- the test results back to the software release, both now and at any point in the future?
- Is there a limit on how often I can run and record the results of a test case?
- What if a test case fails in two different ways on two different runs - can I easily track the two separate failures so that they don't interfere with one another
At a minimum, your CM environment must be able to demonstrate, with confidence, that your verification was completed to your advertised level. Generation of test metrics, summaries, and reports will be important to any company wondering about the stability and reliability of your product.
The Final Step
When you're ready to go a step further, broaden your defintion of CM to include Customer Management (CRM). Carefully let key design team members visit customer sites where appropriate. This will take the product out of the abstract domain and make it real. Your team members will take quality and testing more to heart.
About the author
Joe Farah is the President and CEO of Neuma Technology and is a regular contributor to the CM Journal. Prior to co-founding Neuma in 1990 and directing the development of CM+, Joe was Director of Software Architecture and Technology at Mitel, and in the 1970s a Development Manager at Nortel (Bell-Northern Research) where he developed the Program Library System (PLS) still heavily in use by Nortel's largest projects. A software developer since the late 1960s, Joe holds a B.A.Sc. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto. You can contact Joe at farah@neuma.com
