Testing is an important component to ensure that a quality product is delivered to the end users. The basic components that must be tested are programming modifications requested by the user and modifications made to support the mission critical application. Both types of changes require testing of the individual modification as well as proper integration and incorporation within the application.  The following are the types of tests needed to support the overall testing strategy:

Unit Test:
The objective of the Unit Test is to ensure that the enhancement meets functional and technical design requirements of the requestor and that all transactions, database updates, and functionality flow accurately. This testing phase ensures the data and unit integrity of all system enhancements.

Method
The Programmer responsible for developing/applying the changes will design the unit test cases after the development effort which:

• Provides coverage for all the identified functions and logic paths.
• Considers all normal, unexpected, and error I/O conditions.

User Acceptance Test:
The User and Acceptance Test are performed after the completion of all application enhancements. It is driven by the business functions of an organization. These are the continuous set of activities within an organization that ensure that the organization accomplishes its objectives. The goal is to make sure that the system(s) performs as expected across all business functions and departments.  Whereas the Unit Test focuses on Unit affected by enhancements to the system, the User Test and Acceptance Test focuses across all departments, whether modified or not. This test will:

• Test the functionality
• Ensure that all basic business transactions operate as defined in the requirements
• Test system configuration settings

The main objective is to be reasonably assured that the application systems are ready to be used in the production environment. The focal point is to test that the system functions as designed. These test cases must be defined prior to performing the system test. The test scenarios are created by the Functional users (Business Analyst). If required the Technical Team assists the Business Analyst in developing these scenarios. Each scenario is tested by the functional users. The failure of a scenario or part of a scenario requires the technical team to retest the entire process. The data used is a copy of production data.