Enhancing Software Quality through Early-Phase of Software Verification and Validation Techniques
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47604/ijts.2268Keywords:
Software Verification and Validation, Software Quality, Early-Phase Techniques, Design Review, Code Review, Inspection, Software Development Lifecycle.Abstract
Purpose: The core objectives of this conducted research were threefold: first, to assess whether early-phase verification and validation (V&V)techniques, encompassing software design review, code review, and inspection, significantly contribute to defect prevention throughout the software development process; second, to evaluate the impact of these techniques on the efficiency of software development in terms of time, cost, and resource allocation; and third, to conduct a comprehensive comparative analysis between early-phase verification and validation (V&V)techniques and traditional post-development testing regarding their effectiveness in defect prevention and software quality improvement.
Methodology: Employing an experimental approach, this study conducted case studies within Tanzanian software development organizations. Data were meticulously gathered through surveys and interviews involving software professionals. Both quantitative and qualitative data were systematically analyzed to ensure data reliability and ethical considerations.
Findings: The research findings indicate that early-phase verification and validation (V&V) techniques shine as powerful tools for defect prevention, leading to a substantial reduction in defect counts and elevating software quality metrics, such as reliability and user satisfaction. Notably, these techniques demonstrated a favorable impact on software development efficiency by shortening development cycles and curtailing costs. When compared to traditional post-development testing, early-phase verification and validation (V&V) techniques consistently outperformed in the realm of defect prevention and software quality enhancement.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study's outcomes underscore the transformative potential of early-phase verification &validation techniques, urging the software development industry to pivot from defect detection to defect prevention. The insights garnered here offer practical guidance for organizations aiming to streamline their software development processes, economize costs, and deliver top-notch software products that closely align with user expectations. While conducted in a Tanzanian context, these findings reverberate across the global software development landscape, underscoring the universal relevance of early-phase verification and validation (V&V) techniques as pivotal enablers of software quality assurance and operational efficiency.
Downloads
References
Anand, A., & Uddin, A. (2019). Importance of Software Testing in the Process of Software Development. IJSRD-International Journal for Scientific Research & Development|, 6(February), 2321–0613. www.ijsrd.com
Anasuodei, M., Ojekudo, & Akpofure, N. (2021). Software Reusability: Approaches and Challenges. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science, 06(05), 142–146. https://doi.org/10.51584/ijrias.2021.6510
Andersson, C., & Runeson, P. (2014). Verification and validation in industry — A qualitative survey on the state of practice Verification and Validation in Industry - A Qualitative Survey on the State of Practice. February 2002. https:// doi. org/10.1109/ISESE.2002.1166923
Anwar, N., & Kar, S. (2019). Review Paper on Various Software Testing Techniques & Strategies. Global Journal of Computer Science and Technology, 19(2), 43–49. https://doi.org/10.34257/gjcstcvol19is2pg43
Bäckström, K. (2022). Industrial Surveys on Software Testing Practices : A Literature Review.
Beyer, D. (2022a). Advances in Automatic Software Testing: Test-Comp 2022. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics): Vol. 13241 LNCS. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99429-7_18
Beyer, D. (2022b). Progress on Software Verification: SV-COMP 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 13244 LNCS, 375–402. https:// doi. org/10. 1007/978-3-030-99527-0_20
Bjarnason, E., Runeson, P., Borg, M., Unterkalmsteiner, M., Engström, E., Regnell, B., Sabaliauskaite, G., Loconsole, A., Gorschek, T., & Feldt, R. (2014). Challenges and practices in aligning requirements with verification and validation: a case study of six companies. Empirical Software Engineering, 19(6), 1809–1855. https:/ /doi. org/10.1007/s10664-013-9263-y
Brink, R. (2018). A multiple case design for the investigation of information management processes for work-integrated learning. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 19(3), 223–235.
Campbell, S., Greenwood, M., Prior, S., Shearer, T., Walkem, K., Young, S., Bywaters, D., & Walker, K. (2020). Purposive sampling: complex or simple? Research case examples. Journal of Research in Nursing, 25(8), 652–661. https:/ /doi. org/10. 1177/ 1744987120927206
Carlos, T. M., & Ibrahim, M. N. (2021). Practices in software testing in Cameroon challenges and perspectives. November 2020, 1–17. https:// doi. org/10. 1002/ isd2. 12165
Casteel, A., & Bridier, N. L. (2021). Describing populations and samples in doctoral student research. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 339–362. https:/ /doi. org/10. 28945/ 4766
Causevic, A., Sundmark, D., & Punnekkat, S. (n.d.). An Industrial Survey on Contemporary Aspects of Software Testing.
