Determining damage

For each combination of characteristic, process and product requirement, the participants estimate the damage if the quality of a specific characteristic were to be inadequate. Generally speaking the (intended) users of the product are best able to estimate the damage that would result if the product failed in the production situation.

Damage can be expressed in an absolute form in terms of money. In a relative form, organisations often use high, moderate, low to classify the damage.

The ‘Risk factors per quality characteristic’ checklist is one tool to help determine the possible damage per characteristic.

The 'What if?’ technique is suitable to identify the damage and the gravity of the damage. The following questions are asked per combination of characteristic, process and product requirement:

• What undesirable events may occur for this characteristic of the process if the product requirement is not met?
• What are the damaging effects of these undesirable events for the process?
• How often are these processes executed?
• What is the concrete impact of the damage?

The starting point is that all damage indications start at low; the participants must argue why the damage is more extensive for specific requirements. As an addition we use the classification 'very low' when an item, whether it is a requirement or a subsystem is about to be forgotten.

Characteristic: Functionality

^{Damage table for the characteristic of functionality.}

Characteristic: Security

^{Damage table for the characteristic of security.}