Our Quality Assurance process is based on the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) standard for maturity level 2 in the staged representation. CMMI consists of best practices that address product development and maintenance with emphasis on both systems engineering and software engineering and the integration necessary to build and maintain the total product. The model emphasizes that the key to success is in processes—processes that allow you to align the way you do business, address scalability and incorporate knowledge in how to do things better. The major steps in our Quality Assurance process are:

1. Institutionalize a managed process. Institutionalizing a quality process requires commitment from leadership at the highest level. The cornerstones of EEI’s philosophy are “quality – honesty – integrity.” Quality is a commitment in everything we do, from service delivery to product development to personnel management. Recognizing the importance of a quality process to success in the information technology industry, EEI has embraced the discipline of the CMM, now CMMI, in our work planning from the first day a task is awarded.

2. Provide adequate resources. Dedicated quality control leadership and a committed quality organization are used to organize and administer the program. We assemble quality assurance groups from individuals not assigned to a product or service to ensure independence and objectivity. Time is perhaps the key resource to consider. Since quality is a planned process, we ensure that advance planning is available to build an assurance group, train the members, execute the assessment, and provide formal reports of findings.

3. Assign responsibility. Responsibility and authority for performing the quality function will be made explicit to every member of the quality team. When a quality assurance group is formed to fulfill a specific task, the scope, authority and responsibility of the group are put in writing, signed by the Quality Control Leader and countersigned by each member of the team.

4. Train people. The Quality Control Leader develops a formal training presentation to be used by the quality team. This high-level briefing covers the basic philosophy of quality and process control and its importance to mission success and customer satisfaction. In addition, he develops a companion brief for each task that addresses the specific processes and/or products being developed so that the quality assurance team is an informed team. Each team member signs that he received both the high-level and tailored training before embarking on a quality assurance mission. Finally, the Quality Control Leader develops a high-level quality control briefing to be provided to customers so that they understand our processes and have an appreciation for and understanding of our quality reports.

5. Manage configurations. Whether products are being developed or services are being performed, documents and source code must be carefully managed to ensure that changes and updates are controlled. EEI uses software to ensure that master documents are checked out to one and only one user at a time, so changes can be monitored, evaluated and approved.

6. Identify and involve stakeholders. Identification of process stakeholders is done early in a project’s life cycle. One of the first engagements with these stakeholders is the quality training we provide to them. Once we all speak a common language of quality, the Program Manager interfaces with stakeholders on a recurring basis to keeping them informed and involved in the quality process. This is especially important if process trends are leading toward unacceptable limits. In that case the customer may need to consider changing the process, standards or procedures or even waiving noncompliance. However, these are stakeholder decisions and it is the Project Manager’s responsibility to engage them and involve them in any such decisions.

7. Monitor and control the process. This is where product and service sampling occur to ensure they are within standards. It is important to distinguish between quality monitoring as it relates to providing services and as it relates to software development. Performance measures are used to evaluate whether services are being provided in a manner that meets or exceeds customer needs. The actual performance of these services will be monitored through a variety of means. Software quality cannot be evaluated using only software product goals and attributes; goals and attributes for the development process throughout the life cycle must also be evaluated. The EEI quality model defines a set of measurable goals related to software product and process attributes that allow indications of the probability of success in meeting the goals.

Commitment to quality is a corporate philosophy that is infused in every process and embraced by every employee from the CEO all the way down. Our Quality Assurance plan is maintained and administered by a quality assurance team in close coordination with the software development team and/or service provider team to ensure consistent processes and compliance with procedures. EEI stresses planning for quality at the beginning of an effort and monitoring quality performance throughout the entire project life cycle. Monitoring activities vary depending upon the activity being preformed. In some cases, it involves testing and at other times customer surveys and user spot checks. But whatever the activity, knowing what the desired outcome is, defining that outcome and identifying performance metrics suitable to measure that outcome are essential elements of an effective Quality Assurance plan.