How can you ensure your system verification and validation is up to date?

1 Plan your V&V activities

The first step to ensure your system V&V is up to date is to plan your V&V activities in advance. You should define the scope, objectives, criteria, methods, tools, and resources for V&V, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved. You should also establish a schedule and a budget for V&V, and document your plan in a V&V plan. A V&V plan should be reviewed and approved by the relevant authorities, and updated regularly to reflect any changes in the system or the project.

2 Apply V&V throughout the system life cycle

The second step to ensure your system V&V is up to date is to apply V&V throughout the system life cycle, from the concept phase to the disposal phase. You should perform V&V at each stage of the system development, such as the requirements analysis, the design, the implementation, the integration, the testing, the deployment, and the operation. You should also perform V&V whenever there are changes in the system or its environment, such as modifications, upgrades, repairs, or replacements. You should document your V&V results and findings in a V&V report, and use them to improve your system and your V&V process.

3 Use appropriate V&V techniques and tools

The third step to ensure your system V&V is up to date is to use appropriate V&V techniques and tools for your system and your project. You should select the V&V techniques and tools that are suitable for your system characteristics, such as its complexity, its reliability, its safety, its security, and its performance. You should also consider your project constraints, such as your time, your budget, your resources, and your standards. Some examples of V&V techniques and tools are inspections, reviews, audits, simulations, models, tests, analyses, and measurements. You should apply the V&V techniques and tools in a systematic, consistent, and traceable way, and ensure their quality and validity.

4 Involve relevant stakeholders in V&V

The fourth step to ensure your system V&V is up to date is to involve relevant stakeholders in V&V. You should identify and engage the stakeholders who have an interest or a role in your system or your project, such as the customers, the users, the suppliers, the developers, the operators, the regulators, and the maintainers. You should communicate and collaborate with the stakeholders throughout the V&V process, and solicit their feedback and input. You should also address their needs, expectations, concerns, and issues related to V&V, and ensure their satisfaction and acceptance of your system and your V&V results.

5 Monitor and control your V&V process

The fifth step to ensure your system V&V is up to date is to monitor and control your V&V process. You should measure and evaluate your V&V performance and progress, and compare them with your V&V plan and objectives. You should also identify and manage any risks, issues, or deviations that may affect your V&V process or your system quality. You should implement corrective and preventive actions to resolve any problems or improve any weaknesses in your V&V process or your system. You should also report and document your V&V status and outcomes, and share them with the relevant stakeholders.

6 Learn and improve from your V&V experience

The sixth and final step to ensure your system V&V is up to date is to learn and improve from your V&V experience. You should collect and analyze your V&V data and information, and use them to generate lessons learned and best practices for your system and your project. You should also identify and implement any opportunities for improvement or innovation in your V&V process or your system. You should also share and disseminate your V&V knowledge and expertise with your team and your organization, and contribute to the advancement of the systems engineering discipline and profession.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?