Test managers must know about relevant industry standards in software testing and their applicability to their particular organization or project. They should be able to determine which standards are applicable for their project and which ones may be an overkill.

There are several industry standards available for:

• Software development lifecycle
• Software quality benchmark
• Software testing
• Defect management
• Testing reviews

These standards may be national, international or domain/industry specific, with their own objectives and benchmarks. Two of the most popular international bodies issuing standards for various industries are International Standards Organization (ISO) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

ISO consists of members from different countries. They represent the national bodies of industry being considered for standardization in their respective nations. Some of the most useful standards for software testers includes ISO 9126, ISO 12207, ISO 15504 and ISO 25000.

ISO 25000 is fast replacing ISO 9126. ISO 25000 is also known as SQuaRE which stands for System and Software Quality Requirements and Evaluation which provides a framework for evaluating software quality.

IEEE is headquartered in the US but has representatives from over 100 countries. Some of its most useful standards used by software testers are IEEE 1028 and IEEE 829. IEEE 829 acts as a standard for creating a master test plan. IEEE 1028 provides the standard for software reviews and audits.

Many standards adopted by individual nations are applicable to software testers. For example BS 79925-2 standard from UK covers testing design methods in detail.

There are many standards which were created for specific industries but they have been found useful in testing software. US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) DO-178B standard is a case in the point. It is developed for the avionics industry but has found use in software that is used by civilian aircrafts, especially if used in certain critical areas. Its EU equivalent is ED 12B.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has another example, standard Title 21 [FDA21] CFR Part 820  is a standard for medical systems. But it has recommendations for some functional testing as well as structural testing techniques. The recommended testing techniques are in line with the ISTQB syllabus.

Sometimes testing activities may be subject to software development process standards. For example, two important process areas of CMMI process framework for improvement in software process – which are validation and verification – influence testing strategy as well as test levels.

ITIL, PRINCE2 and PMI’s PMBOK are three other frameworks for project management that influence testing activities greatly. However, terms and activities used in them are very different to the ISTQB syllabus as well as glossary. So a Test Manager handling projects being developed using these frameworks must understand them and how they would affect the testing process.

Please note that the standards are produced and reviewed by set of experienced professionals. If they replicate the team member’s experience, they also reflect their limitations. Whatever the standard being used, Test Managers must understand how it applies in the context of the specific project.

If more than one standards are being used, Test Manager must check whether they are consistent with each other or not. The Test Manager must also decide whether the standards would be useful in testing or prove to be an obstacle. However, it should be noted that standard can provide an easy reference for best practices that are customary in the industry and act as the starting point for testing process.

Sometimes, it is mandatory to ensure compliance with standards. In such a situation, test processes should be planned and built to comply with such requirements.

The next article delves deep into management of formal reviews & management audits.

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