Over the next few weeks, the NVP blog will focus on Software Testing for System Integrators. From NVP’s point of view, a System Integrator is someone who brings together a number of applications (from vendors), adds some glue and ends up with a solution for the organization they are working with. This seems to agree with the Wikipedia definition fairly closely. So where does Quality Assurance come into this? One would like to think early or very early in the process but that’s not always the case.
Last week we looked at responses to the first 4 questions. This week we are continuing with the remainder:
- The contract states the following specifically about Quality Assurance and everyone is in agreement
- The contract says nothing about Quality Assurance but it’s noted as a topic and the contract will not be finalized without this discussion
- The contract says nothing about Quality Assurance so far, but now that you have brought it up we will add it.
- There is something in the contract about Quality Assurance and we can look it up for you (contracts are signed).
- There is nothing in the contract (contract is signed) and there is no intention of putting anything in the contract about Quality Assurance
Now you have a challenge. Clearly the process is mostly done and there is absolutely no Buy-in to Quality Assurance. The next question that needs to be asked is “Why have you brought Quality Assurance in if there is no interest?” The answers to this and the response will be next week’s blog - We don’t know (but that is a good question)
There is some hope here and you are in a position to influence the content and results. It may be late in the process but we can try. - We don’t know (and we don’t care)
This is a similar situation to the answer to number 5. There is a challenge for Quality Assurance and that challenge must be tackled.
Suffice to say the items in the above list have an obvious gradation from very manageable to a real challenge in the order they are presented. If you get the first answer, you’re well on your way. If you get some of the middle answers you have some work to do, but there’s still time to make change. If you get the last few answers, you are in trouble but not defeated!
Next Week: What to do with Number 5 and 7.
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