Software Testing Strategy

Software engineering best practices are a set of standards that can be formally articulated and implemented in a practical manner throughout the software development process. Companies and developers that use software engineering best practices desire to improve their bottom line, quality, cost initiatives, customer satisfaction and productivity. A summary of the software engineering best practices can be best classified as a set of initiatives that scope and bound: risk management, cost management, performance benchmarking, quality control, process control, stability and integrity. Each of these processes enhances the software development lifecycle and is designed to optimize business performance.

Risk management is the systematic identification of variables that can adversely impact the project under development. By correctly identifying the stress points of the project and grading them according the degree of importance, frameworks and initiatives can be put in place to manage resources and minimize the chance of a negative outcome. Software engineering best practices aims to use risk management as proactive approach to software development to prevent resorting to salvage and repair damage control response that can harm a companies operations and bottom line.

Cost control software engineering best practices recognize the importance of defining a project upfront so that adequate resource demands can be factored into cost estimates. The danger with software development is that cost overruns can creep into the development cycle when functionality is poorly defined and insufficient development time is allocated. Cost control standards require built in flexibility to accommodate the real life reality of build time estimates versus the reality of the time to get a signed off fully functional release. This entails a degree of risk management to know where the most likely costs overruns can develop and the development of software engineering best practices to build enough flexibility into the process to ensure and win win outcome for all stakeholders.

Performance benchmarking software engineering best practices help defines the metrics used to measure the processes that constitute software development. If you don't know where you are going or how to measure your progress, you won't be able to successfully manage and implement initiatives to streamline and align business and development objectives to either enhance performance or steer projects in danger of derailment back on course. By establish key performance indicators, engineering best practices can help you keep your finger on the pulse of the software development lifecycle.

Quality control is paramount to software development as a whole. Failure to do so opens up the potential for cost overruns and adverse customer feedback. Software engineering best practices implement stringent standards to check functional requirements against the scoped functional provisions to ascertain correct fit. Factoring regression testing into the process also streamlines the management of build updates and bug fixes.

Process control engineering best practices focuses on information flow control and project stage development to ensure all vested parties are aware of the requirements of the project, know what to do and when. Systematic organization prevents subjective interpretation and aligns resources and processes in accordance with the project deliverables.

Stability and integrity require the implementation of stringent testing prior to product release. The essence of this is stated in the supporting project documentation. In fact, all software engineering best practices are scoped and bound by the project documentation which provides for a plan of action and defines deliverables for a successful project outcome.

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