Incorporating user quality requirements in the software development process
Nigel Bevan, Itzhak Bogomolni, Ben Gurion · 2000
The business worth of a computer system is a function of its quality in use ‐ the extent to which it is fitted for its purpose. ISO/IEC 14598-1 (Evaluation of Software Products) places quality in use as the overall goal for software development. The term quality in use recognises that software does not exist in isolation, but must fit with a socio-technological work environment if it is to work in practice. A major obstacle to achieving the goal of consistently usable systems is a lack of guidance on integrating the various techniques available to achieve the required process. Quality in use is increasingly recognised in industry as a primary goal in developing business systems and IT products. The objective of the EU TRUMP project was to directly increase the quality of products and systems by assisting in the integration of usability methods into the existing systems development processes, and by the promotion of usability awareness into the culture of the organisations. The methods were applied in trial projects over a 12-month period. In both cases the results were judged to be highly beneficial and cost effective, and the selected methods are now being formally incorporated into the organisations' development processes.