Managing Software Quality and Business Risk

This book is an update to the author's earlier work in the convergence of risk management and quality as keys to successful software development and delivery.What makes this book worthwhile to software engineering managers, applications delivery teams, project managers and proposal teams is the seamless way Ould connects the dots between two critical functions - risk and quality. The material on risk identification, analysis and management reflect best practices. Moreover, it serves as a primer on risk management, which is clear, logically sequenced and contains no gaps or omissions. I especially like the way he thoroughly covers various process models related to software development lifecycles (including the V-model, DSDM, evolutionary and incremental delivery). The risk planning approach he proposes can be easily aligned to any of these models based on the chapter on Risk Planning.Ould approaches quality as both a verification and validation activity, as well as a control function. This approach is suitable for project-oriented teams and organizations, and ties nicely into the risk approach set forth in the beginning of this book.I like the resource management material that has been refined and carried over from his earlier book. The work breakdown structures are invaluable aids, and his advice on monitoring and controlling resources is realistic and workable.A good deal of this book is slanted towards organizations that provide contracted services and development. This makes it ideal for scoping projects and building project plans from a provider perspective. However, this can be also used to great advantage by organizations who are seeking contracted development and issuing RFPs because they will gain a clear understanding of what to demand from a provider. It is also useful to internal development organizations since the risk and quality management principles so clearly described in this book are critical success factors in that environment as well.

In `Managing Software Quality and Business Risk' Martyn Ould travels further down the road on which he set out in his excellent 1990 book, `Strategies for Software Engineering'. His basic premise then, and here, is that successful and achievable plans for software development must be based on both the assessment of risk and the achievement of quality - and the activities that flow from addressing these two concerns. The author has advice for us both as managers and engineers in this very readable book. His arguments are based on sound principles and amplified with excellent real-life anecdotes and experiences that bear out his ideas. He puts you in the driving seat and stands quietly behind you, giving you clear, well-considered, and, above all, practical advice on how to plan your software project. If you enjoyed his first book, this one is definitely for you. If you haven't yet read him, then do so now! Slightly disappointingly, the book does not set out to help you run your project. We could well do with such sensible advice here as well. How about another book, Martyn?