Overview
ISO/IEC 25000:2014 - Guide to SQuaRE - is the introductory guide to the Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) family. It provides a high‑level roadmap and common reference models, terms and definitions for the SQuaRE series so users can apply the standards consistently. The Guide explains the organization of SQuaRE, the relationship among parts, and the transition from the predecessor standards ISO/IEC 9126 and ISO/IEC 14598.
Key topics and technical scope
ISO/IEC 25000:2014 focuses on guidance rather than prescriptive technical requirements. Major technical topics covered include:
- Organization of the SQuaRE series - overview of divisions and document structure (quality management, quality model, measurement, requirements, evaluation, and extension slots).
- Common reference models and terminology - unified definitions for attributes, measures, indicators, evaluation modules, measurement process, context of use and related concepts.
- Quality model coverage - introduction of systems product quality and a data quality model aligned with software product quality concepts.
- Quality measurement framework - alignment and harmonization with ISO/IEC 15939 (software product quality measurement reference model) and introduction of Quality Measure Elements.
- Quality requirements and evaluation - guidance for specifying quality requirements and performing product evaluation using validated measures and evaluation modules.
- Transition guidance - explanation of migrating from ISO/IEC 9126/14598 to SQuaRE, highlighting improvements and harmonization.
Practical applications and who uses it
ISO/IEC 25000:2014 is intended for organizations and professionals involved in defining, measuring and evaluating system and software product quality:
- Developers - to structure product quality requirements, choose quality measures, and align design/test activities with a common quality model.
- Acquirers and procurers - to specify measurable quality requirements in contracts and to evaluate supplier deliverables.
- Independent evaluators and testers - to plan and execute quality evaluations using standardized evaluation modules and measures.
- Quality engineers and measurement program leads - to establish measurement processes, indicators and metrics consistent with SQuaRE and ISO/IEC 15939.
Practical uses include requirements specification, quality planning, metric selection, product acceptance testing, procurement criteria and benchmarking.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 2500n - Quality Management Division
- ISO/IEC 2501n - Quality Model Division
- ISO/IEC 2502n - Quality Measurement Division
- ISO/IEC 2503n - Quality Requirements Division
- ISO/IEC 2504n - Quality Evaluation Division
- ISO/IEC 15939 - Software product Quality Measurement Reference Model (harmonized with SQuaRE)
- Historical: ISO/IEC 9126 and ISO/IEC 14598 (superseded by SQuaRE)
Keywords: ISO/IEC 25000:2014, SQuaRE, software quality, quality requirements, quality evaluation, quality measurement, quality model.
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