Integrating Statistical and Feedback Process Control for the Monitoring of the Software Test Process

Statistical Process Control (SPC) and its variations have shown to be a powerful technique to predict unstable and incapable processes. However, SPC lacks the ability to quantify the necessary changes to correct deviations in the process when incapability is detected. On the other hand, a technique based on control theory has shown to be adequate to quantify changes in the test process in order to make the process converge to the desired behavior. These two approaches appear to complement each other to better monitor and control the software test process. A combination of these approaches is presented here along with simulation results demonstrating its applicability.