IV.Analysis and Comments
Fiserv will probably gain accreditation in September of 1997 when the external audit is scheduled to happen. However, there are no real changes that have happened as a result of implementing this new quality system. Most of the software development life cycle was created out of the processes already in place within many areas of product development. Documenting these procedures does not change the effectiveness of them to produce quality. Standardizing the look and feel of all documentation within the company and controlling it will not result in a better product.
A main problem within this company is the lack of involvement by many of it's employees in creating and using the quality system. Most of the documents were written by members of the quality team or liaison's with little or no input from the people who use the process every day. Many members within the organization see little added value to the massive amount of paperwork generated by implementing this system. Some employees have found short cuts to not using the standardized documents. Some of these problems were discovered during the audit process, but there are still a large majority of employees doing there jobs without regard to the fact a quality system has been implemented.
Another major area of deficiency is not one document in any manual contains any procedures pertaining to the day to day support of systems. The software development life cycle covers new projects, enhancements, or new systems, but it does not cover nightly abends or daily support of the current existing systems. A problem tracking method has been put into place as a way of solving this, but still many tasks completed during the day are not documented, standardized, or even covered by the quality system. One example of this is the process of deconverting banks off of the Fiserv system. Since this task does not fall under software development it is not documented, however, it is still part of the services offered by Fiserv.
In an effort to solve this another manual known as the Software Operations Manual(SOM) is being created. Within this manual all the ' gray areas' not covered by the SDM will be documented. This manual has not been started, and has no target date. It will not be necessary to receive accreditation, but will become necessary if Fiserv wants to have a complete quality system.
There are some major benefits of this system that have already become apparent to many of the people involved in creating this system. One major benefit is creating common procedures used throughout the company. This allows for easier job rotation within the company. Documenting those procedures also allows new employees to learn the job quicker and to become productive much faster.
By creating a good life cycle Fiserv will be able to create better products quicker and faster. Spending more time at the beginning design and definition stages will result in products that meet a user's need effectively. The cost of changes at later stages of development have been shown to be much higher. The methods and procedures developed by Fiserv in the Software Development Manual are dedicated to ensuring that proper time and effort is spent on the beginning stages of the life cycle to save time and money in the later ones.
The benefits of utilizing a ISO 9000 quality system will not be apparent to any company right away. The cost of creating and maintaining the system may be extensive, but over time this will decrease. As the system ages the changes to it will become more infrequent. Designing a system dedicated to producing a high quality product quickly will certainly be reflected in cost savings over time.
ISO 9000 is all about documenting and standardizing the processes used to create a product. It represents the current best practice in management and control when applied to software production. By implementing this process Fiserv is guaranteeing it's customers quality, and the helping to guarantee the future of the company will be profitable.