Tailoring and conformance testing of software processes: the ProcePT approach

Activities to be performed and documents to be produced or modified are the basic elements of a software process. They are grouped according to aspects of development, quality assurance, configuration management or project management. Activities might be refined or generalized. Each resulting process can be tested separately or in context with all of the other processes, whether it is enactable and whether standard conformity is given. A protocol of the tailoring and conformance testing process is recorded in order to fulfill quality management requirements. As a consequence, model consistency as well as standard conformance (e.g. to ISO9000-3) can be shown. The tailoring and consistency and conformance testing of software processes are supported by the tool ProcePT implemented in Prolog. The entire process of tailoring and conformance testing is recorded and therefore conforms to duality management standard requirements.