Testing From 40,000 Feet: Types and Purposes of Tests

  Manufacturing   Quality   Risk Management   Testing/Test Management   Knowledge Shelf  

Introduction
In the world of project management, one of the most important steps accomplished prior to operations and sustainment of a project is testing. Testing is crucial to risk management, allowing components and systems to be put through their paces prior to being assembled as a system of systems or as an integrated whole. There are many types of testing, depending upon what type of project is being worked on, who is the final end user, and at what stage the project is currently in. The most common types of testing include developmental testing (DT), operational testing (OT), regression testing (RT), live-fire testing (LFT), software testing (ST), and integrated testing (IT). The purpose of this treatise is to provide a high-level overview of testing, the purpose of the different types of testing, and show where each type of testing is appropriate. Some of these tests are essentially subtests of other tests. Planned future articles will provide a more in-depth look at each individual type of test.

Development Testing: Developmental testing is the most common type of testing. This should be performed at each stage of a project’s design and implementation. Milestone decisions should not be made without some form of developmental testing to ensure the article being designed is working as it should. Errors in design or manufacture can be found early, with …

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