A Framework for the Balanced Optimization of Quality Assurance Strategies Focusing on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

The Quality Improvement Paradigm (QIP) offers a general framework for systematically improving an organization’s development processes in a continuous manner. In the context of the LifeCycleQM project, the general QIP framework was concretized for a specific application area, namely, the balanced improvement of quality assurance (QA) strategies, i.e., a set of systematically applied QA activities. Especially with respect to small and medium-sized enterprises, the encompassing QIP framework presents limited guidance for easy and concrete application. Therefore, individual activities within the QIP framework were refined focusing on QA strategies, and proven measurement procedures such as the defect flow model and knowledge from the area of process improvement (e.g., with regard to individual QA procedures) was integrated for reuse in a practice-oriented manner. The feasibility of the developed approach was initially explored by its application at IBS AG, a medium-sized enterprise, where improvement goals were defined, a corresponding measurement program was established, improvement potential was identified, and concrete improvement suggestions for the QA strategy were derived, assessed, and implemented.