In a software development setting, a Total Quality Management (TQM) department is a dedicated team or function responsible for establishing, promoting, and overseeing the implementation of TQM principles and practices throughout the software development lifecycle. The primary goal of this department is to ensure that the software products and the processes used to develop them meet the highest possible standards of quality, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction.

In software development, quality management encompasses everything from Quality Assurance (QA) to Quality Control (QC) and, ultimately, Quality Engineering (QE). All of these areas play a role in application security and compliance. Quality is often perceived as a cost for organizations, so when budgets are cut, these areas usually bear the brunt. This is a slippery slope for a company, especially if it is trying to meet specific standards required for various security compliance regulations. Reducing quality from the budget will have far-reaching consequences over time.

Project deliverables are essential to everyone on a project, not just the project manager. They are a way to measure the project's success or failure. Deliverables can be as large as a milestone or as small as an email, but all deliverables should be treated with the same quality standards. So, what is a deliverable, and why is it essential to ensure it meets the standards of success?

Recently, I was asked what I usually do to set up a new Quality Department. I have done it several times over my career, and here are a few lessons I’ve learned. It isn’t a difficult task, but it requires analysis and project planning.

Total quality management (TQM) is a top-down organization concept that dedicates quality to every function of an organization. It was developed in the 20th century and was initially created for product manufacturing. Over time, it was adopted by numerous agencies to gain a competitive advantage in their market. TQM is a way to harness an organization’s resources to improve effectiveness and efficiency with support, training, and guidance.

When I was a QA Manager, I was frequently asked the question, “Why do I need to pay for testing?” Quality is a cost. It costs money to test and maintain those tests. The trick for project managers is to show the value of quality.