Cost and benefit estimating is an initial building block of every phase of every IT project. As much “art” as “science,” any lack of transparency in estimating will often lead to questionable results with a great potential to create negative perceptions among stakeholders.
IT systems test estimation, in particular, centers on the time it takes to build and execute test scripts. The factors necessary for estimating the time required for testing tend to be based on assumptions that are difficult to verify at the beginning of a project. The time-squeeze experienced by many projects (unclear requirements lead to missed deadlines in design and build, therefore less time available for Testing) push some project teams to discard proven processes such as peer reviews, robust configuration management or rigid Component Tests due to time constraints, only exaggerating the problem for the Testing team. Miscalculating the time or investment needed to sufficiently complete the test phase translates into missed deadlines, inefficient delivery and poor application performance.

Learn how project teams can conduct systems test estimates and validate earlier estimates from a purely testing perspective by using a testing-specific estimator. Which factors are most relevant? How can you create top-down estimates that can be evolved to bottom-up estimates throughout the course of the project? And which questions need to be answered in order to get accurate results?

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company with more than 186,000 people in 49 countries. Accenture Test Services has have been providing testing services for more than two decades, both on-site and through our Global Delivery Network. Matthias Rasking leads Accenture Test Services in the German-speaking markets as well as Accenture’s global Testing Community of Practice of over 7,000 testing practitioners. With more than 10 years of experience in the Testing and Quality Assurance space, Mr. Rasking holds certifications in software engineering practices such as CMMI, ITIL and as a IEEE Certified Software Development Professional. He has supported many multi-national clients in various industries with becoming high-performing businesses by establishing a structured and strategic approach to quality assurance.