Verification & Validation in Software Testing

Today ensuring that products are built correctly—and built for the right purpose—is more critical than ever. This is where Verification and Validation (V&V) come into play. While often confused or used interchangeably, these two processes serve distinct and essential roles in the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

This training guide will break down what Verification and Validation mean, why both are crucial, and how professionals like Business Analysts, QA Engineers, Developers, and Product Owners play a role in getting both right.

What is Verification?

Definition:

Verification is the process of evaluating work products (not the actual software itself) to determine whether they meet the specified requirements. In simpler terms, it asks: Are we building the product right?

It ensures that software is being developed according to the technical specifications and design documents created during the planning phase. The focus is on process, structure, and adherence to requirements—not yet the functionality.

Think of Verification like reviewing a blueprint for a house. Before construction starts, you check that the blueprint includes the correct number of rooms, plumbing, electrical layouts, and safety features. You’re not walking through the finished house yet—you’re confirming the plan is solid and correct.

Imagine your team is building an online shopping platform. During the planning phase, you documented that when a user clicks “Add to Cart,” the item should immediately appear in the shopping cart preview.
Verification here would involve reviewing the code and design documents to confirm that this logic has been implemented—without necessarily running the application.

Common Verification Techniques:

1. Requirements Reviews:
   BAs, developers, and testers check the documented requirements for completeness, clarity, and consistency.

2. Code Reviews:
   Developers or peers go through the written code to ensure it aligns with specifications and best practices.

3. Walkthroughs:
   A developer or BA presents the logic or design to the team, walking through it step by step.

4. Static Analysis:
   Automated tools (like SonarQube or ESLint) scan the codebase to detect syntax errors, security flaws, or style issues.

5. Design Reviews:
   Architects and senior developers evaluate whether the software design aligns with performance, scalability, and maintainability expectations.

What is Validation?

Definition:

Validation is the process of evaluating the final product to ensure it meets business needs and fulfills user expectations. It answers the question: Are we building the right product?

Where Verification checks if you’re doing things right, Validation ensures you’re doing the right things.

Imagine you’ve finished building a house. Now it’s time to walk through it, test the light switches, open and close doors, and check that water flows properly. You’re verifying that everything functions correctly for the people who will actually live there.

Back to the online shopping platform:
Validation involves running the application and testing the user experience. A QA tester adds items to the cart, navigates to checkout, and places an order to ensure that the system works smoothly and as expected.

Common Validation Techniques:

1. Functional Testing:
   Testing individual features to ensure they perform their expected tasks.

2. System Testing:
   Checking how the software behaves as a whole, especially when modules interact.

3. User Acceptance Testing (UAT):
   Business users test the product in a staging or real-world environment to ensure it solves their problems.

4. Regression Testing:
   Ensuring that recent changes haven’t broken previously working features.

5. Performance Testing:
   Making sure the application handles expected load and responds within acceptable timeframes.

Key Differences: Verification vs Validation

Each role within an IT team contributes uniquely to both verification and validation. Let’s break it down.

Business Analysts (BAs):

• During Verification:

  • Ensure that requirements are clear, unambiguous, and testable.

  • Participate in reviews of design documents to validate alignment with business needs.

  • Serve as a bridge between stakeholders and developers to confirm that the plan reflects client expectations.

• During Validation:

  • Help define acceptance criteria for features.

  • Collaborate with end users and QA during UAT to ensure the final product solves the right problems.

Quality Assurance (QA) Engineers:

• During Verification:

  • Participate in review sessions to ensure all components are testable.

  • Use static analysis and automated tools to identify potential issues early.

• During Validation:

  • Execute manual and automated test cases.

  • Document bugs, verify fixes, and assess whether changes meet acceptance criteria.

  • Facilitate and support User Acceptance Testing.

Developers:

• During Verification:

  • Write code based on detailed requirements and design documents.

  • Engage in peer reviews and walkthroughs.

  • Use tools to ensure the code is clean, secure, and adheres to architecture standards.

• During Validation:

  • Collaborate with QA to understand test failures.

  • Fix defects based on user and tester feedback.

  • Help ensure performance and functionality meet expectations.

Product Owners (POs):

• During Verification:

  • Help clarify the intent behind features so developers understand the “why” as well as the “what”.

  • Review requirements and backlog items for alignment with business goals.

• During Validation:

  • Participate in UAT and provide the final go/no-go decision for releases.

  • Ensure the product delivers value to users and aligns with strategic priorities.

What Happens When You Skip One?

Skipping Verification:

If you rush into coding without verifying the requirements or design, you might build the wrong thing entirely. Imagine building a login system without confirming the security needs—later, you discover it doesn’t comply with data privacy regulations. Now you have to go back, rework the system, and possibly delay your release.

Skipping Validation:

You can have perfectly implemented features that nobody uses because they don’t solve a real problem. Let’s say you release a highly secure, beautifully designed app—but users abandon it because the workflow is confusing. You’ve built the product right, but not the right product.

Best Practices for IT Teams

1. Define Requirements Collaboratively:
   Ensure BAs, POs, and technical team members align on what needs to be built—right from the start.

2. Use Checklists and Templates:
   For requirement reviews, code reviews, and UAT sessions. It ensures consistency and completeness.

3. Automate When Possible:
   Automate tests, code scanning, and documentation generation to reduce manual errors.

4. Hold Review Sessions Regularly:
   Conduct weekly walkthroughs or review meetings to catch issues early.

5. Prioritize Feedback Loops:
   Whether it’s internal feedback from developers or external input from real users, fast feedback helps drive continuous improvement.

6. Treat Testing as Everyone’s Responsibility:
   Testing isn’t just for the QA team. Developers, BAs, and POs should be involved in different layers of testing and validation.

Quick Glossary:

• Requirements: Statements of what the software should do.

• Specification: Detailed description of how features should be implemented.

• Acceptance Criteria: Conditions that must be met for a feature to be considered complete.

• Test Case: A set of conditions under which a tester determines if a feature works as intended.

• Defect/Bug: A mismatch between expected and actual results in the software.

Summary & Takeaway

Understanding and applying both Verification and Validation helps software teams avoid costly mistakes and deliver products that are not only technically sound but also meaningful to users.

• Verification ensures that you’re building the product correctly.

• Validation ensures that you’re building the right product.

For cross-functional teams, aligning on these processes means fewer surprises during testing, better team collaboration, and ultimately, higher quality software.

Action Points for Your Team

By building these habits into your day-to-day workflow, your team will be better equipped to deliver not just working software—but successful software.