Previous Skill Categories have discussed the development of requirements, processes,
procedures and controls. Included in these discussions were the details of verification
activities appropriate to each stage of development. In addition, earlier Skill Categories
provided an understanding of Systems Development Methodologies (SDM), the associated
processes and their role in the life of the project. In this Skill Category these tools will be
combined with testing tools and techniques to complete the process of developing products
and services needed by the organization.
The objective of software development is to develop the software products that meet the true
needs of the organization, not just the system specifications. To accomplish this, the Business
Analyst will work with the developers and subject matter experts early in a project to clearly
define the criteria that would make the software acceptable in meeting the business needs.
Throughout the project, once the acceptance criterion has been established, the Business
Analyst should integrate those criteria into all aspects of development process.
For the Business Analysts whose primary role is in testing, the Quality Assurance Institute
Certified Software Test Engineer’s Common Body of Knowledge1 is an additional and
expanded resource for testing information. It addresses all of the phases of software testing in
significantly greater detail.
Testing is conducted throughout the life of a software product. Each set of testing has some set
of acceptance criteria. Individuals performing these tests often refer to their activities as
Acceptance Testing. This usage is found in much of the testing literature.
Final product testing is often identified as a separate phase, and has historically been referred
to as User Acceptance Testing. Skill Category 1 and subsequent Skill Categories have
addressed the semantic difficulties produced by the term user. Throughout this Body of
Knowledge, the term Business Partner has been used to designate those within the
organization; these Business Partners may be co-developers and/or the intended recipients of
the finished application. The term Customer is used to designate those outside the