Software quality assurance in Australia: an update

Three recent events are likely to have a significant impact on the future direction of software quality in Australia: the Kean Report, the redevelopment of Australian standard AS3563 and a review of Government purchasing policy as a result of a change of Commonwealth Government. These events, and their subsequent impacts, could have implications and could provide lessons for the software quality assurance industry internationally. These lessons concern: providing adequate education for purchasers, suppliers and auditors on what ISO9000 is all about; implementing appropriate ISO9000-compliant quality management systems, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises; defining an appropriate role for government; and utilizing effective guidance for adopting ISO9001 to software development.