Key challenges in Pre-Development Testing

There are some key challenges in pre-development testing which include the following;

1. Adopting the verification and validation talked to be taken SDLC model is a challenge if sufficient care is not taken.

Recommendation Test planners need to understand the development plans and adopt the test life cycle in tune with the development life cycle. This will lead to better coordination and predictable handshaking among teams.

2. Document errors become software defects- Expecting that the testing will anyway find all the defects in software and hence, not giving enough attention to verification of requirements and design documents.

 Recommendation It is experienced that document defects become software defects. A small error in an SRS or design document may lead to serve/ critical errors in software programs. It takes more effort and time to defect and fix such errors in software. Hence, sufficient focus and effort must be spent in ensuring that the development documents are verified and approved before moving the next phases.

3. Not knowing the verification process correctly or not following the process properly.

Recommendation In many cases, the reviews and other verification tasks are carried out more as a formality then as a need. This impact the quality of verifications and thus the quality of documents become suspect leading to more defects at next phases. Verification tasks must be carried by experienced and trained  members and by following the laid out  procedures.

4. Stressing too much on functional test and ignoring non-functional requirements.

 Recommendation It is observed that too much discussion and focus is on functional aspects of the software under development and not know are very little on the non- functional aspects. This can lead to unexpected interpretation by the users and the developers and unwarranted consequences and misunderstanding. Verification must highlight these aspects, if not addressed in the project.

5. Failing to correctly identify critical areas.

 Recommendation Success of the project depends upon the way critical aspects of a project are implemented. Thus, the focus of both developers and the testers must be on the critical areas of the intended software. Verification engineers must try to understand these critical areas during the verification tasks.

Source : “Software Testing – Effective Methods, Tools and Techniques“ book authored by our director, Mr Pradeep Oak and published by McGraw Hill.