ISO 25010

Software quality models

The ISO/IEC 25010 standard defines how we talk about software quality. Instead of treating “quality” as a fuzzy idea, it breaks it into eight characteristics that can be measured and designed for.

The Eight Characteristics

  1. Functional Suitability
    Does the software do what it’s supposed to? Are all required functions present, correct, and complete?

  2. Performance Efficiency
    How fast and resource-friendly is it? This covers response time, throughput, and memory/CPU usage.

  3. Compatibility
    Can the system work well with other systems? Does it run on different platforms or integrate smoothly with external services?

  4. Usability
    Is it easy for people to learn and use? Includes accessibility, consistency, and user satisfaction.

  5. Reliability
    How stable is it over time? Can it recover from crashes or keep running under stress?

  6. Security
    Does it protect data and resist attacks? Think authentication, authorization, encryption, and auditing.

  7. Maintainability
    How easy is it to change? Covers modularity, readability, testability, and how simple it is to fix bugs or add features.

  8. Portability
    Can it be deployed in different environments? From operating systems to cloud vs. on-premise.

Why It Matters

ISO 25010 gives software teams a shared language. Instead of saying “make it better”, stakeholders can be precise:

  • “We need performance efficiency under weak networks.”
  • “Accessibility falls under usability.”
  • “We must guarantee reliability for 24/7 uptime.”

By mapping goals to these categories, architects and developers can design systems that meet real expectations—not just technical guesses.

References:

  • International Organisation for Standardization. (2011). ISO/IEC 25010:2011 Systems and software engineering — Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — System and software quality models. ISO.