Define quality (ISO 9000:2000).
The degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfils requirements.
What is the difference between conformance to requirements and fitness for use?
Conformance: the project's processes and products meet written specifications. Fitness for use: the product can be used as it was intended.
What is project quality management?
The processes required to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken.
List the quality management processes.
Planning quality management; performing quality assurance; controlling quality.
What is the purpose of planning quality?
To identify relevant quality standards for each project and design quality into the products and the processes of managing the project.
How are defects prevented in quality planning?
Selecting proper materials; training people in quality; planning a process that ensures the appropriate outcome.
List the scope aspects of IT projects that affect quality.
Functionality and features; system outputs; performance; reliability; maintainability.
Define reliability and maintainability.
Reliability: the ability of a product or service to perform as expected under normal conditions. Maintainability: the ease of performing maintenance on a product.
What is quality assurance?
All the activities related to satisfying the relevant quality standards for a project; another goal is continuous quality improvement.
What are benchmarking and a quality audit?
Benchmarking: generating improvement ideas by comparing practices or product characteristics to other projects or products. Quality audit: a structured review of quality management activities that identifies lessons learned.
What is the main goal of quality control, and what are its main outputs?
To improve quality. Outputs: acceptance decisions, rework, process adjustments.
What tools and techniques help perform quality control?
The seven basic tools of quality; statistical sampling; Six Sigma; testing.
Name the seven basic tools of quality.
Cause-and-effect diagrams; control charts; check sheet; scatter diagrams; histogram; Pareto chart; flowcharts.
What is a cause-and-effect diagram?
A diagram that traces quality problems back to the responsible operations to find the root cause; also called a fishbone diagram; can be used with the 5 Whys technique.
What is a control chart, and what does “in control” mean?
A graphic display of the results of a process over time. In control: variations are caused by random events and no adjustment is needed; out of control: nonrandom events, adjust the process.
What is a check sheet?
A form used to collect and analyze data, sometimes called a tally sheet or checklist.
What do a scatter diagram and a histogram show?
Scatter diagram: whether there is a relationship between two variables. Histogram: a bar graph of a distribution, bar height = frequency.
What is a Pareto chart and the 80-20 rule?
A histogram that helps identify and prioritize problem areas; 80 percent of problems are often due to 20 percent of the causes.
What are flowcharts?
Graphic displays of the logic and flow of processes, showing activities, decision points, and the order of how information is processed.
Give the sample size formula and how the acceptable error is found.
Sample size = 0.25 × (certainty factor / acceptable error)². Acceptable error = 1 − percent certainty / 100.
What is DMAIC?
The five-phase Six Sigma improvement process: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control.
Name the four testing types.
Unit testing (each component); integration testing (functionally grouped components); system testing (entire system); user acceptance testing (independent test by end users).
What is risk?
An uncertainty that can have a negative (threats) or positive (opportunities) effect on meeting project objectives.
What are the objectives of risk management?
To identify, address and minimize risks before they become threats to the successful completion of a project.
List the six risk management processes.
Planning risk management; identifying risks; qualitative risk analysis; quantitative risk analysis; planning risk responses; monitoring and controlling risks.
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative risk analysis?
Qualitative: prioritizing risks based on their probability and impact. Quantitative: numerically estimating the effects of risks on project objectives.