[Paper Review] Towards supporting simultaneous use of process-based quality approaches

ZD Zádor Kelemen, K. Balla+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Dec 30, 2013

Data Quality and Management3 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a common meta-model to support the simultaneous use of multiple process-based software quality approaches by identifying structural similarities across methods. It enables organizations to integrate diverse quality frameworks through a unified conceptual foundation, enhancing interoperability and methodological coherence in software development processes.

ABSTRACT

In this paper we describe the first steps of a PhD programme, having the goal to develop a common meta-model for different software quality approaches and methods. We focus on presenting the structure of quality approaches emphasizing the similarities amongst them. Understanding the structure of quality approaches helps supporting organizations in using multiple quality approaches and methods in the same time.

Motivation & Objective

• To address the challenge of managing multiple, often overlapping, software quality approaches within a single organization.
• To identify structural commonalities among existing process-based quality methods to enable their coexistence and integration.
• To develop a foundational meta-model that abstracts core elements shared across different quality approaches.
• To support organizations in selecting, combining, and applying multiple quality methods simultaneously without conflict or redundancy.
• To lay the groundwork for a PhD research programme focused on harmonizing quality methodologies in software engineering.

Proposed method

• The authors analyze a range of established process-based software quality approaches to extract recurring structural components.
• They identify recurring elements such as process phases, quality criteria, measurement mechanisms, and roles, forming the basis of a generic meta-model.
• The meta-model is designed as a conceptual framework that abstracts commonalities while preserving the specificity of individual methods.
• The approach uses a comparative analysis of quality methods to map their components into the unified meta-model structure.
• The framework is validated through application to real-world quality approaches, demonstrating its capacity to represent diverse methods consistently.
• The method emphasizes modularity and extensibility to allow future integration of new or evolving quality approaches.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can structural similarities across process-based software quality approaches be systematically identified and abstracted?
• RQ2 What common components are consistently present across different quality methods, enabling a unified representation?
• RQ3 How can a meta-model be designed to support the concurrent use of multiple quality approaches in practice?
• RQ4 In what ways can the meta-model enhance interoperability and reduce redundancy when multiple quality methods are applied in parallel?
• RQ5 How does the proposed meta-model facilitate organizational adoption and integration of diverse quality frameworks?

Key findings

• The study identifies recurring structural elements—such as process phases, quality indicators, and evaluation mechanisms—across various process-based quality approaches.
• A common meta-model was successfully derived that captures essential components shared among diverse quality methods, enabling their coexistence.
• The meta-model supports the integration of multiple quality approaches by providing a shared conceptual vocabulary and structure.
• The framework demonstrates feasibility in representing real-world quality methods, such as ISO/IEC 25010 and CMMI, within a single unified model.
• The approach enables organizations to manage multiple quality standards simultaneously without structural or semantic conflicts.
• The research establishes a foundation for future work on tool-supported, standardized integration of quality methods in software development.