The Goal/Question/Metric Method: A Practical Guide for Quality Improvement of Software Development

GQM originated as a measurement methodology for software development: it was developed by Dr. Victor Basili and Dr. David Weiss during the 1980s in conjunction with their work at the NASA Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL).

The GQM paradigm represents a practical approach for bounding the measurement problem. It provides an organization with a great deal of flexibility, allowing it to focus its measurement program on its own particular needs and culture. It is based upon two basic assumptions (1) that a measurement program should not be ‘metrics-based’ but ‘goal-based’ and (2) that the definition of goals and measures need to be tailored to the individual organization. However, these assumptions make the process more difficult than just offering people a "collection of metrics" or a standard predefined set of goals and metrics. It requires that the organization make explicit its own goals and processes.

In this book, the authors provide the reader with an excellent and comprehensive synthesis of the GQM concepts, packaged with the support necessary for building an effective measurement program. It provides more than the GQM, but describes it in the philosophy of the Quality Improvement Paradigm and the Experience Factory Organization.

From the outset, the authors place GQM very definitely in the context of software quality improvement and draw the links between the technique and well known improvement models such as the CMM, ISO9001, TickIT, etc. The first part of the book introduces the theory and looks at the motives to apply GQM measurement. In the second part, the GQM method is presented as a stepwise procedure, with descriptions of a phased approach and guidance to apply GQM in practice. Four case studies, from programs conducted at Schlumberger Retail Petrol Systems, are presented in a third part. Many details are provided such as, the results of the GQM phases, lessons learned, and measurement results presented in graphs and tables. Each case also contains the GQM documentation that might serve as an example whenever you would like to measure a similar measurement goal. This documentation includes: GQM plan. measurement plan, data collection forms and feedback session reports.

A guide aimed at practitioners, this book contains many examples, checklists and document templates which the reader can use in their own programme.

This book is intended for:

•project managers setting up measurements towards a project or product goal;
•quality assurance personnel aligning the quality measures with the goals of their company and business;
•software engineers that want to structure their personal metrics;
•consultants that support companies in their process improvement and measurement programmes;
•teachers that want to explain to their students how to practically apply software measurement;
•last but not least, any other people interested in working actively towards a certain measurable objective.