Factors Affecting Software Quality Improvements in South African Software Development Environments

So far, producing quality software is a persistent challenge facing the software industry and research. The continued reporting of failed software and the associated costs are typical indicators of software quality challenges. Research focus on software quality improvement has been on the technical aspects, including processes, standards, methods, tools and techniques, amongst others, with less emphasis on human-related factors. To understand some of the human factors affecting software quality, we have surveyed 103 practitioners in South Africa on testing skills, time allocated, reliance on external resources, requirements evolution and use of technology in quality activities. Practitioners reported to have sufficient personnel and skills for testing software and rely less on external testers. However, as in previous research, lack of time and evolving requirements remain a challenge. The use of technology is considered prevalent in software development environments. The study findings show that sufficient human capabilities and the use of technology can improve attention to quality, whilst time limitations and evolving requirements are a challenge to giving the required attention to software quality.