Factors of software quality evaluation - Results of two European surveys

This paper focuses upon restrictions and possibilities of Software Quality Evaluation. Therefore the results of two surveys on evaluation carried out in 1997 are used to analyse five factors of evaluation-objective, subject, moment, actors and techniques- and the cost/benefits of evaluation. 1. Introduction Software has increasing importance throughout society. Medical devices and flight reservation systems are only two products which fully depend on software. Software quality should therefore be a concern of everyone-see e.g. also [1]. To determine software quality, Software Quality Evaluation is necessary. It is the process of identifying quality targets, selecting product parts, choosing appropriate techniques and tools, performing the measurements and reporting the results. Two main areas are distinguished within Software Quality Evaluation. First process evaluation analyses the software development process and highlights areas for improvement. The assessment can be conducted to..