Software Quality

Chapter 17Procedures and Work Instructions

17.1 Introduction – the Need for Procedures and Work Instructions

• “Why should we use SQA procedures and work instructions?”
• “Wouldn't it be better if every professional relied on his own experience and performed the task the best way he knows?”
• “What are the organizational benefits of forcing me to perform a task exclusively in the way specified by the company?”

Questions like these are frequently voiced by staff in most organizations. The answers uncover the challenge to be met by procedures and work instructions: Application of the organization's accumulated know-how, experience, and expertise.

SQA procedures and work instructions aim at:

• Performance of tasks, processes, or activities in the most effective and efficient way without deviating from quality requirements.
• Effective and efficient communication between the different teams involved in the development and maintenance of software systems. Uniformity in performance, achieved by conformity with procedures and work instructions, reduces misunderstandings that lead to software errors.
• Simplified coordination between tasks and activities performed by the various bodies of the organization. Better coordination translates into fewer errors.

This chapter will discuss the following topics:

• Procedures and work instructions and their conceptual hierarchy (Section 17.3)
• Procedures and procedure manuals (Section 17.4)
• Work instructions (Section 17.5)
• Procedures and work instructions: ...