Guaranteed quality

By describing the expected results and allowing for interim quality checks, the V-Modell® XT process model ensures that the provided results are complete and have the desired quality.

Stegmann Systems employs standardized quality assurance processes during the Development and Verification process to ensure the following:
Quality assurance processes during Development and Verification
Figure 1. Quality assurance processes during Development and Verification

Code quality

Software code needs to function as intended without deficiencies. Common quality factors include maintainability, testability, readability, and security. Stegmann Systems ensures code quality during the development process by:

  • Code reviews. Code undergoes a manual peer review to identify bugs and deviations from the coding standard, thus increasing the overall quality of the code.

  • Static code analysis. Code undergoes an automatic analysis to check against a set of coding rules, thus addressing weaknesses that could lead to vulnerabilities.

Functional operability

When adding code increments during the development process, existing code needs to remain operable and still deliver the expected results. Stegmann Systems ensures functional operability by automated integration and unit tests, running nightly, and checking for:

  • Operability of the code base. Can the code base still be deployed, are all required files and functions available?

  • Operability of the user interface. Are the key features of the user interface still operable? Can the respective tasks be performed?

Requirement coverage

Requirements describe the functionality of the software and the respective tasks. When developing software, all requirements must be covered. Stegmann Systems ensures requirement coverage as part of the verification process by employing a traceability matrix.

An automated process generates a traceability matrix by evaluating the test cases related to a project and determining the completeness and consistency of the relationships depicted in the test cases. Examples of relationships are:

  • Is each test case linked to at least one requirement?

  • Is each requirement covered by at least one test case?

  • Is the additional information linked to a test case or requirement available?

Requirement coverage is always assessed in preparation for release readiness and can also be assessed during the project.

Release readiness

When the last code increment planned for a project is implemented, it needs to be ensured that the software product is ready for market distribution. Stegmann Systems ensures release readiness as part of the verification process by:

  • Manually performed release tests verifying that a release candidate is ready for delivery.

  • Automated installation qualification tests verifying that all PLA 3.0 components are correctly installed.

  • Automated operational qualification tests verifying that mathematical calculations are correctly performed.