How does SAFe Handle Integration Testing and System Testing?

When using The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), testing takes place within each iteration. So it is not about developing a final product and then testing it later. Rather when doing it the Agile way, the team is testing as they go along. By testing a product at each and every iteration, the team is making sure that it’s working and that they’ve got Continuous Integration. This means that teams do not only work and integrate within their own teams, but also with other teams and team members. The purpose of doing it this way is to ensure that there is integration and transparency across all stages of the Agile Release Train, and that all blindspots are covered. 

Let’s break this down further. 

What Exactly is Integration and System Testing? 

Although both Integration and System testing are focused on delivering a high-quality and reliable product, they do have some differences in terms of focus. 

Integration Testing for example focuses on: 

🚀 Ensuring that all system components work as intended. 

🚀 Safeguarding against any errors or defects in system components. 

🚀 Utilising top-down and bottom-up integration testing. 

Whereas, System Testing focuses on: 

🚀 Ensuring that the system functions as expected. 

🚀 Meeting user requirements.

🚀 Identifying defects and issues that were not present in previous testing phases. 

At the System Testing stage, we also conduct a series of functional and non-functional testing, such as:

🚀 Performance testing. 

🚀 Security testing. 

🚀 Usability testing. 

The advantages of conducting Integration and System Testing are: 

🚀  Improved product quality. 

🚀  Reduction in errors.  

🚀  Decreased costs. 

🚀  Well-tested products that are reliable. 

🚀  Customer satisfaction. 

🚀  Enhanced product/software performance. 

When teams use the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Integration and System testing are very important parts of product development because of its focus on producing high-quality, error-free, and reliable products.

SAFe does this by creating Agile teams known as Agile Release Trains (ART), who ensure that their work is:

🚀 Integrated. 

🚀 Tested. 

🚀 Achieves a specific goal. 

The essence of the utilisation of SAFe is therefore that it continually integrates, and instead of waiting for one team to complete their objectives before the next team can continue, SAFe encourages teams to work collaboratively, and communicate with each other at each Program Increment (PI). Unlike the traditional waterfall-style project management, SAFe recognises that it is much more effective to have teams integrated, especially when working on large-scale solutions. 

The result? A coordinated and aligned Agile team that is committed to continuous delivery of value to their customers. 

Interested to learn more you could use SAFe to implement Integration and System testing and boost product quality? 

At Value Glide, through the application of  SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), we are able to offer agile consulting, agile coaching, and agile training specialists who work with organisations to align business objectives with customer needs and wants.

As deeply experienced agile coaches and practitioners, our team is invested in continuous learning through each client engagement and uses the data and evidence we gather from each implementation to inform our training, coaching, and consulting services.

In a nutshell, empirical process control or empiricism. 

If you are thinking of adopting agile within your organisation and have identified SAFe as a great agile framework to adopt, implement and improve your business agility, visit our SAFe Quickstart ART Launch program page or view our SAFe Consulting Services page.

If you have identified a need for an agile coach and SAFe coach to help your organisation adopt and implement SAFe, visit our SAFe Coaching Services page. We are committed to equipping organisations with the tools and knowledge to thrive in this ever-changing digital age, and achieve business agility through the Scaled Agile Framework. 

Sounds good to you? Then sign-up today, and learn more about this transformation and revolutionary framework that is changing the game in the world of Agile. It is truly remarkable what can be done when we put our heads together and decide to work as one.

If you want to know more about SAFe and how to lead SAFe, visit our SAFE Training page for a host of options, from Leading SAFe to a SAFe Release Train Engineer course.

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