What does a quality assurance manager monitor to determine readiness for release?

A quality assurance manager focuses on the performance of the software in terms of its functionality, reliability, and overall quality before its release. Monitoring the bug arrival and fix rates is crucial for determining readiness for release because it directly relates to the software's integrity. If the rate of incoming bugs is high and the fix rate is low, it indicates potential issues that need addressing before the software can be considered stable and reliable for end users.

Monitoring bug arrival rates helps assess how frequently new issues are being discovered, which can signify problems in the development process or quality of the code. Similarly, tracking fix rates provides insights into how effectively the team is addressing those issues. A balance between these two metrics can help a quality assurance manager evaluate whether the product is reaching an acceptable level of quality, making it one of the key indicators for readiness for release.

The other options focus on aspects that, while important in a broad organizational context, do not directly assess the software's readiness from a quality perspective. Budget changes may affect resources, employee attendance might impact productivity, and user feedback scores can provide insights after release but are not direct measures of readiness prior to launching the software.