A product review performed by a formal team. A number of such reviews may be held during the lifetime of a software project, covering, for example, requirements specification, program specifications, design, and implementation. The review is formally constituted; there is a clear statement of the contribution that each member of the review team is required to make, and a step-by-step procedure for carrying out the review. The person responsible for development of the product under review ‘walks through’ the product for the benefit of the other reviewers, and the product is then openly debated with a view to uncovering problems or identifying desirable improvements.