The Case Studies

Relative to Test Life-Cycle Stages

• Test Engineers are rarely proficient at testing and software development.
• Test Engineers and Software Developers do NOT speak the same language.
• Test Engineers who are also software developers are not always "senior" in a single discipline. Therefore, the quality of the test development and/or the quality of the resulting test implementation may suffer.
• When the test engineer is not the software developer, issues of communication, latency, accountability and liability for a test implementation become important.
• Investment protection of test cases is easier between test engineers than software code between software developers.
• The test life-cycle spans individuals, division, locations, organizations, continents, etc.

Relative to OEM and CM Relationships

• The OEM/CM relationship is inter-organizational but needs to be cross-organizational.
• Data exchange is difficult if not impossible due to lack of data exchange standards.
• Lack of test related collaboration tools and test case documentation formats.
• Global distances affect OEM access to real-time test data to allow for continuous improvement and quality control.
• OEM and CM efforts to consolidate test data exchange formats is impossible without third party assistance.
• Business process re-engineering at major OEMs means a re-evaluation of existing relationships will occur.
• Increased outsourcing from OEM to CM, increased new product introductions, and new device technologies combined with reduced time-to-market windows are turning these observations into critical issues.