TOP DOWN PRODUCT Adapted from the NASA
VERIFICATION Systems Engineering Handbook
WHAT IS PRODUCT
VERIFICATION?
o Verification should answer the question: “Was the product built right?”
o Whereas validation answers: “Was the right end product built?”
o The product verification should prove that the requirements, design documents,
and specifications for a product have been followed.
o Like the design process, verification and validation are hierarchical
by nature with the same process applied to the next level down in the
program – one person’s subsystem is another person’s project.
VERIFICATION TESTING
1) Any testing which promotes the development of the products of a project or to
support the manufacturing process
2) Any testing which verifies the technical progress of the project, including
minimizing risks and preparation for validation testing.
INPUTS PRODUCT OUTPUT
INPUTS VERIFICATION
PROCESS
S
o In order to move through the product verification process, the following inputs
must be known:
o Mission needs and goals
o Product(s) to be verified
o Specified requirements baseline
o Interface definitions
o Verification plan
The product verification should be confirming what the project team has set out to
do with their project. Therefore, pre-verification documentation is essential in
order to perform a successful product verification.
INPUTS PRODUCT OUTPUT
OUTPUTS VERIFICATION
PROCESS
S
o The following are possible outputs from the Product Verification Process
o Discrepancy reports/notes
o Identified corrective actions
o Verified product
o Verification reports
o Any necessary updates to requirements documentation
Do not be disappointed if product verification is performed and it does not meet
all of the project goals or requirements. This is the purpose of product verification.
Take detailed discrepancy reports/notes in order to correct such shortcomings.
STEPS IN THE PRODUCT
VERIFICATION PROCESS
1) Verification planning
2) Verification preparation
3) Conduct verification
4) Analyze verification results
PRODUCT VERIFICATION
PLANNING
This includes both determining the type of verification to take place and creating the
verification plan. Verification includes test, analysis, demonstration, and
inspection.
TRUE OR FALSE
Verification can be performed recursively throughout the project
life cycle and on a wide variety of product forms.
TRUE!
o Verification can be done in many different formats on many different stages of the
project including:
Simulations
Mockups (think wood, breadboard, anything that represents the project without functionality)
Concept description (written reports)
Prototype (product with partial functionality - one step above mockups)
End product
So, with each stage of the project, verification should always be considered.
PRODUCT VERIFICATION
PREPARATION
o Product verification planning should lead right into the preparation phase. This
phase includes the following:
o Collect the specified requirements and any other necessary documentation
o Obtain the product or software that is being verified
o Any supporting resources or products should be available
o Does the product being verified need a power source? Some sort of interface? Test Equipment, Etc.
o Prepare the area/lab/environment where verification will take place
CONDUCT PRODUCT
VERIFICATION
Conduct test plans according to written procedure
Measure/collect and record all data
Determine whether the requirements were properly verified
Confirm that any interdependent functions were verified together
Confirm that interfacing products work with the environment and dependent
products
ANALYZE PRODUCT
VERIFICATION RESULTS
Verification loses all value if the results of the verification process are not
analyzed
Identify any necessary changes to the end product, any anomalies, and any
conditions that do not comply with requirements or other standards
Check the data for quality, integrity, correctness, consistency, and validity
Record results and make any updates to the verification matrix
Determine corrective actions to address anomalies discovered during verification
Revise Plan
Analyz
Verify
e
VERIFICATION VS.
VALIDATION
While the approaches taken to verify and validate a design may be similar, the
reason behind the tests are different. Verification tests confirm that Project
Objectives for the design (ex. the robot) as defined by its level 1 and level 2 design
requirements are met. Validation tests confirm that the design can accomplish its
mission. For our robots this is defined by
the Mission Profile.
Some projects successfully pass verification but fail
validation
To avoid this, keep the ConOps as a driving motivation
throughout the design and verification process.
TEST PLAN
The test plan should include, but is not limited to:
• Names of products being tested
• Detailed steps in sequence to perform test
• Identification of objectives and test criteria
• Identification of required software, measurement tools, recording equipment (also
indicating units to be used in measurement)
• Layouts, schematics, or diagrams for connections, identification, and
measurements
• Any special instructions for environment regulation, maintenance, inspection, etc.
VERIFICATION MATRIX*
(APPENDIX D)
*This is a simplified version of the verification matrix from Professor Hill’s EE400D Lectures.
A more detailed version is in Appendix D of the NASA Systems Engineering Handbook
