Testing in the software development life-cycle: now or later
Faizul Huq2000, International Journal of Project Management
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Abstract
The most critical and visible principle of TQM in the Information Systems (IS) environment is the focus on zero defects in a software development project to achieve customer satisfaction. This paper presents results from a simulation study that suggests that greater performance towards zero defects can be achieved through testing after each phase (concurrently), in the development life-cycle of a software as opposed to testing after the coding of the system has been completed. The simulation model is developed using four benchmark software development projects, and is validated using the Software Life-Cycle Management Model (SLIM), developed by Quantitative Software Management (QSM). Three performance measures are used in comparing the two testing philosophies: time required to produce the software, the eort expended and the cost. The results indicate that the two approaches do not dier signi®cantly on the ®rst two measures, however, the costs are found to be dramatically dierent. This dierence in costs leads to the conclusion that concurrent testing is superior. The cost superiority of concurrent testing can be attributed to the distribution of hours worked throughout the life-cycle, as opposed to being backloaded in the maintenance of the system when the costs are much higher than the earlier phases in development. 7
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