Software Quality Assurance Management

Recent government software initiatives have made it mandatory for industry to increase its emphasis on software quality. Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation recognized the need for software product excellence eight years ago, and established a program of planned and systematic activities to determine, achieve, and maintain the required software quality. This session will present progress made, lessons learned, potential pitfalls of establishing a software quality assurance program, and sustaining it. Topics to be discussed will include: Establishing policies, standards and procedures; Elements of the SQA program; Attracting and retaining qualified software professionals; Independent reporting; Gaining top management and customer support; Overcoming organizational resistance to change; Do's and don't's of problem escalation; and where do we go from here?