Target Audience: Developers, Business Analysts, Project Managers, Systems Liaison staff, Software Quality Assurance staff.

Description:
This course is designed to instruct prospective Inspection team members in how to perform inspections of work product with the goal of removing defects. Inspections are identified in the Peer Reviews key process area of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and are also known as reviews or walkthroughs. The course is based on industry research that shows a substantial benefit in removing work product defects early in the development process. SMS believes strongly that the Fagan-style of Inspections is an effective way to ensure quality has been built IN to a product long before testing is used to take defects OUT of a completed product.

The course begins with a lecture which presents the fundamental concepts as well as the roles and responsibilities of the Inspections team. Each of the procedures of the process is described, including entry and exit criteria, roles and responsibilities. The collection of data at various checkpoints in the process will be emphasized. The students then see video clips of Inspections meetings. They have the opportunity to discuss what works and what doesn’t for many different Inspections situations.

After lunch, the class is divided into small groups for workshop purposes. The students participate in a generic, case study Inspections meeting. The groups role-play the various responsibilities and experience the dynamics of an Inspections meeting firsthand. The group reforms afterward for a final de-briefing.

Topics:
Understand the benefits of formal Inspections
Learn the Fagan-Style of Inspection Process
Describe the roles and responsibilities of the inspectors
Learn the desirable behaviors of good inspectors
Use the Inspection Process to remove defects from actual work products

Prerequisites: Familiarity with Software Development