A systemic Quality Model for evaluating software products

Quality has become essential for ensuring that a company's products or processes meet customers' needs. Most product quality models focus on product characteristics. This article describes the design of a Quality Model with a Systemic Approach(1) to Software Products that assesses a products efficiency and effectiveness considering processes implications on product characteristics. The model was evaluated using a method so it can be validated and also enhanced. The evaluation method consisted of designing a survey, formulating, validating and applying the measurement instruments; defining an algorithm to obtain the quality estimate and analyzing the results. The model prototype enabled the strengths and weaknesses of the software products studied to be identified. When evaluating a software product using the model prototype, it was possible to ascertain its compliance with the standards and use the results to improve it. Since the evaluation was systemic, processes that affect certain characteristics of the product could be identified. Companies can benefit from the model proposed because it serves as a benchmark that allows their products to evolve and be competitive.