{"id":52888,"date":"2021-04-07T03:00:14","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T10:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jamasoftware.com\/?p=52888"},"modified":"2023-01-12T16:49:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-13T00:49:20","slug":"requirements-verification-validation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jamasoftware.com\/legacy\/blog\/requirements-verification-validation\/","title":{"rendered":"Requirements Verification and Validation for Product Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"verification<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve heard the terms \u201cverification\u201d and \u201cvalidation\u201d used interchangeably, you aren\u2019t alone. However, this creates confusion during the testing process, and if you\u2019re building products in highly regulated industries, it\u2019s critical that products perform as expected and expensive errors are avoided.<\/p>\n

Unclear and incomplete requirements can be frustrating for software developers, and if developers can\u2019t get the required information up front, they must make interpretations, which aren\u2019t always correct. The result is higher risk of errors and extra resources spent fixing issues further into the product development cycle.<\/p>\n

Understanding the difference between verification and validation and how to use each during product development helps reduce cost, increase efficiency and deliver a product that better fits user requirements<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is requirements verification?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve used verification and validation interchangeably in the past, one of the most important things to note is order. Software verification comes first, followed by validation. But what\u2019s involved with each? Let\u2019s dive into verification first.<\/p>\n

Verification tests check to ensure the program is built according to the stated requirements. The verification process includes activities such as reviewing the code and doing walkthroughs and inspections.<\/p>\n

Missing requirements or invalid requirements can be discovered during this phase, which can minimize risk of rework and the cost associated with overruns. It\u2019s far more effective to fix a small bug up front than in the future when hundreds of lines of code must be identified and corrected.<\/p>\n

For example, imagine that you\u2019re driving to a new destination. You might plug that destination into your GPS, which provides directions and the freeway exit number. If you\u2019re looking for exit 10 and just passed exit 1, you quickly know you have nine more exits to go. Using the GPS allows you to check your existing path against the directions, which is similar to the verification phase.<\/p>\n

Another example is entering a formula into a spreadsheet. After entering a few rows of data, you might check the formula and make sure that it\u2019s working. The process of verification is the same in that it allows you to do a quick check before getting too deep into the product development process.<\/p>\n

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RELATED POST: <\/strong>What is Requirements Traceability and Why Does it Matter for Product Teams?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
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What is requirement validation? <\/strong><\/h2>\n

After you\u2019ve completed verification, it\u2019s time to complete validation testing, which confirms the accuracy of the requirements. It ensures that the requirements have achieved the business objectives, meet the needs of any relevant stakeholders and are clearly understood by developers. Validation is a critical step to finding missing requirements and ensuring that requirements have a variety of important characteristics. Software validation addresses the following:<\/p>\n