Dias-Neto, A. C., Matalonga, S., Solari, M., Robiolo, G., & Travassos, G. H. (2017). Toward the characterization of software testing practices in South America: looking at Brazil and Uruguay. Software Quality Journal, 25(4), 1145–1183. https:/ /doi. org/ 10. 1007/ s11219-016-9329-3
ElMitainy, E., & El-Haggar, S. M. (2019). Developing Sustainability Rating System for Healthcare Facilities: Focus on Egypt. Journal of Environmental Protection, 10(07), 958–971. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2019.107057
Eungoo, K., & Hwang, H.-J. (2021). Ethical Conducts in Qualitative Research Methodology :Participant Observation and Interview Process*. Journal of Research and Publication Ethics, 2(2), 5–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.15722/jrpe.2.2.202109.5
Feldt, R., Marculescu, B., Schulte, J., Torkar, R., Preissing, P., & Hult, E. (n.d.). Published with permission from: Optimizing Verification and Validation Activities for Software in the Space Industry Optimizing Verification and Validation Activities for Software in the Space Industry. http://www.bth.se/fou/
Feldt, R., Torkar, R., Ahmad, E., & Raza, B. (2010). Challenges with Software Verification and Validation Activities in the Space Industry Challenges with Software Verification and Validation Activities in the Space Industry. October 2020. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICST.2010.37
Garousi, V., Felderer, M., & Kuhrmann, M. (2020). Exploring the industry ’ s challenges in software testing : An empirical study. February. https://doi.org/10.1002/smr.2251
Garousi, V., & Zhi, J. (2013). A survey of software testing practices in Canada. Journal of Systems and Software, 86(5), 1354–1376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2012.12.051
Gren, L., & Antinyan, V. (2017). On the relation between unit testing and code quality. Proceedings - 43rd Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications, SEAA 2017, 52–56. https://doi.org/10.1109/SEAA.2017.36
Hynninen, T., Kasurinen, J., Knutas, A., & Taipale, O. (2018). Software testing: Survey of the industry practices. 2018 41st International Convention on Information and Communication Technology, Electronics and Microelectronics, MIPRO 2018 - Proceedings, 1449–1454. https://doi.org/10.23919/MIPRO.2018.8400261
Islamia, J. M. (2017). Research design Research design. Research in Social Science: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, September, 68–84. file:///E:/Documents/dosen/buku Metodologi/[John_W._Creswell]_Research_Design_Qualitative,_Q(Bookos.org).pdf
Jamil, M. A., Arif, M., Abubakar, N. S. A., & Ahmad, A. (2017). Software testing techniques: A literature review. Proceedings - 6th International Conference on Information and Communication Technology for the Muslim World, ICT4M 2016, November, 177–182. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICT4M.2016.40
Kassab, M., DeFranco, J., & Laplante, P. (2016). Software Testing Practices in Industry: The State of the Practice. IEEE Software, March 2019, 1–1. https:/ /doi. org/10. 1109/ms. 2016.87
Kiger, M. E., & Varpio, L. (2020). Thematic analysis of qualitative data : AMEE Guide. Medical Teacher, 0(0), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1755030
Latif, B., & Rana, T. (2020). A preliminary survey on software testing practices in Khyber PakhtunKhwa region of Pakistan. Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, 28(1), 575–589. https://doi.org/10.3906/elk-1903-6
Lu, Y., & Abeysekera, I. (2020). Research methodology and methods. Social and Environmental Disclosure by Chinese Firms, May, 86–117. https:/ /doi. org/10. 4324/9781315797434-11
M. Altaie, A., Gh. Alsarraj, R., & H. Al-Bayati, A. (2020). Verification and Validation of a Software: a Review of the Literature. Iraqi Journal for Computers and Informatics, 46(1), 40–47. https://doi.org/10.25195/ijci.v46i1.249
M., S., Shamsur, M., Z., A., & Hasibul, M. (2018). A Survey of Software Quality Assurance and Testing Practices and Challenges in Bangladesh. International Journal of Computer Applications, 180(39), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5120/ijca2018917063
Malviya, A. (2019). Software Testing: Concepts and Issues. SSRN Electronic Journal, June. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3351067
Mendoza, I., Kalinowski, M., Souza, U., & Felderer, M. (2019). Relating Verification and Validation Methods to Software Product Quality Characteristics: Results of an Expert Survey. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, 338(January), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05767-1_3
Mendoza, I., Souza, U., Kalinowski, M., Interian, R., & Murta, L. G. P. (2019). An efficient algorithm for combining verification and validation methods. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), 11376 LNCS, 324–340. https:// doi. org/10. 1007/978-3-030-10801-4_26
Mousaei, M. (2020). Review on Role of Quality Assurance in Waterfall and Agile Software Development. 5(2), 90–97.
