Software quality is a complex and multidimensional concept that can be hard to measure and compare. Traditional metrics such as lines of code, defect density, or cyclomatic complexity are often inadequate or misleading, as they do not capture the true value and impact of software products and processes.

That’s why we developed Soft Scale, a new approach to measuring software quality that takes into account both the technical and the human aspects of software development. Soft Scale is based on a set of principles and practices that aim to improve software quality by fostering a culture of collaboration, feedback, learning, and continuous improvement.

Soft Scale is a framework that helps software teams assess and improve their software quality using four dimensions: functionality, reliability, usability, and maintainability. Each dimension is composed of several attributes that reflect the desired outcomes and characteristics of high-quality software. For example, functionality includes attributes such as correctness, completeness, consistency, and security; reliability includes attributes such as availability, performance, scalability, and recoverability; usability includes attributes such as learnability, efficiency, satisfaction, and accessibility; and maintainability includes attributes such as modularity, readability, testability, and evolvability.

Soft Scale provides a set of guidelines and tools for measuring each attribute using qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative methods include surveys, interviews, reviews, observations, and experiments; quantitative methods include metrics, benchmarks, tests, and audits. Soft Scale also provides a set of best practices and recommendations for improving each attribute using agile and lean methodologies, such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, DevOps, and Continuous Delivery.

Soft Scale offers several benefits for software teams and organizations that want to improve their software quality. Some of these benefits are:

• Soft Scale helps software teams align their goals and expectations with their stakeholders and customers by focusing on the value and impact of software products and processes.
• Soft Scale helps software teams identify and prioritize their strengths and weaknesses in each dimension of software quality by providing a comprehensive and balanced view of software quality.
• Soft Scale helps software teams monitor and evaluate their progress and performance in each dimension of software quality by providing a consistent and objective way of measuring software quality.
• Soft Scale helps software teams learn and improve their practices and skills in each dimension of software quality by providing a feedback loop and a roadmap for continuous improvement.

Soft Scale is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different contexts and needs. Software teams can use Soft Scale in different ways depending on their goals, resources, constraints, and preferences. Some possible ways to use Soft Scale are:

• As a self-assessment tool: Software teams can use Soft Scale to evaluate their own software quality by applying the framework to their current or past projects. This can help them identify their strengths and areas for improvement in each dimension of software quality.
• As a benchmarking tool: Software teams can use Soft Scale to compare their software quality with other teams or organizations by applying the framework to similar or competing projects. This can help them understand their competitive advantages and disadvantages in each dimension of software quality.
• As a planning tool: Software teams can use Soft Scale to define their goals and strategies for improving their software quality by applying the framework to their future or ongoing projects. This can help them prioritize their actions and allocate their resources in each dimension of software quality.
• As a communication tool: Software teams can use Soft Scale to communicate their software quality with their stakeholders and customers by applying the framework to their deliverables or reports. This can help them demonstrate their value and impact in each dimension of software quality.

Software quality is a key factor for the success of any software project. However, measuring and improving software quality can be challenging due to its complexity and diversity. Soft Scale is a new approach to measuring software quality that addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive, balanced, consistent, objective, flexible, and adaptable framework that covers both the technical and the human aspects of software development. By using Soft Scale, software teams can assess and improve their software quality in a systematic and effective way.