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Applicability of ISO 9001 to Software Development

"To succeed, you don't have to hit a home run, 
just keep moving in the right direction." 
-- Small Business 2000

Is ISO 9001 relevant to software?

Today, software customers are clearly going global and are demanding quality.  Given the stakes involved, it is important for software organizations to understand all the rules for self-improvement and for doing business in the international marketplace.  The ISO 9001 standard has become a basic part of these rules.

How does ISO 9001 apply to software?

ISO 9001 is an international "quality management system" standard--a standard used to assess an organization's management approach regarding quality.

ISO 9001's focus is directed internally at an organization's processes and methods and externally at managing (controlling, assuring,...) the quality of products and services delivered.

When viewing the key factors affecting the outcome of software development (shown below in figure 1), ISO 9001's focus is on all factors except "technology".

Figure 1: Delivering Quality Software - macro process (click figure for expanded view)
Software Development Macro Flow

Scope of ISO 9001:

ISO 9001 is a generic international standard, adopted on a country-by-country basis, and written for use by the widest possible audience.  As a result, the standard provides requirements (what needs to be done) and does not issue specific prescriptive solutions (how to do it).

Being so broadly focused, the ISO 9001 standard does not offer details about its application to specific domains of expertise.  To assist in the application of the standard for specific domains, a series of guidelines are available; e.g., ISO 9000-3 is a guideline for the software development industry.

Relevance of ISO 9000-3

ISO 9000-3 provides "guidance" on implementing an ISO 9001 compliant set of processes (collectively referred as a "quality system" or as a "quality management system").

ISO 9000-3 is an international guideline.  Guidance is for software development, supply and maintenance environments.  The guideline is primarily written for "custom" (contract driven) software markets.  It can easily be adapted for other market needs such as commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), internal software development, etc..

ISO 9000-3 virtually mirrors the provision of ISO 9001--it does not add to, or otherwise change, the requirements of ISO 9001.

ISO 9000-3 is not intended to be used as an internal/external audit tool.  Its intent is to guide software organizations with their ISO 9001 implementation and process change efforts: in short, software organizations are audited against ISO 9001 (not ISO 9000-3).

An example of the type of guidance provided by ISO 9000-3 is shown in the following table.
 

ISO 9001:1994 says: 4.2.3 Quality planning

The supplier shall define and document how the requirements for quality will be met.  Quality planning shall be consistent with all other requirements of a supplier's quality system and shall be documented in a format to suit the supplier's method of operation.  The supplier shall give consideration to...
Related
ISO 9000-3:1997 guidance includes:		 Quality planning should address the following items, as appropriate:
a) quality requirements, expressed in measurable terms, where appropriate;
b) the life cycle model to be used for software development;
c) defined criteria for starting and ending each project phase;
d) identification of types of reviews, tests and other verification and validation activities to be carried out;
e) identification of configuration management procedures to be carried out;
          .
          .
          .

( Note:  ISO 9000-3 is currently under revision for alignment/guidance against the ISO 9001:2000 standard. )

Click here for a quick comparison of
ISO 9001, SEI SW-CMM and MBNQA.

To order the ISO 9001 standard or the ISO 9000-3 guideline,
contact your country's ISO member representative -- for
Canada, this is the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

For more information, see Hotlist: ISO 9001 for Software.

This article was written by Tantara Inc., a business consulting
firm specialized in software best practices and the improvement of
process effectiveness and software product/service potential.

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( Revised: May 21, 2001 )