Software Quality starts with the CEO

The importance of the quality of the software that supports the companies’ business is getting more and more important. Just look at the numerous cases where a software incident in a company generates millions in loses. And this is just the tip of the iceberg as not all cases are duly reported.

The latest technological changes, basically since the development of the Internet, triggered some major breakthrough especially since the boom of mobile devices. Almost overnight, companies have to face major challenges such as the App market, the e-commerce, the cloud, Big Data or BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) that stands for the growing demand from team members to use their personal device at work. These changes transformed the way we relate to each other, both in the personal and professional environment and forces companies into implementing deep changes in the way they do business. In many cases, these changes are necessary to their survival.

Ensuring quality of the solutions we produce is essential to each organization and at all stages, from the design, to the development and the implementation process. Quality must be objectively measurable and be integrated from the very beginning of the process, such as described in Sogeti’s PointZERO® vision.

It is a responsibility from the top management to promote quality at all stages of the development process, from the CEO, to the CFO and of course the CIO whose role is essential to manage the software quality process within the organization. Quality is not a word or an action (“to have more quality”), it ‘s a philosophy, a way of living, thinking and acting… which is why all team members must embrace such a quality culture and make it theirs.

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Jose Luis is currently the Director of the Testing Practice within Sogeti Spain, being responsible for defining technology and solution strategy and helping organizations designing and realizing their future strategies around QA and testing activities. He is part of the Spanish ISTQB Board.

More on José-Luis.