • Prioritized new requirements • Prioritized re-work on defects • Analyzed impact on schedule • Negotiated build deliveries • Negotiated build quality • Opened lines of communication between the customer analyst and developers • Got involved early to plan next release cycle • Proposed changes to applications – new technology

19. Results What did we Get out of Improved Communications? • On time delivery for each scheduled build • Achieved customer trust and credibility • Fewer nights and weekends worked • Better Quality product using improved testing and peer review process • Open communications with the customer management • Open communications between customer analyst, developers, and test team • Learned – always say YES and then give alternatives

20. Statistics for Product Released Before 09/15/02 – 01/30/03) Planned 3 Build deliveries – Delivered 16 builds Delivered 285 requirements Held 9 formal CCB meetings with stakeholders Customer found defect 28% Statistics for Product Released Now (09/15/03 – 01/30/04) Planned 4 Build deliveries – Delivered 8 builds Baselined with 102 requirements – Delivered 217 requirements Held 45 formal CCB meetings with stakeholders Customer found defect 7% - all non critical Results -- We communicated it all!

21. Questions Email me at kbajaj@sentel.com Portions of this presentation were provided by Tresia Eaves and Brian Blackburne.