manjujestin

 Profile Answers by manjujestin Questions by manjujestin

• Mar 17th, 2008

 

PCA is Physical Configuration Audit .
FCA is Functional Configuration Audit.Normally SQA's conduct auditing.

kurtz182

 Profile Answers by kurtz182 Questions by kurtz182

• Nov 25th, 2009

 

The Software Configuration Management (SCM) process identifies a need to trace changes to the software.  This process includes configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audits. 
Configuration audits are either functional configuration audits (FCA) or physical configuration audits (PCA).  A functional configuration audit ensures the functional and performance attributes of a configuration item are acheived ('done right thing'), while a physical configuration audit ensures that a configuration item is installed as defined by requirements in its detailed design documentation ('done thing right').

MrEdxoxo

• Jun 4th, 2014

 

"PCA is Physical Configuration Audit . FCA is Functional Configuration Audit." is correct, but the Audit are performed by the Configuration Management function. CM is often housed under QA and SQAs may be "wearing the hat" but on the front of the hat it still says CM.

So, "Normally SQAs conduct auditing." is incorrect in software and in hardware.

MrEdxoxo

• Jun 4th, 2014

 

Kurts answer is very good:

"The Software Configuration Management (SCM) process identifies a need to trace changes to the software. This process includes configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audits.

Configuration audits are either functional configuration audits (FCA) or physical configuration audits (PCA). A functional configuration audit ensures the functional and performance attributes of a configuration item are acheived (done right thing), while a physical configuration audit ensures that a configuration item is installed as defined by requirements in its detailed design documentation (done thing right)."

But after doing this for 32 years I have a few pointers. One drop the "software". CM has been around for AGES and was documented in the WWII shipyards. This grandfather has a lot of little grand children and Sortware/IT is one of the newest.

Simply put, the FCA is to make sure your design (of any product) has met the requirements set down for it. Will it do what you designed it to do. Does the documentation support all of the requirements. (Take note people. This is where you learn that the FIRST thing you have to do is define all of your requirements and control them)
The PCA is simply to prove that the product you have built physically matches all of the documentation that controls the design.

If the FCA was done correctly and the PCA is passed, you should have a viable product with sufficient documentation to make it repeatable.