Enabling and enhancing collaborations between software development organizations and independent test agencies

While the use of independent test agencies is on the rise - currently estimated to be a $25B marketplace - there are a number of challenges to successful collaboration between these agencies and their client software development organizations. These agencies offer independent verification of software, skilled testing experts, and economic advantages that arise from differential global labor rates. However, these benefits are often offset by difficulties in effectively integrating the outsourced testing into software development practice. We conducted extensive discussions with test managers and engineers at software development organizations. This position paper presents the findings of these discussions that identify key difficulties of integrating independent test agencies into software development practice, and it describes our position on how these findings can be addressed.