Software Quality Assessment: Data-Driven Decision Making

As a CTO, your daily responsibilities revolve around making informed decisions to guide your team and achieve strategic business objectives. However, how can you ensure that these decisions are backed by reliable data? How can you gather all the necessary information before making a choice? What if your team lacks the internal expertise to conduct an in-depth analysis quickly? And what happens when your team, even with the necessary knowledge, is overwhelmed with tasks?

If these questions resonate with you, keep reading. We’ll discuss Software Quality Assessments (SQA)—a way to analyse your ecosystem that provides a comprehensive and precise view of your business's technological environment. With over 10 years of experience working with software from various industries, we have gained the expertise to assess how well a software aligns with business growth plans and whether the development team has the right skills and processes to support that product strategy.

If you’re losing customers due to software errors and poor quality, or need to justify a strategic shift in your business, we offer effective solutions. Moreover, if you are planning or involved in mergers and acquisitions and need to evaluate your software investment, our Software Quality Assessment can provide the necessary support.

The Importance of Software Quality

High-quality software is crucial for the success of any business. It not only enhances the user experience but also ensures system stability and security, optimises operational processes, and reduces long-term costs. Conversely, low-quality software can lead to downtime, high maintenance costs, and loss of customer trust.

How does a Software Quality Assessment work?

A software quality and system assessment is a process designed to ensure technical and operational excellence. We have divided it into four stages:

1. Preparation: Define and agree on the scope of the assessment, setting up the necessary tools.
2. Data Collection: Gather detailed information about your technological ecosystem through metrics analysis and interviews.
3. Analysis: Our experts analyse the data, considering the specific nuances of your organisation and the tech industry.
4. Recommendations: Provide a detailed report with innovative ideas and practical recommendations.

Six modules for a comprehensive evaluation

Our software quality assessment consists of six core modules, with the option to add specific modules that are strategic and particularly useful for your business.

1. Knowledge Distribution

Evaluate and manage the dissemination and accessibility of technical knowledge within a team or organisation, ensuring that critical information and skills are not siloed, facilitating smooth collaboration and minimising knowledge loss.

2. Test Automation

Reduce manual testing efforts and improve the reliability of releases with a quick and reliable set of automated tests, ensuring a thorough, efficient, and low-risk testing environment.

3. Development Process Quality

Assess the effectiveness, security, and traceability of changes from development to production. Ensure changes are frequently and thoroughly tested and integrated, aligning with business requirements to streamline and safeguard the development cycle.

4. Code Quality

Evaluate the readability, robustness, and scalability of the code. By examining complexity and adaptability, we aim to ensure long-term maintainability and reduce technical debt.

5. Code Extensibility

Assess the code’s ability to incorporate new features and support parallel development across multiple teams. Focus on business rules and independent implementation and testing of changes to maintain a flexible and scalable system.

6. Code Security

Focus on protecting the codebase and its dependencies against vulnerabilities, identifying, and mitigating internal and third-party threats. Our proactive approach ensures solid starting points and minimises security risks.

Cost and getting started with a Software Quality Assessment

The cost of a software quality and system assessment varies depending on the project’s complexity, the scope of the assessment, and additional services required. To get a personalised quote that fits your specific business needs, simply book a demo. Over a coffee, we will discuss your needs and develop an assessment plan tailored to your specific goals and requirements.

Conclusion

Maintaining high-quality standards in software development allows your team to innovate confidently and continuously improve. High-quality code not only prevents problems but also becomes a competitive advantage, driving growth and sustainability for your business. Additionally, measuring productivity and efficiency through metrics, such as those provided in our blog on SPACE metrics, can offer valuable insights for continuous improvement.

To optimise your development team’s performance, it’s crucial to have the right tools. Download our productivity guide designed to quickly identify common issues affecting your team’s efficiency, along with tips to effectively address them.