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.”