Software Organizations and Test Process Development

In this study, the components important for testing work and organisational test process are identified and analysed. This work focuses on the testing activities in real-life software organisations, identifying the important test process components, observing testing work in practice, and analysing how the organisational test process could be developed. Software professionals from 14 different software organisations were interviewed in several phases to collect data on organisational test process and testing-related factors. Moreover, additional data on organisational aspects was collected with a survey conducted on 31 organisations. This data was further analysed with the Grounded Theory method to identify the important test process components, and to observe how real-life test organisations develop their testing activities. The test management at the project level is an important factor; the organisations do have sufficient test resources available, but they are not necessarily applied efficiently. In addition, organisations in general are reactive; they develop their process mainly to correct problems, not to enhance their efficiency or output quality. The results of this study allows organisations to have a better understanding of the test processes, and develop towards better practices and a culture of preventing problems, not reacting to them.