Glossary

This glossary provides definitions for the key terms and concepts used throughout Test & Accept. Understanding these terms will help you navigate and use the platform effectively.

Core Concepts

Project

A Project is the highest-level organizational unit in Test & Accept. It represents a complete initiative, product, or client engagement that contains all related work.

Statement of Work (SOW)

A Statement of Work is a formal document that defines the specific deliverables, scope, timeline, and requirements for a piece of work within a project. Each project can contain multiple SOWs.

Key characteristics:

• Defines what will be delivered
• Establishes timelines and milestones
• Sets clear boundaries for scope
• Can be versioned and tracked over time
• Supports collaboration through followers and approvers

Task Item

A Task Item is a specific piece of work that needs to be accomplished within a project, defined as part of a Statement of Work. By its nature as a "task," it represents work that must be completed to fulfill the project's objectives.

Key characteristics:

• Outlines specific work that needs to be accomplished
• Represents work that must be completed
• Breaks down deliverables into manageable, testable units
• Can be hierarchically organized (parent/child relationships)
• Must be specific and measurable
• Forms the basis for acceptance testing
• Completion is verified through criterion and tests

Criterion

A Criterion (plural: criteria) is a specific, testable condition that must be met for a task item to be considered complete. Each criterion must have a binary outcome - it either passes or fails.

Key characteristics:

• Must be unambiguous and measurable
• Can only have two states: passed or failed
• No partial success is allowed
• Forms the basis for objective acceptance

Example formats:

• "Given [context], when [action], then [expected result]"
• "It can be confirmed that [expected condition]"

Test

A Test is a documented procedure that verifies whether a specific criterion has been met. Each test has a one-to-one relationship with a criterion and provides instructions for validation.

Key characteristics:

• Links directly to one criterion (one-to-one relationship)
• May include setup requirements
• Can be one or many steps
• Specifies expected outcomes
• Can include test data or artifacts

Test Section

A Test Section is an organizational unit within a test that groups related test steps together. Sections help structure complex tests into logical parts.

Key characteristics:

• Groups related test steps
• Improves test readability
• Can have its own setup/teardown steps
• Helps organize long or complex test procedures

Test Function

A Test Function is a component within a test that contains the exact instructions for performing a specific validation or action.

Key characteristics:

• Provides precise step-by-step instructions
• Defines exactly how to perform the test
• Specifies what to observe or measure
• Details the expected results

Test Run

A Test Run is an instance of executing a test or set of tests. It captures the results, timeline, and any issues discovered during execution.

Key characteristics:

• Records who performed the test
• Captures when the test was executed
• Documents the outcome (pass/fail)
• Can include notes and observations
• Creates an audit trail

Additional Terms

Follower

A Follower is a team member who has read-only access to a Statement of Work and receives notifications about updates and changes.

Approver

An Approver is a stakeholder who has the authority to formally approve or reject a Statement of Work or its versions.

Version

A Version is a snapshot of a Statement of Work at a specific point in time. Versions allow tracking changes and maintaining a history of modifications.

Export

An Export is a generated document containing the Statement of Work, task items, criteria, and tests in a format suitable for external distribution (PDF, Word, Markdown, etc.).

Workflow Terms

Acceptance Testing

The process of systematically verifying that all criteria for task items have been met through the execution of defined tests.

Root Cause Analysis

The systematic process of identifying the fundamental reasons for test failures or project issues, enabling continuous improvement.

Test Coverage

A measure of how many criteria have associated tests, indicating the completeness of the testing approach.

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