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Verification and validation (V&V)
Verification and validation, often shortened to V&V, are two complementary checks on a product. Verification asks whether the product was built correctly against its requirements, while validation asks whether the right product was built to meet the user's actual needs. Together they confirm both that the work matches the spec and that the spec was right.
What it means
The distinction is easy to remember with two questions. Verification: are we building the product right, meaning does it meet its specified requirements. Validation: are we building the right product, meaning does it actually solve the user's problem. A system can pass verification and still fail validation, by perfectly implementing requirements that were wrong in the first place.
Verification tends to rely on reviews, inspections, and testing against requirements. Validation leans on user testing, acceptance testing, and checking against real needs. In regulated fields, V&V is formal and evidence-heavy, and every requirement is expected to be verified and validated with a traceable record. Linking requirements to their tests, whether in Azure Test Plans or a tool built on top of it, is what makes that record possible.
In practice
A team builds an infusion pump exactly to its written requirements, and it passes verification. During validation, clinicians trialing it find the alarm is too quiet to hear in a busy ward. The build was correct; the requirement was wrong. V&V is what surfaces the difference before the product ships.
FAQ
What is the difference between verification and validation?
Why are verification and validation important?
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