Buying Complex IT Systems

Chapter 10 Testing

DOI: 10.4324/9781003427766-10

By the time we’ve got to this chapter, congratulations, you almost have a working system. Now we just need to make sure that what you have bought works.

Where Testing Fits

Years ago, I went to Boeing's Everett Factory, which used to be where they made 747s. Whilst the testing process in new airliner designs is massively complex, the way that individual, complete planes are tested is weirdly chill. They build the plane, the customer's test pilots pop over to Everett, takes the plane out for a flight, and if it's signed off the customer's flight team arrives at the factory and flies the plane immediately to the first scheduled airports to pick up customers. That airliner is then in continuous ...