How do you validate agile and iterative system development?

1 Validation vs Verification

Validation and verification are two related but distinct concepts in system testing and quality assurance. Verification is the process of checking whether the system conforms to the specifications and standards defined by the developers. Validation is the process of checking whether the system meets the needs and expectations of the users and other stakeholders. Verification is usually done during the development phase, while validation is done after the system is deployed or delivered.

2 User Acceptance Testing

User acceptance testing (UAT) is one of the most common and important methods of validating agile and iterative system development. UAT involves testing the system with real or representative users in a realistic environment, and collecting their feedback and satisfaction. UAT can be done in different ways, such as alpha testing, beta testing, pilot testing, or A/B testing. UAT helps to identify and resolve usability, functionality, performance, and compatibility issues, as well as to measure user satisfaction and acceptance.

3 Continuous Integration and Delivery

Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) are practices that enable agile and iterative system development to deliver software products faster and more reliably. CI/CD involves automating the processes of building, testing, and deploying the system, and integrating the changes from different developers and teams. CI/CD helps to validate agile and iterative system development by ensuring that the system is always in a working state, that the code quality is maintained, and that the feedback loop is shortened.

4 Review and Retrospective

Review and retrospective are two essential activities in agile and iterative system development that facilitate validation and improvement. Review is the process of presenting and demonstrating the system or its features to the stakeholders, such as customers, users, managers, or sponsors, and collecting their feedback and approval. Retrospective is the process of reflecting on the system development process and its outcomes, and identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Review and retrospective help to validate agile and iterative system development by ensuring that the system meets the stakeholder expectations, and that the development process is effective and efficient.

5 Validation Tools

Validation tools are software applications or platforms that assist in validating agile and iterative system development. Validation tools can perform various functions, such as testing, monitoring, debugging, analyzing, or reporting. Validation tools can be classified into different categories, such as functional testing tools, performance testing tools, security testing tools, usability testing tools, or code quality tools. Validation tools help to validate agile and iterative system development by automating, simplifying, or enhancing the validation processes and tasks.

6 Validation Metrics

Validation metrics are quantitative or qualitative measures that indicate the level of validation of agile and iterative system development. Validation metrics can be derived from different sources, such as user feedback, test results, system performance, code quality, or stakeholder satisfaction. Validation metrics can be used for different purposes, such as evaluating, benchmarking, comparing, or improving. Validation metrics help to validate agile and iterative system development by providing objective and actionable data and insights.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?