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Process Quality Assurance for UML-Based Projects Review by Rajeev Arora
Methodology with feet on the ground
In any methodology or method, too much or too little method (generally the former) can be self-defeating. Bhuvan's "PQA for UML Projects" provides a unique perspective on the human dimension to an otherwise dull world of "process", "quality" and for that matter UML.
True practioner's insight is proven by the fact that the book recognises that a methodology imposed without human or social consideration is destined for failure. To that end, the book leverages "role play", "scene setting" and "enacting the quality process" - with transactional analysis as foundation. These form the fibre of the whole book.
There is full coverage of concepts and scenarios - with rigourous depth and breadth -- viz. role of models (not the kind in glossy magazines ;-)) in defining quality, full SDLC, increased focus on architecture in line with the state of industry, estimation and metrics, outsourcing, application to CMM maturity assessments; and finally testing gets a substantial coverage with one 3rd of the book devoted to it.
My favourite will have to be Part II - "Organising and Enacting the Process of Quality", with its discussion of project sociology, a full ten pages on "transactional analysis in software projects". It shows Bhuvan's own long innings in the software development industry and how he has enjoyed the turmoil. Author's passion and rigour in defining and implementing a process is evident. Overall, the book communicates an attitude to organising and management of software projects - balancing rigour of process, quality and UML modelling with the human, organisational and social dimension.
I found the deliverable templates and project definitions quite useful - though these will need to be customised according the focus of specific project viz. outsourcing, distributed systems - i.e. areas of complexity will need to be expanded.
Overall the book provides a big "leg up" in getting large projects using UML off the ground and then internalising the developed process towards a greater CMM maturity level.
As a suggestion, I would have liked a graphical or tabular representation of the structure of the material in the book - so that I can navigate easily. It is described in text, but it becomes a bit hard to hold it in mind, given the range of dimensions covered.