How do you manage design verification activities across different teams and stakeholders?

In our experience cloud plattform such as Autodesk Construction Cloud or Microsoft Teams are very useful to track progress of design processes. WHen everybody has acces to the same data and data becomes only available after approval the verification process becomes suddenly very organised.

Defining the verification strategy enables us to clearly understand what are mandatory and what are optional tests. It enables to define the products in scope of the testing, what impact analysis and regression testing are required to verify no adverse impact is introduced by the new release. Verification plan should define clear acceptance criteria for completion of the verification activities.

1.Verification strategy is the basis for proper management and alignment of verification activities across teams and stakeholders. 2.Get buy-in from all stakeholders on the approach, responsibilities, verification methods, support, reporting and acceptance criteria. 3.Coordination strategy must be integrated in verification plan shall detail on the involvement of various teams and external party in test coordination, dependencies and deliverables. 4.Periodic review of the verification progress with all stakeholders and mitigate for any risks 5.Maintain Communication plan to detail on various stakeholders, frequency of meetings, purpose, reporting and actions followup shall be clearly documented and published to all stakeholders.

Communication is critical when it comes to keeping stakeholders involved and in the loop. It's also to important consider what information is important to each stakeholder at that moment. A project manager may need resource and timeline risks, or a technical summary of verification activities. If working with suppliers they may need to know how many and when, or desired inspection methods. The communication method should be proportionate to the need. Balance the frequency of your re-occurring meetings and don't be afraid to use slide decks. When working with suppliers, the collaboration and communication is two ways, they will deliver a product based on the requirements communicated to them.

A great Regulatory Agency Auditor once said, "If it isn't documented, it didn't happen". All of this information is critical and must be documented as it provides evidence that performance of the product will meet the requirements derived from voice of the customer. (Source for the quote is unknown)

Successful verification phases require extensive planning with contingencies and risk mitigation at the ready. Pre-verification or investigational testing prior to starting verification testing can serve as a good too to develop those strategies.