Basic Principles and Concepts for Achieving Quality

This technical note extends the quality concepts first articulated in A Software Quality Framework (SQF) developed in the early 1980s for the Department of Defense (DoD) by Baker and colleagues. The original quality concepts of the SQF are extended beyond software to include products, services, and processes. This technical note also describes the conceptual elements necessary for building quality into systems, or any entity, and evaluating the quality actually achieved. This technical note presents definitions and conceptual elements within the context of Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) to show how CMMI codifies the concepts. Another goal of including the CMMI context is to help CMMI implementers recognize the purpose of some CMMI components relative to quality concepts and principles, and to help ensure a CMMI implementation leading to quality products. The definitions provided are the structural members of this extended framework, which lay the basis for establishing quality requirements, methods to help satisfy these requirements, and quality evaluation.