Software process definition, documentation, and improvement are an integral part of every software engineering organizational improvement effort.  This document provides much needed support of the ISO 9001 documentation requirements in the form of:

• Detailed organizational policy examples.
• Deployable templates.
• Examples of common work products required in support of assessment activities.

This ReadyNote document describes the documentation required for ISO 9001 support of organizational-level activities associated with software development projects. The goal is to provide practical support for individuals responsible for the development and documentation of software processes and procedures.  These individuals are responsible for:

ISO 9001 does not tell the user ‘how’ to satisfy their conformance criteria.  ISO 9001 is descriptive.  It does not describe how to accomplish its goals but describes the criteria that implementation should support.  IEEE Standards are prescriptive.  These standards describe how to fulfill the requirements associated with effective software project management. 

This document should be used as a best practices supplement to the ISO 9001 standard and the IEEE Software Engineering Standards set providing the link between the “what” and the “how to” of software process improvement leading to certification. For organizations that do not wish to pursue ISO 9001 accreditation this document will show how the application of IEEE Standards, and their use as reference material, can facilitate the development of sound software engineering practices.

• Susan K. Land is a Principle Software and Systems Engineer for MITRE, a not-for-profit organization chartered to work in the public interest. MITRE manages three Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFDRCs). She supports the Department of Defense FFDRC and has more than 20 years of industry experience in the practical application of software engineering methodologies, the management of information systems, and leadership of software development teams. Land is currently a member of the IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors, serving as 2nd Vice President for Standards Activities. She is also a member of the IEEE Software and Systems Engineering Standards Committee (S2ESC), the Editorial Board for the IEEE Computer Society (CS) SEOnline publication as content area editor for the Project Management and SWEBOK areas, the IEEE Computer Society International Design Competition (CSIDC) committee, and a contributor to the development of the IEEE Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) Exam. Land is also chair of the IEEE CS Software Engineering Portfolio Oversight (SEPOC) and member of the Information Technology Oversight (ITOC) Committees.
• John W. Walz retired as Senior Manager, Supply Chain Management, Lucent Technologies. His 30-year career at Lucent and AT&T was highlighted by customer-focused and dynamic results-oriented management with an excellent technical background and over 20 years of management/coaching experience. Walz held leadership positions in hardware and software development, engineering, quality planning, quality auditing, quality standards implementation, and strategic planning. He was also responsible for Lucent’s Supply Chain Network quality and a valuable team member for Lucent’s quality strategic planning. This work resulted in many locations achieving ISO 9001 and then TL 9000 registrations. These organizations achieved and shared quality and process improvement results at annual Lucent sharing rallies and external best practices conferences. John actively participated in both software engineering and quality system standards development and implementation. Walz also wrote the TL 9000 Chapter in the ISO 9000 Handbook 4th Edition. He is an expert speaker in the Distinguished Visitor Program of the IEEE Computer Society, and earned a BSEE and an MSEE from Ohio State University.