CMMI and Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) requirements

CMMI FAQ 0

2nd August, 2013

Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) process area is available at CMMI Maturity Level 2 under the Support category. Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) helps in the conduct of quality assurance activities for the processes and products in the organization.

Process and Product Quality Assurance process area involves the objective evaluation of processes and work products against the defined processes in the organization. PPQA is conducted to find out the non-compliance issues related to these processes and work products and then to track these non-compliance issues to closure.

Steps for implementing Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) in projects:

1. Processes Audit. As processes the foundation of all implementations in the organization, their audit (assessment) is very important. Audits are conducted by an Auditor who could be Independent person, Quality Assurance team or quality assurance person. After conduct of process evaluation (audit/assessment) all non-compliance issues found shall be logged and analysed. Project teams and process-implementers play a role in getting these process audits conducts.
2. Work Products Audit. Once all the processes are audited and issues are closed. Auditor should conduct the project audits in order to find the non-compliances issues. Project teams should provide their work-products (project artefacts) for assessment.
3. Close Non-compliance Issues.  Auditor should log and provide all non-compliance issues to the concerned team (person) like Project Manager(s) for the Author of the artefact. The auditor and then project team (auditee) can work together in deciding the corrective action. The project teams then work on the non-compliance issues in order to close them. Once done they provide the non-compliance closure data to the auditor for review. Auditor then performs the review of the evidences provided by the author and updates the status of the non-compliance issues as closed or re-opens them. During this complete cycle auditor track all non-compliances till closure.
4. Maintain Records. All records for the audits – non-compliance log, closure evidences shall be maintained and stored in the repository.

Source: CMMI-DEV Model, CMMI Institute.

Interpretation by the author.

Benefits of Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) in the organization

Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) when conducted in the organization has following benefits:

• It helps in the maintenance of processes as per the defined standards/model.
• It helps in the maintenance of projects as per the defined processes.
• It helps in the creation of non-compliance database for analysis. Provide data to Causal Analysis and Resolution (CAR) for further root cause analysis.
• It helps in prevention of similar kind of issues over a period of time by indirect learning of implementers.

Want Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) training in your organization

DQS India, CMMI Authorised Partner, provides Process and Product Quality Assurance (PPQA) training for better management of quality activities in your organization.

Training covers best practices to be followed for PPQA including establishing audit framework, audit planning, conduct of audit, audit follow-up and audit closure. It also covers the creation of issues database for Root Cause Analysis of defects for their prevention in future implementations,

Training is delivered through highly qualified and experienced CMMI Authorised Trainer and  CMMI Consultants, who has multi years of experience in CMMI and other Quality Management Systems.