International Quality: Software Process Improvement Approaches in Japan and the UK
Dr Nils Tomes · Software Process Improvement and Practice · 1996
This international comparison of software development approaches and achievements in Japan and the UK sets an important benchmark. Japan's low profile in the global software market might seem at odds with its competencies, and the factors shaping the modern Japanese software industry are discussed to illuminate this apparent paradox. A survey of matched software projects from major companies found that Japanese projects achieved higher levels of product reliability. Organisational aspects of the software teams were related to product performance, across the whole sample, and it was concluded that product reliability was principally delivered through process improvement. In both countries there remains a need to balance the pressure for increased productivity with the desire to achieve the highest levels of quality.