Introduction to Quality and its Importance

1
Introduction to Quality and its Importance

• Marieke Guy
• UKOLN
• M.Guy_at_ukoln.ac.uk

http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/qa-focus/
2
What is Quality?

• There are so many definitions for Quality.
• Quality is..
• Based on judgments by an individual or
  organisation
• Fitness for purpose
• Corresponds to a rating
• Based on acceptable performance
• Meeting goals
• Meeting requirements

3
What is Quality Assurance?

• What is Quality?
• Quality is the ability of your product to be able
  to satisfy your users
• What is Quality Assurance?
• Quality Assurance is the process that
  demonstrates your product is able to satisfy your
  users

4
What is the Aim of QA?

• What is the aim of Quality Assurance?
• When good Quality Assurance is implemented there
  should be improvement in usability and
  performance and lessening rates of defects

5
What does QA give?

• Quality means your project is useful -
  without quality you may have little to offer
• Quality can help to future-proof projects
• But quality assurance needs documented
  standards and best practices to be meaningful
• Quality Best Practice can be considered in
  terms of being Fit for Purpose

6
Why is QA needed?

• In the past JISC had standards-based philosophy
  but
• Approach of "let a 1,000 flowers bloom"
• Diversification as no killer application
• Things are different now
• The Web is the killer application
• There is now a need for interoperability (now
  self-contained independent Web sites)
• There is a need for publicly-funded services to
  be seen to provide value for money

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What is Quality Control?

• Quality Control (QC) is the implementation of
  regular testing procedures against your
  definitions of quality and more specifically the
  refinement of these procedures
• Formal use of testing
• Acting on the results of your tests
• Requires planning, structured tests, good
  documentation
• Relates to output - Quality Circle
• Standards - ISO 9000 BS5750
• however there is currently no such standard for
  Web sites

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The Quality Cycle
QualityControl
Testsite
Createsite
output
Quality
Refinesite
Test results
QualityAssurance
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Exercise 2

• In small groups carry out Exercise 2
• QA Approaches to Identified Problems

10
Questions

• Any questions?