An Open Letter Regarding Engineered Software Program Quality Testing:

All Engineered Software programs go through a rigorous test procedure to insure the products we supply provide consistent program operation and accurate results. A Software Testing Plan is developed for each program, which documents the entire test process and demonstrates that each program feature is adequately tested. The Software Testing Plan is reviewed and approved by the software development team and engineering test group.

Our program quality plan starts at the beginning of program development. Based on the program’s design document, the test engineers develop the test plan. The plan provides a description of the program features and how the features are to be tested.

As program features are completed, the test engineers develop the automated scripts testing the feature under the conditions outlined in the test plan. Each automated test script is run, then checked to insure the results are correct and within the accuracy allowed in the test plan. Using automated scripts, we can insure the tests are performed consistently, and with extensive code coverage.

Scripted calculations are performed with all available units, and the results are compared against hand calculations or calculations performed using a spreadsheet program. The hand calculations and spreadsheet results are performed by one engineer, and checked by another engineer. They become part of the final test package.

When the first release candidate is built, the test engineers run that program through the entire suite of test scripts. Once the final program testing has started, no changes, even minor ones, can be made to the release candidate. If corrections must be made, any testing in progress is stopped and declared void, and testing is started again with the new release candidate.

After a release candidate successfully completes all test scripts, the test engineers compare the calculated results with the hand calculations, and the program is released for production. Any discrepancies discovered during testing, but deemed to be minor in nature, are added to list of known issues, for correction in a future maintenance release.

All maintenance updates are subjected to the entire suite of test scripts, and the same verification criteria are applied.

A copy of the Software Testing Plan describing the program features and testing methods is available in PDF form.

               PIPE-FLO v.8 ~ 1.5MB

Sincerely,

Ray Hardee P.E.
Chief Engineer
Engineered Software, Inc.