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Software is s set of programs that are written to do a variety of specific tasks. We all encounter and use software every day, though we don't usually think about it. And software sometimes has errors or bugs that need to be identified, then fixed. Of course, the preferred situation would allow the bugs to be fixed before the software ever went to market, and that's where Six Sigma comes in. Companies using the Six Sigma methodology can minimize or even eliminate software bugs right in the beginning.
For instance, a software bug in a program like a restaurant waiter's terminal could manifest itself in different ways. It could assign the food to the wrong group of guests, or cause the kitchen to get an incorrect order, or even miscalculate the bill total or the taxes under certain circumstances. One could imagine the dire results of such software bugs.
In this case, this is where the bug exists. Software bugs are generally of two types - programming bugs and data bugs. Programming bugs are the logical errors made and it is harder to detect their source. Debugging, modification and recompilation of the code before it is used again is necessary. Data bugs are those that can be easily discovered and fixed. They occur mainly because of table rate errors.
So how does Six Sigma help overcome these errors? The way to move ahead is by mistake proofing. Consider that data bugs are caused by data table errors. Various controls can be put in place to proof these. If you there are regular minimum rates for a specific season, then any value accepted below that would be an error. It is necessary that some control mechanism be put into place here. Mistake proofing helps to bring down the number of bugs to a large extent. The Six Sigma philosophy is a systematic way to undertake the project. If the same methodology is considered for software development projects, we can put in systems and controls in place to avoid bugs. But what about logical errors?
Six Sigma discipline is data driven, and generally software projects are begun after collecting data pertaining to the problem area. Using the Six Sigma technique for collecting information, the organization can be ensured that the data is as correct as it can possibly be. Then when developing the program, the areas containing the data collected can be eliminated as problems and used for mistake proofing the program. By the time the program reaches the testing stage, these areas can be isolated and modifications can be made. Six Sigma methodology can help minimize losses from bugs to a large extent.
For instance, a software bug in a program like a restaurant waiter's terminal could manifest itself in different ways. It could assign the food to the wrong group of guests, or cause the kitchen to get an incorrect order, or even miscalculate the bill total or the taxes under certain circumstances. One could imagine the dire results of such software bugs.
In this case, this is where the bug exists. Software bugs are generally of two types - programming bugs and data bugs. Programming bugs are the logical errors made and it is harder to detect their source. Debugging, modification and recompilation of the code before it is used again is necessary. Data bugs are those that can be easily discovered and fixed. They occur mainly because of table rate errors.
So how does Six Sigma help overcome these errors? The way to move ahead is by mistake proofing. Consider that data bugs are caused by data table errors. Various controls can be put in place to proof these. If you there are regular minimum rates for a specific season, then any value accepted below that would be an error. It is necessary that some control mechanism be put into place here. Mistake proofing helps to bring down the number of bugs to a large extent. The Six Sigma philosophy is a systematic way to undertake the project. If the same methodology is considered for software development projects, we can put in systems and controls in place to avoid bugs. But what about logical errors?
Six Sigma discipline is data driven, and generally software projects are begun after collecting data pertaining to the problem area. Using the Six Sigma technique for collecting information, the organization can be ensured that the data is as correct as it can possibly be. Then when developing the program, the areas containing the data collected can be eliminated as problems and used for mistake proofing the program. By the time the program reaches the testing stage, these areas can be isolated and modifications can be made. Six Sigma methodology can help minimize losses from bugs to a large extent.
About the Author:
Craig Calvin is a noted author on Six Sigma. If you are interested in studying for the Six Sigma certification course, be sure to visit the leading Six Sigma provider at www.sixsigmaonline.org for a comprehensive examination of what's involved.
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