IS Quality

Question 1

What are the four historical problem factors in IS delivery?

Answer 1

Conformity, Changeability, Invisibility, and Complexity.

Question 2

What has increased the complexity of IS delivery in modern organizations?

Answer 2

Ubiquitous systems, integrative designs, and advanced enterprise systems across cross-functional dependencies.

Question 3

Name four technological challenges affecting IS quality.

Answer 3

1. Sophisticated enterprise systems
2. Distributed application architectures
3. Emergence of new software production methods
4. Rise in COTS and outsourcing

Question 4

What are some business challenges introduced by IT innovations?

Answer 4

Greater operational flexibility, global reach via regional trade alliances, virtual corporations, and support for telecommuting.

Question 5

What increases the urgency of delivering high-quality IS systems?

Answer 5

Increased reliance on IT and more ambitious project goals which elevate the risk of IS failure.

Question 6

What are the stages of the IS system lifecycle (SLC)?

Answer 6

The SLC spans from system inception to retirement, with the number of stages varying from 2 to 15 depending on the model used.

Question 7

What impacts the quality of IS deliverables during the SLC?

Answer 7

The quality of activities at each SLC stage directly affects deliverables and the eventual system.

Question 8

What is critical during the conceptualization stage of IS delivery?

Answer 8

Effective stakeholder interaction and agreement on project scope and system features.

Question 9

What are the dominant quality factors during the creation stage of IS delivery?

Answer 9

Delivery process effectiveness, practices used, and the software production method chosen.

Question 10

What are the three sourcing methods during IS creation?

Answer 10

In-house development, COTS acquisition, and outsourcing.

Question 11

What characterizes the consummation stage in IS delivery?

Answer 11

System deployment and user adoption, which are crucial for realizing business value.

Question 12

How might users resist IS adoption despite mandatory implementation?

Answer 12

Through passive resistance, avoidance, circumvention, or sabotage.

Question 13

What is the goal during the IS consolidation stage?

Answer 13

To evolve the system by implementing corrective/perfective changes and prevent degradation (atrophy or entropy).

Question 14

What are the five quality perspectives from Garvin?

Answer 14

Transcendental, Product, User-based, Manufacturing-based, and Value-based.

Question 15

What are unique IS considerations beyond traditional product quality?

Answer 15

Social system interfaces, interdependent processes, multiple stakeholder perspectives, and varied software production methods.

Question 16

What are the primary organizational goals when pursuing IS quality?

Answer 16

Timely, relevant delivery; feature functionality; reliability; maintainability; scalability; and lifecycle cost-effectiveness.

Question 17

What dimensions influence IS quality from a stakeholder perspective?

Answer 17

Technical, social, cultural, political, instrumental, and affective dimensions.

Question 18

What practices and people factors influence IS quality and success?

Answer 18

Systems development methodology (SDM), project management, user involvement, and socio-technical principles.

Question 19

Can IS success occur independently of objective IS quality?

Answer 19

Yes, user perceptions can define success even if the system’s objective quality is low.

Question 20

How does executive management contribute to IS quality?

Answer 20

By sponsoring financially, driving change management, and enabling cultural shifts toward delivery improvements.

Question 21

What is the role of user-centered IS delivery?

Answer 21

It increases the chances of high-quality systems via socio-technical systems principles and stakeholder involvement.

Question 22

What are the four levels of user involvement?

Answer 22

Participation, Involvement, Ownership, Championship.

Question 23

Why have research findings on user involvement been inconclusive?

Answer 23

Due to poor differentiation between constructs like “user participation” and “user involvement”.

Question 24

Why are IS and IT competencies vital for IS quality?

Answer 24

Competent specialists and project managers ensure effective coordination, risk management, and process structure application.

Question 25

Name 4 user-centric design approaches that contribute to quality.

Answer 25

Prototyping, Joint Application Development (JAD), Software Quality Function Deployment (SQFD), and Ethical implementation.

Question 26

What two generic approaches support IS process improvement?

Answer 26

1. Formal process assessment instruments 2. Process management standards (e.g., SDMs)

Question 27

What is the Capability Maturity Model (CMM)?

