When thinking about software testing, it is generally understood that everything cannot be tested as well as it could be if time and money were unlimited. In the real world of project constraints and time-to-market concerns, any testing effort needs a strategy that creates an appropriate balance between quality, scope, budget, and schedule.
For each testing engagement, we must examine the project situation to find the “right-fit” approach. The “right-fit” is determined through deriving a tailored selection and adaptation of core best practices and techniques to the organization’s unique business needs and the context of their specific project, including consideration for project constraints such as budget and schedule, quality requirements, and risk tolerance.
These core practices and techniques are built upon the “fitness for use” philosophy of quality, where the customer satisfaction of both the business and end-users determines whether the project was an overall success. Setting the ‘quality bar’ required to achieve that minimum acceptable level of satisfaction is what determines the difference between a quality requirement and a quality goal. The resulting customized strategy to the testing effort captures this thoughtful approach to achieving better testing results.
Thinking Through Testing™ enables organizations to clearly articulate and successfully execute the quality plan that achieves their individual needs within their specific constraints.
Here we explore and share our ideas on crafting these “right-fit” approaches to software testing. We hope that you find something you can apply to your own projects and organizational environment.
– Trevor Atkins
