System Quality Characteristics - Research Paper Example

System Quality Characteristics of the of the System Quality Characteristics This paper is based on the discussion ofsystem quality characteristics of ISO 9126 system and the evaluation of Software Engineering Institutes (SEI) Capability Maturity Models (CMM). ISO 9126 System Quality Characteristics Usability During the last few decades, there has been an increase in the number of studies conducted on the quality and usability of hardware and software products. The studies have revealed serious problems in the development and application of various systems (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002; Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). In many cases, the system development process fails and poor quality products are developed (Adler et al, 2005). The usability of ISO 9126 refers to specific principles, planning, and activities. The usability feature determines the extent to which a product can be used with specific goals and objectives. The usability of a system also determines its effectiveness, satisfaction, and efficiency. The effectiveness of a system refers to the accuracy with which specific objectives can be achieved. The efficiency of a system refers to various resources and their accuracy for the system. The satisfaction of a system includes characteristics of users, tasks, and the overall organization. The context of use is also an important characteristic of the system. The context of the system determines the characteristics of the users, tasks, and physical environment (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Reliability The second important quality characteristic of ISO 9126 System is reliability. The reliability of a system determines the perceptions of users regarding the reliability. The reliability of a system is ensured through various measures (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Some of these measures include frequency of system failure, presence of bugs, faults, and other errors. When developing a system, it is important to ensure that it possesses fault tolerance. The specific level of performance is also developed for system’s reliability. The recoverability is the sub characteristic of reliability. This characteristic allows users to take corrective actions whenever an error occurs. The reliable system is one, which can quickly recover from a failure and resume working (Sauro & Kindlund, 2005). Reliability is viewed as an important quality attribute, which appears in all quality models. The users want a system that they can rely. The reliability can be defined as the capability of a system to maintain a specific performance level. The sub characteristics of reliability include maturity, fault tolerance, recoverability, and reliability conformance. Maturity of an ISO 9126 system can be comprehended as its capability to avoid failures. The fault tolerance of a system is the capability of a system to deliver specified performance (Phang, Kankanhalli & Sabherwal, 2009). In order to evaluate reliability, various models and measurements are used. The process of measuring reliability consists of four steps. In the first step, the specifications of a system are collected. In the second step, test cases and developed. In the third step, the outcomes of each case are determined and evaluated. In the fourth step, the reliability of a system is calculated. The users of a system play an important role in the system development process. It is because users set the values as well as objectives. The involvement of users is important to ensure the reliability of the system (Hashim, 2009). Software Engineering Institutes (SEI) Capability Maturity Models (CMM) The Software Engineering Institute has contributed towards the development of reliable systems. SEI has developed a number of extensive capability maturity models that address software quality. Some of these models are following: CMM / SW-CMM [28;30;31] P-CMM [32] CMMI [33] The goal of CMM model is to achieve discipline, which ensures continuous development in an organization. The key processes in this model consist of related activities which are designed to achieve specific goals (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002). The definition of goals is a critical step in the CMM model. The extent to which specific goals and objectives are met determines the capability of an organization. The implementation of CMM can be classified into stages and continuous. The staged model is a descendant of software development. The latest version of CMMI is version 1.2. This version consists of 22 processes, which are broadly classified into four categories. These categories include process management, project management, support, and engineering (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002). The CMM is applied to system development in order to improve the process. The CMM models is a framework which descried processes used for software development and maintenance. The model requires specific use of interpretations. CMM is based on the approach of describing principles and leaving their implementation up to the managers off an organization. The managers and technical staff of an organization are required to tailor the model according to the environment (Phang, Kankanhalli & Sabherwal, 2009). CMM consists of five stages. The first step is the initial level, which is ad hoc and has unpredictable results. The level 2 is the repeatable level in which the system outputs are consistent but the results are not well-defined. The level 3 is the defined level where the consistent outputs are found and understood. The level 4 is the managed level where various elements are well defined. The 5th level is the optimizing level where the development process operates in a smooth manner (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002). The application of CMM model for system development is a critical step. The consultants are required to extensively review the specifications of the system and develop interpretations. CMM contains many practices, which are suited according to the needs of an organization. The CMM outlines various steps which can be taken in order to improve results. The model allows organizations to evaluate their system against five maturity levels. The CMM is used to transform a chaotic process into an organized one. The focus of this model is on the development of well-defined goals and processes (Phang, Kankanhalli & Sabherwal, 2009). Moving an organization to the capability maturity approach is a difficult task. This process involves redesigning corporate culture and understanding the overall process. CMM and CMMI have been implemented in several organizations across the world. The implementation of this model requires a high level of commitment. The team members are required to receive specific training (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002). The Capability Maturity Model is a process improvement model that aims to improve the process of software development (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002). The maturity levels of the model predict the ability of an organization to develop software products on the basis of certain disciplines (Biberoglu & Haddad, 2002). The maturity levels are specific frameworks that encourage discipline. The model has been successfully implemented in by different government organizations contracts, and avionics companies. The adoption and implementation of this model results in the development of a new organizational culture since it focuses on quality processes that are required to develop quality products. References Adler, P. et al., (2005). Enabling process discipline: lessons from the journey to CMM level 5. MIS Quarterly Executive, 4(1), pp.215–227 Biberoglu, E. & Haddad, H., (2002). A survey of industrial experiences with CMM and the teaching of CMM practices. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 18(2), pp.143–152. Hashim, N., (2009). Knowledge Management and Usability Model for Knowledge Management System. Computer and Information Science, 2(3), pp.166–175 Phang, C.W., Kankanhalli, A. & Sabherwal, R., (2009). Usability and Sociability in Online Communities: A Comparative Study of Knowledge Seeking and Contribution*. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 10(10), pp.721–747 Sauro, J. & Kindlund, E., (2005). A method to standardize usability metrics into a single score. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp.401–409. Available at: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?doid=1054972.1055028\nhttp://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1055028. Read More