Delivery Models and Testing

The previous chapters examined software testing as an independent process – that is, sitting down in front of working software and testing it in order to find quality risks. The unit testing, TDD, and Specification by Example sections in Chapters 3 and 4 intertwined test and development a bit, but for the most part, we didn’t talk about how the software got to its current state, what the team will do with the feedback, how the software is released, how testing deals with problems in the field, and so on. To borrow a metaphor, it is a bit like talking about nails and pieces of wood without mentioning hammers, measurement, design, and carpentry.

This chapter widens our scope to discuss how testing and testers interact with the wider world. It provides teams with the information to not only understand where they are, but where they want to go, how to get there, and how to optimize time spent risk management and other activities. In order to...