Many testing organizations focus primarily on software executable code, but that's not the only thing you can test. For instance, did you ever consider testing your software requirements? When you test only code, you face some big disadvantages, not to mention that design defects often aren't even fixable because they demand too much effort, too late in the release cycle. In fact, it's difficult to even report some requirements defects since the developers have already committed to the design strategy. But if you test your requirements early in the game, you can discover defects before they're cast into designs and code, consequently saving your organization potentially huge rework costs.

As software professionals, we deliver products that are the totality of the services, documentation, software, and hardware required to produce a solution for customers. But how often do we find ourselves ready to deliver a software product, yet we still don't have the services to support it? And how often does a product reach the testing phase even though it's lacking some critical requirements? Team-based management is a solution to these common-but major-problems. Bobbi Antonucci describes the machinations of team-based software development and the issues it resolves.

The preparation of a realistic, practical project schedule is an essential management function for obtaining stakeholder commitment, setting expectations, and communicating within the team and organization what is achievable. Doing this preparation well is another challenge-one that must be conquered. Rex Black helps participants see the bigger project scheduling picture by focusing on issues such as constituent tasks, the underlying dependencies between them, and the risks attached to the completion of those tasks.

While the Internet provides an array of powerful tools and utilities for developing Web applications, it also requires adequate usage management of these resources. Failing to manage usage could result in significant project setbacks, including delayed initial deployment and prolonged down time on your Web site. Bhushan Gupta discusses a process that takes build-and-deployment activity from a simple manual ritual to an on-demand, fully automated activity. He even illustrates how failures can occur and offers solutions to avoid them.