the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfills requirements — ISO 9000 : 2000

The definition is interesting, because it makes no statements about composition or any other property. The only statement it makes is about the fulfillment of requirements.

Software exists because it fulfills a need. These needs are translated into requirements. Secondly software is expected to have certain qualities by it’s users. These are requirements which are many times unwritten. If software does not fulfill most or all the requirements it will be interpreted as poor quality.

Here are some examples of unwritten requirements:

Bugs should be kept to a minimum.
Software should perform well.
Software should be very usable.

Unwritten requirements are not easy to fulfill, and they are ambiguous and subjective. Clearly defining these requirements and expectations. This process is integral to developing software that fulfills users needs and expectations.

Misunderstanding quality is dangerous, and leads to false beliefs. These beliefs cause developers to ignore parts of the software development picture. The only way to consistently build quality software is to define not only the functional requirements, but also the unwritten requirements and expectations.

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