A software technical review is a form of

peer review Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (:wiktionary:peer#Etymology 2, peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the ...

in which "a team of qualified personnel ... examines the suitability of the software product for its intended use and identifies discrepancies from specifications and standards. Technical reviews may also provide recommendations of alternatives and examination of various alternatives" (

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...

Std. 1028-1997, ''IEEE Standard for Software Reviews'', clause 3.7). "Software product" normally refers to some kind of technical document. This might be a

software design document A software design description (a.k.a. software design document or SDD; just design document; also Software Design Specification) is a representation of a software design that is to be used for recording design information, addressing various des ...

or program

source code In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer. Since a computer, at base, only ...

, but

use case In both software and systems engineering, a use case is a structured description of a system’s behavior as it responds to requests from external actors, aiming to achieve a specific goal. It is used to define and validate functional requireme ...

business process A business process, business method, or business function is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks performed by people or equipment in which a specific sequence produces a service or product (that serves a particular business g ...

definitions,

test case In software engineering, a test case is a specification of the inputs, execution conditions, testing procedure, and expected results that define a single test to be executed to achieve a particular software testing objective, such as to exercise ...

specifications, and a variety of other technical documentation, may also be subject to technical review. Technical review differs from software walkthroughs in its specific focus on the technical quality of the product reviewed. It differs from

software inspection Inspection in software engineering, refers to peer review of any work product by trained individuals who look for defects using a well defined process. An inspection might also be referred to as a Fagan inspection after Michael Fagan, the creator ...

in its ability to suggest direct alterations to the product reviewed, and its lack of a direct focus on training and process improvement. The term formal technical review is sometimes used to mean a software inspection. A 'Technical Review' may also refer to an acquisition lifecycle event or Design review.

Objectives and participants

The purpose of a technical review is to arrive at a technically superior version of the work product reviewed, whether by correction of defects or by recommendation or introduction of alternative approaches. While the latter aspect may offer facilities that software inspection lacks, there may be a penalty in time lost to technical discussions or disputes which may be beyond the capacity of some participants. IEEE 1028 recommends the inclusion of participants to fill the following roles: The Decision Maker (the person for whom the technical review is conducted) determines if the review objectives have been met. The Review Leader is responsible for performing administrative tasks relative to the review, ensuring orderly conduct, and ensuring that the review meets its objectives. The Recorder documents anomalies, action items, decisions, and recommendations made by the review team. Technical staff are active participants in the review and evaluation of the software product. Management staff may participate for the purpose of identifying issues that require management resolution. Customer or user representatives may fill roles determined by the Review Leader prior to the review. A single participant may fill more than one role, as appropriate.

Process

A formal technical review will follow a series of activities similar to that specified in clause 5 of IEEE 1028, essentially summarised in the article on

software review Software consists of computer programs that instruct the execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital computers in the mid-20th ce ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Software Technical Review Software review