  This Journal details a maturity model for SQA services which has been
developed during QMS implementation in the IT division of a large multinational
organization. The scope of the engagement was to establish a standard set of
processes based on CMMI\textregistered and ITIL\textregistered Framework across
four business verticals scattered in Europe, United States and Asia. The
services of Software Quality Analyst (SQA) from different vendors were
leveraged to facilitate implementation of processes which was referred to as
the Quality Management System (QMS). To co-ordinate and support QMS
implementation, a Software Quality Assurance Group (SQAG) was established at
the organizational level. Considering the large number of applications, the
business verticals proposed that process implementation should be owned and
managed by practitioners themselves so that the mass deployment of QMS can be
achieved at a faster rate with the same SQA capacity. This called for a need to
devise an innovative implementation solution before moving to a process
implementation model which proposed Project Managers implementing processes
themself. While there are process models and frameworks available in the market
for establishing processes in an organization, there is no model that
elaborates activities to be performed by the SQA for effective implementation
of processes. SQA service maturity model was proposed as a solution based on
CMMI\textregistered and developed to eventually proceed towards a 'Process
Implementation Model proposing Project Managers implementing processes
themself'.
  SQA Service Maturity Model is a Software Quality Assurance implementation
framework that enables organisations to increase Efficiencies in Software
Quality Assurance, reduce the Cost of Defects and ultimately Increasing Return
on Investment in IT.
