Chapter 15Assuring Software Quality Conformance for Operation Services
15.1 Introduction
The main part of the software life cycle is the operation phase, which usually lasts for 5–10 years, although cases of software being operational for 15 years, and even longer, are not rare. What makes one software package capable of reaching “old age” with satisfied users, while another package, serving an almost identical population, “perishes young?” The main factor responsible for a long-term service success is the quality of operation services, namely, the user support and maintenance services. Adding to the importance of software operation services is an investment aspect; with the resources invested in user support and maintenance services being equal to, or surpassing, those provided for the development of the software system itself. Estimates of the percentage of resources invested in operation phase services throughout its life cycle range from 50–75% of the total invested software system resources.
The main factor responsible for the long and successful service of a software system is the quality of user support and maintenance services.
User support services may be classified into two kinds:
- User support services through the phone. This kind of service frequently applies remote intervention in the user's computer to solve the problem.
- Onsite user support service. This kind of service is used only when support through the phone is inapplicable. Usually, this kind of service ...
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