Answer 27

A model by Carnegie Mellon to stabilize IS delivery via five maturity levels with practices for each.

Question 28

What evolved into the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)?

Answer 28

CMM, Systems Engineering CMM, Software Acquisition CMM, and People CMM.

Question 29

What are benefits and concerns related to CMM-based improvements?

Answer 29

Benefits: better scheduling, fewer defects, more maintainable products. Concerns: High implementation effort and unclear performance linkage

Question 30

What is a systems development methodology (SDM)?

Answer 30

A structured standard outlining processes, tools, and roles across IS development stages for consistency and repeatability.

Question 31

How do software production methods differ from SDMs?

Answer 31

SDMs structure delivery processes; software production methods focus on philosophies for engineering software components.

Question 32

What are three software production models?

Answer 32

1. Waterfall (sequential) 2. Iterative/Incremental (progressive) 3. Reuse-based (modular)

Question 33

What is the Spiral Model in IS development?

Answer 33

A hybrid of waterfall and prototyping, using iterative spirals through delivery stages with risk assessment and planning.

Question 34

What is Rapid Application Development (RAD)?

Answer 34

A time-boxed approach with intense user-developer interaction to deliver systems quickly, adjusting scope and quality.

Question 35

What is Cleanroom Software Engineering (CSE)?

Answer 35

A method to produce defect-free software using peer reviews, statistical testing, and separate teams for dev, spec, cert.

Question 36

Name five Agile development methods.

Answer 36

Extreme Programming (XP), Adaptive SD, Feature-Driven Development, DSDM, SCRUM.

Question 37

What is the Reuse Paradigm?

Answer 37

Producing systems from reusable components via OO development or component-based development by domain experts.

Question 38

What is meant by IS product quality?

Answer 38

IS product quality refers to the inherent properties of a delivered system as experienced by users and maintenance personnel. It includes both internal and external quality characteristics such as functionality, reliability, and usability.

Question 39

What framework is commonly used to assess software quality attributes?

Answer 39

The ISO/IEC-9126-1 quality model, which organizes software quality into six main characteristics: functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, and portability.

Question 40

Why doesn't high IS product quality always lead to IS success?

Answer 40

Because IS success is not solely determined by technical quality; it also depends on stakeholder perceptions, usage patterns, and whether the system delivers business value and meets user needs.

Question 41

How is IS success defined in relation to IS product quality?

Answer 41

IS success is the extent to which an IS satisfies functional and usage requirements, delivers desired business value, and overcomes both objective and perceptual barriers to adoption and use.

Question 42

What factors contribute to IS success according to research findings?

Answer 42

Successful IS often show positive organizational impacts, though some contribute neutral or negative effects. Success is driven by system usage, fitness for use, ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user satisfaction.

Question 43

What challenges hinder improvements in IS quality delivery?

Answer 43

Increasing system complexity, integration demands, new technologies, and expanding business scopes create delivery challenges that often offset incremental improvements in IS quality knowledge.

Question 44

Why is translating quality requirements into design artefacts difficult?

Answer 44

Because there is a lack of clear methods or models to incorporate quality attributes into system design in a way that can be implemented effectively.

Question 45

How is software product quality perceived in business terms?

Answer 45

As a critical attribute, since its absence can cause financial loss, user dissatisfaction, and even pose risks to safety. Quality must align with user and acquirer expectations.

Question 46

How have different organizations defined software quality?

Answer 46

Definitions vary: IBM defined it as “market-driven quality,” Crosby as “conformance to requirements,” while ISO9001 defines it as the degree to which inherent characteristics meet requirements.

Question 47

Why is a quality culture essential and how is it developed?

Answer 47

A quality culture guides behaviors and priorities toward producing high-quality products. It must be nurtured from the start by leadership and evolve with the organization.

Question 48

Why is selling the idea of software quality often difficult?

Answer 48

Because its benefits are long-term, and it requires significant upfront investment. Managers may struggle to justify quality costs without immediate results or clear metrics.

