For context, I work primarily in the world of high-assurance embedded software. Over the years, this has included applications such as safety-critical aircraft navigation systems, life-saving medical devices, toxic gas monitoring systems, and high-risk industrial control systems; among others. The common link here is quality. Without a focus on software quality, attributes like safety, security, and reliability don't stand a chance. Most of the day-to-day software development advice I see is geared toward folks who write websites, business software, and mobile devices; where failure is comparatively inconsequential.

This is the sequel to the article 5 Ways to Boost Software Quality for FREE. The items described there were primarily concerned with the advanced use of the code editor that can reduce developer effort significantly.

In this article, I will go beyond code editor features, and move into advanced tools and techniques that pack some real punch. I'll continue the list where I left off:

In my previous 2 articles, 5 Ways to Boost Software Quality for FREE, and 5 More Ways to Boost Software Quality for FREE, I described tool-supported techniques for raising software quality while simultaneously reducing organizational costs.

So, the natural question is "Does it work?". Are there significant improvements to be made from using these no-cost and low-cost tools and techniques? I'm convinced that the answer is "Yes!" In this article, I will provide one example where the gains were able to be quantified.