Examples of Verification in Software Testing

In our last blog post, we included a list of Examples of Verification without going into too much detail. In this blog we will take a couple of those verification list items and expand on them. The examples of verification that most tend to impact software testers with the best return are Test Plans, Test Cases, Test Data and Test Results.

Test Plans

Applying verification techniques to a Test Plan can save hours of effort. The three methods we can use to review a test plan are:

• • Walkthrough – in this method, the author of the Test Plan ‘walks’ one or more of their peers through the test plan, explaining the sections and what is meant by the content. The role of the peers is to find problems, omissions, extra content, incomplete items, inconsistent items and to add things that they might feel were missed. The intent is to have a better document more accurately reflecting the needs of the project stakeholders. A new version is issued after all the errors are corrected and it is used going forward.
  • Document Review – In this method, a review committee (preferably selected from the interested stakeholders) reviews the documents and records the same items as listed above for the walkthrough. Once they are finished their individual reviews, they come together to create a final list of problems which need to be corrected. A new version is issued after all the errors are corrected and it is used going forward.
  • Inspections – In this method, formalized roles are defined and assigned and a procedure is followed to ensure proper inspection of the document. The intent and result is the same as the previous two methods. The only difference is the degree of formality.

What’s the point in all of this? The payback from reviewing the plan (using any of the methods above, more than pays for itself in terms of less errors going forwrd, less work to be undone, redone and redone (again).

If you know your test plan is poor, or you’re not even sure where to start give us a call at 416-927-0960 or visit our website at NVP.ca to find out where you would benefit from the implementation of Verification techniques in your organisation.