The Practical Guide to Defect Prevention

Moving Quality Upstream

In a typical software development project, the test team becomes involved late in the process to find defects and “test quality into the software.” Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier in this chapter, the later a defect is discovered, the more expensive it is to repair and the greater the cost and impact on the overall project.

Consequently, if defects cannot be avoided altogether, a fundamental goal of a successful defect prevention effort is to move quality verification and improvement to an earlier stage in the software development cycle. Focusing on quality in the planning, design, and early development stages pays big dividends later in the cycle. By moving quality assessment and improvement “upstream” in the software ...