Testing Your Luck

  ProjectsAtWork  

You've invested tons of time and resources. Just one last thing: does it work?

Long before Orville and Wilbur ever got off the ground, unforgettable 16mm footage captured other would-be aviators struggling to get their contraptions into the air. It's all part of the testing process. And whether you're checking the links on a new software package or trying to get airborne, it's here that you find out if the whole project is about to collapse.

Striking a balance between project development and testing is difficult, but these tips should help.

Pay Now or Later

It's a no-brainer: Don't skimp on the test phase of your project. The only real question is how much money and time should be set aside for this stage. Michael Carpenter, a project manager in the Enterprise Solutions division of Phoenix-based Avnet Inc., says at least 15 percent of both project dollars and time should be dedicated to the testing phase.

However, Carpenter, whose company offers IT services such as server installations, admits that getting clients to fork over the bucks can be tough. "If it's proven technology, clients just don't want to pay for testing," Carpenter says. "But even proven technology is always changing, and as it emerges, it creates a whole new set of risks."

At PlanView Inc., an Austin, Texas-based firm that develops project management software, it's a …

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