Mission

QESP’s mission is to:

  • Enable members to improve their knowledge and skills in software quality principles and practice;
  • Encourage all sectors of the industry to adopt software quality principles and practices as the normal method of operation; and
  • Provide leadership in the software quality profession.

QESP is the Australian member of the ISBSG, the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group, a not-for-profit organisation that is now strongly positioned as the global and independent source of data and analysis for the IT industry.

ISBSG membership offers QESP members access to industry leaders (providing some of the highest metrics expertise worldwide), access to the latest research and data from the ISBSG, and the ability to influence the direction of the ISBSG and benchmarking standards. QESP members enjoy a discount off ISBSG products and services.

History

The Software Quality Assurance Association started as a small group in 1984. By 1988, it had become the Software Quality Association, SQA, with chapters in five mainland states and the ACT. In 1989, as a result of the Foley Report recommendations and a plea from Federal Technology Minister John Button for rationalisation of professional industry groups, the SQA sought affiliation with a larger professional body. In November 1989, the SQA (NSW) joined the ACS (NSW) as a Special Interest Group. SQA grew to a national organisation with chapters in all states and over 500 members Australia wide

The Australian Software Metrics Association, ASMA, started in 1990 with chapters in New South Wales and Victoria. Over the years ASMA was responsible for a wide range of software metrics and measurement initiatives with three of the most prominent and successful being:

  • ACOSM – the Australian Conference on Software Measurement now presented by QESP;
  • Metrics Matters – the Journal of the Australian Software Metrics Assocation published from 1990 to 2005; and
  • The ISBSG – the International Software Benchmarking Standards Group now internationally recognised as the foremost independent source of software benchmarking data and information.

In 2005, SQA (NSW) and ASMA merged and became known as ASMA/SQA (NSW). In 2006 the NSW based chapter of the Software Process Industry Network (SPIN) also merged with ASMA/SQA (NSW).

In September 2008 ASMA./SQA(NSW) formally changed its name to Quantitative Enterprise Software Performance (QESP).