Target Audience: Software Analysts, Developers, Testers; responsible managers; Software Process Engineers; and Software Quality Engineers

Description:
This 3-day workshop provides the opportunity to learn about, and practice, formal software Inspections.  Like most workshops on inspections, SMS' workshop explains, in detail, the mechanics of a formal software Inspection.  The preparation, conduct, and follow-up on an individual Inspection are explained.  Sample checklists are provided and Inspection roles are explained in detail. Two actual Inspections are held as exercises, using materials supplied by SMS.  Each Inspection exercise is about two and one half hours; one hour plus for preparation and one hour plus for conduct.  SMS provides, in hard and soft copy, a sample procedure to perform an Inspection - complete with the blank Inspection records.

The workshop also covers the larger picture.  The role of reviews in the software development cycle is considered and inspections are introduced as a type of review.  The ROI of inspections is looked at from a theoretical basis.  Inspections are contrasted with tests.   And, as mentioned above, the relevance of inspections to the SEI's SW-CMM is briefly looked at. 

In addition the course reviews the components of an inspection process.  This covers the management, planning, staffing, scope, reporting, monitoring, and training for all project inspections (the inspection procedure, in contrast, covers the mechanics for a single inspection). SMS provides in hard and soft copy of a sample inspection process covering the above items.  

Various types of inspections are reviewed.  The side benefits of inspections, such as the transfer of knowledge and the identification of systemic errors, are explained.  Actual class data is used to provide empirical evidence of the correctness of the theoretical data regarding the inspection's ROI.  Finally, barriers to successful implementation of inspections are discussed. 

The workshop provides an atmosphere which encourages a dialogue-style approach.  The two exercises (actual inspections) provide the basis for immediate use of the methods taught.

Course Outline:

·     Module 1 - Introduction
Workshop overview
Expectations
Objectives

·     Module 2 - Inspections role in software development
The role of reviews in software development and software quality assurance
Overview of reviews in general
Inspections as a type of peer review
The relationship between inspections and tests
Inspection ROI:  direct and indirect
The left shift phenomenon and inspections 
Inspections as a component of the Capability Maturity Model

·     Module 3 - SMS' inspection procedure
Inspection procedure overview
Inspection roles
Inspection definitions
Optimal inspection parameters
Preparation for the inspection
Requirements inspections
Requirements inspection preparation
Conduct of the inspection
Class demo of inspection
Requirements inspection conduct
Reports for the inspection
Follow-up for the inspection
Metrics for inspection effectiveness

·     Module 4 - Types of inspections
Requirements inspections review
Design inspections
Code inspections
Code inspection preparation
Test inspections
Other inspections
Code inspection conduct

·     Module 5 - The inspection process
Sample organizational policy
Inspection training
Inspection process overview
Inspection management and staffing
Inspection planning
The scope of the inspections
The inspection procedure (reference)
Inspection reporting and monitoring
The role of the SQA organization in inspections
Organizational inspection metrics, and training

·     Module 6 -Summary & Barriers to Success
Workshop summary
Empirical ROI from exercises
Barriers to successful implementation of inspections
Discussion of related workshops

Prerequisites: Familiarity with Software Development