Noble, H., & Smith, J. (2015). Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing, 18(2), 34–35. https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102054
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to Meet the Trustworthiness Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847
Okezie, F., Odun-Ayo, I., & Bogle, S. (2019). A Critical Analysis of Software Testing Tools. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1378(4). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1378/4/042030
Oyedele, A. O., Igbeneghu, O. A., Alade, T. I., & Akinmusire, O. O. (2020). Moderate heat treatments enhance the quality of traded natural shea butter. Ife Journal of Science, 22(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.4314/ijs.v22i1.3
Peddireddy, S. K. R., & Nidamanuri, S. R. (2021). Requirements Validation Techniques and Factors Influencing them. Master of Science in Software Engineering, February. www.bth.se
Poudel, I. D. (2018). Aligning Requirements with Verification & Validation for Software Engineering Process Improvement.
Quesada-López, C., Hernandez-Agüero, E., & Jenkins, M. (2019). Characterization of software testing practices: A replicated survey in Costa Rica. Journal of Software Engineering Research and Development, 7, 6. https://doi.org/10.5753/jserd.2019.472
Rajabli, N., Flammini, F., & Member, S. (2021). Software Verification and Validation of Safe Autonomous Cars : A Systematic Literature Review. 4797–4819.
Raulamo-Jurvanen, P. (2020). Evaluating and selecting software test automation tools : synthesizing empirical evidence from practitioners.
Raulamo-Jurvanen, P., Hosio, S., & Mäntylä, M. V. (2019). Practitioner evaluations on software testing tools. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1145/3319008.3319018
Rodriguez, M., Piattini, M., & Ebert, C. (2019). Software Verification and Validation Technologies and Tools. IEEE Software, 36(2), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2018.2883354
Schumann, J., & Goseva-Popstojanova, K. (2019). Verification and validation approaches for model-based software engineering. Proceedings - 2019 ACM/IEEE 22nd International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems Companion, MODELS-C 2019, 514–518. https://doi.org/10.1109/MODELS-C.2019.00080
Seuring, S., Yawar, S. A., Land, A., Khalid, R. U., & Sauer, P. C. (2021). The application of theory in literature reviews – illustrated with examples from supply chain management. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 41(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-04-2020-0247
Taherdoost, H. (2018). Sampling Methods in Research Methodology; How to Choose a Sampling Technique for Research. SSRN Electronic Journal, January 2016. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035
Ullah Khan, H., Asghar, I., Ghayyur, S. A. K., & Raza, M. (2015). An Empirical Study of Software Requirements Verification and Validation Techniques along their Mitigation Strategies. Asian Journal of Computer and Information Systems, 03(03), 2321–5658. www.ajouronline.com
Upadhyay, P. (2012). The Role of Verification and Validation in System Development Life Cycle. IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering, 5(1), 17–20. https://doi.org/10.9790/0661-0511720
Vaismoradi, M., & Snelgrove, S. (2019). Theme in qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung, 20(3). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-20.3.3376
Vasanthapriyan, S. (2018). A study of software testing practices in Sri Lankan Software Companies. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability and Security Companion (QRS-C), 339–344. https://doi.org/10.1109/QRS-C.2018.00066
Vukovic, V., Djurkovic, J., Sakal, M., & Rakovic, L. (2020). An empirical investigation of software testing methods and techniques in the province of Vojvodina. Tehnicki Vjesnik, 27(3), 687–696. https://doi.org/10.17559/TV-20180713101347
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr Magori Alphonce
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
