Sometimes a concept seems so obvious that you wonder how anyone could miss it. Why, for instance, would any development organization plan to release bug-ridden software? Well, you may respond, no organization actually plans to release software bugs; it is an unfortunate reality that you cannot remove all defects from a software product. But when a development organization plans to devote insufficient time to testing, it is, in fact, planning to release software bugs.

Some tasks are never completed no matter how much time we are given. Such is the case with software testing. "There is never enough time for testing," writes IBM's Vaughn Rokosz, "because the number of possible test cases is unimaginably large" [3]. Rokosz is describing a Sisyphean dilemma well supported by a recent Cutter Consortium survey, which found that a lack of adequate time is the most common testing problem confronting software developers.

One of the best software testing stories I have heard concerns a mishap with the potential to bankrupt a company. It was a small blunder in a financial software application, but the consequences could have been disastrous.

"Software," as the old saying goes, "is the only engineering discipline in which the equivalent of changing the wing on an airplane constitutes maintenance" -- note the somewhat deprecating tone. This saying, however, obscures the point that it is possible to change the wing on our proverbial software airplane. Of all our modern products -- from airplanes to toasters -- software is the most malleable. Software enables a wide range of other products to be adaptable also.

So why does the 2002 article by C.K. Prahalad and M.S.

People are getting the message: test strategically, test early, and test to mitigate your business risks. Such practices improve the return on investment from your IT spending, reduce time to market, and improve user satisfaction. Numerous detailed studies demonstrate this realization.1 In this article, I present some supercharged strategies and tactical tips to ensure that testing boosts your IT returns from within. TESTING TIPS

1. Testing Is a Risk Management Exercise

When it comes to software testing, people disagree quite a bit. Some argue vehemently for a particular point of view, while others consider that very position nonsensical. For example, the "zero defects" crowd generally thinks the "good enough quality" crowd is out to lunch -- and vice versa. The different camps have different pictures in their heads, different frames of reference and implicit assumptions. A big part of what's important in debates about software testing (and, by extension, software quality) is what goes unsaid because the speaker considers it obvious.

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Volume 2, No. 8; August 2003Printer Friendly PDF version

Volume 2, No. 8; August 2003Printer Friendly PDF version

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THE WEB IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE WEB!

 

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  Software Modeling series:How Software Modeling Tools Are Being UsedSoftware Modeling Methods and Development Processes Being Used

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Contents Opening Statement Mark McDonaldThe CIO's Role in the CEO's Agenda D. Neil GisslerCIOs Can't Do It Alone: Project Success Through Better Sponsorship Payson Hall

Contents Opening Statement Mark McDonaldThe CIO's Role in the CEO's Agenda D. Neil GisslerCIOs Can't Do It Alone: Project Success Through Better Sponsorship Payson Hall