Quality standards: the role of Software Process Assessments

Software Process Assessments (SPA) are used by organizations in AT&T to develop an organizational baseline and to drive continuous process improvement. They also play an important role in the establishment of quality standards for both the organization and AT&T. The paper describes the assessment process and discusses how the findings of an assessment support quality initiatives within the organizations, as well as across AT&T. The assessment findings provide a detailed evaluation of the software processes used by an organization and the effectiveness of those processes. While the primary purpose of an assessment is to drive process improvement, the findings can also be used to help establish quality standards and to prepare for a quality system audit