Project Mgmt & Quality Assurance: Metrics, Models, Standards

Key Concepts and Frameworks

1. Software Project Management

Software project management (SPM) is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver software products efficiently. It involves planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling resources to meet project goals.

Project Management Frameworks

Three dominant frameworks are used in industry:

flowchart LR
    A["Waterfall"] --> B["Requirements"] --> C["Design"] --> D["Implementation"] --> E["Testing"] --> F["Deployment"]
    G["Agile"] --> H["Sprint 1"] --> I["Review"] --> J["Sprint 2"] --> K["Review"] --> L["... Repeat"]

Worked Example: Agile Sprint Planning for Pathao

Pathao uses 2-week Agile sprints to update its ride-hailing app. Suppose:

• Sprint Goal: Reduce driver wait time by 20%.
• Tasks:
  • Optimize route algorithm (3 story points)
  • Fix GPS lag in low-signal areas (5 story points)
  • Add real-time traffic updates (2 story points)
• Velocity: Past 3 sprints averaged 10 story points/sprint.
• Calculation:
  • Total story points = 3 + 5 + 2 = 10 (matches velocity).
  • Risk: GPS lag depends on third-party APIs (identify as a risk in the sprint).

Exam Tip: Always relate sprints to velocity and risk management in questions.

2. Software Quality Management

Quality is conformance to requirements and fitness for use. Key models:

ISO/IEC 25010 Quality Model

Defines 8 quality characteristics with sub-characteristics:

Hierarchy of quality characteristics (Image: Spuspita, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration)

A 5-level maturity model for process improvement:

Exam Tip: CMMI Level 3+ requires documented processes—always check for this in case studies.

3. Quality Assurance (QA) Techniques

Static vs. Dynamic Testing

Defect Metrics

Key metrics for quality control:

• Defect Density = Total Defects / Size (LOC or Function Points)
  • Example: A 10,000-line Daraz module has 50 defects. Defect Density = 50 / 10,000 = 0.005 defects/LOC (acceptable if < 0.01).
• Mean Time To Repair (MTTR): Average time to fix a defect.
  • Example: Ncell fixes 80% of app crashes in <2 hours → MTTR = 1.5 hours.

4. Risk Management

Risk Identification and Prioritization

Use a risk matrix to prioritize risks:

Worked Example: NTC’s Risk Management

• Risk: Power outage during billing system update.
• Mitigation:
  • Backup generators (contingency plan).
  • Rollback script to revert changes if needed.

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> UpdateStart
    UpdateStart --> BackupDatabase
    BackupDatabase --> DeployCode
    DeployCode --> TestInStaging
    TestInStaging --> DeployToProduction: Success
    DeployToProduction --> Monitor: 24h
    Monitor --> [*]: Stable
    DeployToProduction --> Rollback: Failure
    Rollback --> [*]

5. Project Documentation and Standards

Key Documents

In the Real World

1. eSewa’s Agile Adoption

   • Uses 2-week sprints with daily standups to update its payment gateway.
   • Quality Model: ISO 25010’s security (PCI-DSS compliance) and usability (one-tap payments).
   • Risk: Integration with banks (e.g., NMB, Global IME) requires strict defect density tracking.

2. Ncell’s CMMI Level 3 Compliance

   • Standardized ticketing system for customer complaints (Level 2).
   • Quantitative metrics: MTTR for app crashes (<30 mins for critical bugs).
   • Real Example: During the 2023 monsoon, Ncell’s predictive maintenance (Level 5) reduced tower failures by 40%.

3. Daraz’s Hybrid Project Model

   • Waterfall for stable backend (inventory system).
   • Agile for UI/UX (weekly A/B tests on product pages).
   • Quality Assurance: Automated tests for performance (page load <2s) and compatibility (works on low-end phones).

Exam Tip

1. Case Study Focus: Expect questions on Nepali companies (eSewa, Ncell, Daraz). Always:

   • Identify the framework (Agile/Waterfall/Hybrid).
   • Calculate defect density or MTTR if data is given.
   • Suggest risk mitigation (e.g., backup plans for NTC).

2. Diagrams Are Mandatory:

   • Draw risk matrices, Agile sprint timelines, or CMMI level comparisons.
   • Label all axes in ISO 25010 quality models.

3. Short Answer Tricks:

   • For Waterfall vs. Agile, compare flexibility and documentation.
   • For CMMI, list Level 3’s key process area: "Defined processes for all projects."

4. Numerical Questions:

   • If given defects = 30, LOC = 5000, compute defect density = 0.006.
   • For sprint velocity, use past averages to predict completion.

Final Visual Summary:

mindmap
  root((Software Project & Quality Mgmt))
    Framework
      Waterfall["Sequential\n(NTC billing)"]
      Agile["Iterative\n(eSewa sprints)"]
      Hybrid["Mixed\n(Daraz)"]
    Quality
      ISO25010["8 Characteristics\n(Security, Usability)"]
      CMMI["5 Levels\n(Ncell: Level 3)"]
    QA
      Static["Code Reviews"]
      Dynamic["Automated Tests\n(Khalti UI)"]
    Risk
      Matrix["Probability x Impact"]
      Mitigation["Backup Plans\n(NTC power outage)"]