What Is Verification and Validation?
The terms verification and validation are used widely but with
various meanings, sometimes causing confusion. This Website
uses these terms as they are defined in the CMMI®:
Verification:
Confirms that work products properly reflect the requirements
specified for them. In other words, verification ensures that
"you built it right." [CMMI V1.1]
VERIFICATION (ISO 9000:2000 definition):
Confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence,
that specified requirements have been fulfilled.
Note 1: The term "verified" is used to designate
the corresponding status.
Note 2: Confirmation can comprise activities such as:
Validation:
Confirms that the product, as provided, will fulfill its intended
use. In other words, validation ensures that "you built
the right thing." [CMMI V1.1]
VALIDATION (ISO 9000:2000 definition):
Confirmation, through the provision of objective evidence,
that the requirements for a specific intended use or application
have been fulfilled.
These definitions can be read as either the software definition
or the systems definition; agreement is not conclusive.
Although the definitions for both verification and validation
may appear to imply that these activities occur only at the
end of a project or after a given product has been fully implemented,
this is not the case. Best practice regards these activities
as ongoing throughout the life of the project as an “Iterative
Process.”