Question 49

What did Galin's study show about quality practices like reviews and inspections?

Answer 49

Effective quality practices can significantly reduce defects and project costs. For example, adding design and code inspections can detect up to 97.4% of defects, greatly improving overall product quality

Question 50

What is the relationship between software process quality and product quality?

Answer 50

High-quality development processes (e.g., ISO 9001, CMMI) are believed to improve product quality, but they do not guarantee it—product quality must also be explicitly addressed.

Question 51

What are the three core components of the Juran Trilogy in quality management?

Answer 51

Quality Planning, Quality Control, and Quality Improvement—together they aim to reduce waste and drive continuous improvement in both process and product quality.

Question 52

What are the main activities in Software Quality Management (SQM)?

Answer 52

SQM includes planning for quality, defining product characteristics, executing QA tasks, monitoring verification/validation processes, and reporting results for management decision-making.

Question 53

What are some key standards and models involved in SQM?

Answer 53

IEEE 12207 outlines processes such as quality assurance, verification, validation, reviews, and audits. ISO 9001 and CMMI also play major roles in process quality assurance.

Question 54

What is technical quality in software?

Answer 54

Technical quality refers to the structural soundness and operational performance of a system, ensuring it performs expected operations reliably and correctly.

Question 55

What is use quality in software systems?

Answer 55

Use quality is the user's experience when working with the system. It emphasizes intuitive design and fitness for use, often uncovered through user feedback and iterative prototyping.

Question 56

What is aesthetic quality in software, and why is it often neglected?

Answer 56

Aesthetic quality involves elegance and visual appeal. It's usually overlooked except in UI design, though it can significantly influence user satisfaction and perception of quality.

Question 57

What is symbolic quality in information systems?

Answer 57

Symbolic quality reflects how systems represent values or culture in an organization. For example, systems may symbolize modernity or control, which affects their perception and acceptance.

Question 58

How is organizational quality defined in software systems?

Answer 58

It refers to how well a system fits with organizational needs, workflows, and stakeholder interests. Conflicting user demands can reduce organizational quality if not balanced.

Question 59

How do project managers perceive software quality?

Answer 59

Project managers see quality as a functional system delivered on time and within budget. They balance reliability, maintainability, and user satisfaction against project constraints.

Question 60

How have definitions of software quality evolved?

Answer 60

Initially focused on the product, later on manufacturing processes, and now increasingly on user perspectives—emphasizing usability, aesthetics, and symbolic meanings.

Question 61

What are the two main schools of thought in software quality?

Answer 61

The product school focuses on measurable product characteristics, while the process school emphasizes the development process as the path to improved quality.

Question 62

What is the core belief of process quality models like CMM and ISO 9001?

Answer 62

That structured, mature, and standardized development processes will lead to better, higher-quality software products.

Question 63

Why can't process quality alone guarantee product quality?

Answer 63

Because even a well-defined process can produce poor results if product-specific quality requirements aren't addressed during design and implementation.

Question 64

What criticisms exist against the software process movement?

Answer 64

It is seen as overly reliant on structured processes ("clean pipes") and neglects the need for metrics and testing that directly assess product quality.

Question 65

What are the main weaknesses of hierarchical quality models like ISO 9126?

Answer 65

They rely on subjective judgments, lack measurable definitions, may have arbitrary criteria, and sometimes display conflicting relationships between factors like usability vs efficiency.

Question 66

What are product quality models and what do they focus on?

Answer 66

These models assess quality through decomposed characteristics (e.g., Boehm, McCall). Metrics are used to assess software quality against acceptance criteria, but they often lack specific thresholds.

Question 67

What is the role of standardization in process quality models?

Answer 67

Standards help reduce variability in development by defining repeatable, manageable tasks. This helps make the process rational, controlled, and ideally, quality-driven.

Question 68

How do ISO 9001 and CMMI relate and differ in software quality assurance?

Answer 68

ISO 9001 offers general quality principles applicable to various industries. CMMI provides detailed process maturity levels. Many firms use ISO 9001 as a step toward CMMI certification.