The evolution of a system test process [for Motorola GSM products]

Test organisations are now widely recognised as being central in the creation and successful arrival to market of complex systems. As such it is critical that they constantly evolve and mature. A mature test organisation will typically have evolved from testing quality into the product to concentrating largely on analysing and verifying system reliability. During this evolution, the organisation moves from being perceived as at best a necessary part of the process to being recognised by both customers and other internal organisations as being a highly effective and valued operation. This paper will describe the evolution of the system test organisations for Motorola´s GSM Systems Division (GSD). It will show how Motorola´s GSD test organisations are organised, the methodologies and processes employed, how these organisations have matured over the past nine years and how they will evolve to meet the challenges in the future