ISO IEC 25040-2024 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 25040:2024 — Systems and software engineering — Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — Quality evaluation framework. This standard defines the framework, core concepts and high-level requirements for performing quality evaluations of ICT products (including software), data and IT services, and gives recommendations for associated processes and roles.

Abstract

This document provides a quality-evaluation framework for information and communication technology (ICT) entities: it explains the concepts, specifies requirements and gives recommendations for processes to plan and perform quality evaluations. ISO/IEC 25040:2024 is intended for organizations and individuals who need to evaluate the quality of target entities (developers, integrators, acquirers, IT service providers and independent evaluators). It does not supply specific test methods or prescriptive testing techniques, nor guidance on how to use evaluation results in a wider organizational context.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: September 2024 (Edition 2, 2024).
• Publisher: ISO/IEC (ISO — International Organization for Standardization / IEC joint work, ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7).
• ICS / categories: 35.080 (Software engineering).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2024).
• Number of pages: 29 (official ISO English edition).

Scope

Defines the framework and requirements for quality evaluation of ICT products, data and services — including the evaluation reference model, roles and responsibilities, evaluation planning, criteria and reporting. Applicable to evaluations performed by or for developers, acquirers, IT service providers and independent evaluators. The standard explicitly excludes detailed test methods and step-by-step measurement procedures; it provides the structure and process recommendations needed to organise, plan and conduct evaluations consistently.

Key topics and requirements

• Quality-evaluation framework and reference model for ICT entities.
• Definitions of roles, responsibilities and stakeholder perspectives for evaluations.
• Requirements for evaluation planning, selection of evaluation criteria, and selection of evaluation activities and methods.
• Guidance on establishing evaluation objectives, target entities and evaluation context.
• Requirements for reporting, result interpretation and documentation of evaluation evidence.
• Recommendations for process improvement and traceability between evaluation results and quality requirements.

Typical use and users

Used by software developers and integrators to verify product quality, by acquirers to assess candidate products and suppliers, by IT service providers to evaluate service quality, and by independent evaluators and certification bodies performing formal assessments. Also used by QA teams, product managers and technical procurement staff to structure evaluation activities and interpret results against quality requirements.

Related standards

Part of the ISO/IEC 25000 SQuaRE family (Software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation). Common companion and related documents include ISO/IEC 25010 (quality model), ISO/IEC 25012 (data quality), ISO/IEC 25020 series (measurement), ISO/IEC 25023 (system and software product quality measurements) and ISO/IEC 25051 (requirements for commercial off-the-shelf software). Together these define quality models, measurement methods and requirements used when applying the 25040 framework.

Keywords

SQuaRE, quality evaluation framework, software product quality, ICT quality, evaluation process, evaluation criteria, evaluator, acquirer, ISO/IEC 25040:2024.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 25040:2024 is the SQuaRE quality-evaluation framework standard that specifies concepts, requirements and recommendations for planning and performing quality evaluations of ICT products, data and IT services.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the evaluation reference model, roles and responsibilities, evaluation planning, criteria selection, evaluation activities, reporting and documentation. It does not provide specific test methods or prescriptive measurement procedures.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Developers, integrators, quality assurance teams, acquirers, IT service providers, independent evaluators and organizations that need to perform systematic, repeatable quality evaluations of products, data or services.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — ISO/IEC 25040:2024 (Edition 2) was published in 2024 and replaces the earlier ISO/IEC 25040:2011 edition, which has been withdrawn and superseded by this 2024 edition.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is part of the ISO/IEC 25000 SQuaRE series (Software product Quality Requirements and Evaluation), which groups standards on quality models, measurements, and evaluation processes that work together when defining and assessing product and system quality.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Quality evaluation, SQuaRE, software quality, ICT quality, evaluation framework, evaluation process, evaluator, acquirer, ISO/IEC 25040:2024.