Quality Baseline:

Developing a baseline is performing an analysis/study to determine the current level of performance in a specific activity. For example, if one were to baseline the software development process the baseline could include quantitative data on defect rates, resources expended by phase, productivity rates such as function points per person-month, and levels or amounts of documentation.

A baseline needs to be established for two reasons: first, to identify perceived quality problems; and second, to establish a baseline from which quality improvement objectives can be established and improvements in quality quantitatively measured.

Baseline studies can be conducted in one of the following two manners:

Evaluate entire population
This means all of the parties or products involved will be surveyed. This method is normally most effective when the information to be analyzed is automated. For example, when looking at factors such as schedule and budget.

Sample survey
Using this method, only a part of the population of people/products is surveyed. This approach is normally most effective when there is a large population to be surveyed and the data is not automated. While sampling should be done statistically, it is not essential in these studies for valid statistical samples to be drawn.

The following are typical steps needed to perform a baseline study.
1. Identify products/services to be surveyed
2. Define conformance and nonconformance
3. Identify survey population
4. Identify size of population to be surveyed
5. Develop survey instrument
6. Conduct survey
7. Follow up on incomplete surveys
8. Accumulate and present survey results
9. Take action and notify participants of that action