谁决定软件发布的时间？

Who should decide when software is ready to be released?
In many projects this depends on the release criteria for the software. Such criteria are often in turn based on the decision to end testing, discussed in FAQ #2 item "How can it be known when to stop testing?" Unfortunately, for any but the simplest software projects, it is nearly impossible to adequately specify useful criteria without a significant amount of assumptions and subjectivity. For example, if the release criteria is based on passing a certain set of tests, there is likely an assumption that the tests have adequately addressed all appropriate software risks. For most software projects, this would of course be impossible without enormous expense, so this assumption would be a large leap of faith. Additionally, since most software projects involve a balance of quality, timeliness, and cost, testing alone cannot address how to balance all three of these competing factors when release decisions are needed.

A typical approach is for a lead tester or QA or Test manager to be the release decision maker. This again involves significant assumptions - such as an assumption that the test manager understands the spectrum of considerations that are important in determining whether software quality is 'sufficient' for release, or the assumption that quality does not have to be balanced with timeliness and cost. In many organizations, 'sufficient quality' is not well defined, is extremely subjective, may have never been usefully discussed, or may vary from project to project or even from day to day.

Release criteria considerations can include deadlines, sales goals, business/market/competitive considerations, business segment quality norms, legal requirements, technical and programming considerations, end-user expectations, internal budgets, impacts on other organization projects or goals, and a variety of other factors. Knowledge of all these factors is often shared among a number of personnel in a large organization, such as the project manager, director, customer service manager, technical lead or manager, marketing manager, QA manager, etc. In smaller organizations or projects it may be appropriate for one person to be knowledgeable in all these areas, but that person is typically a project manager, not a test lead or QA manager.

For these reasons, it's generally not a good idea for a test lead, test manager, or QA manager to decide when software is ready to be released. Their responsibility should be to provide input to the appropriate person or group that makes a release decision. For small organizations and projects that person could be a product manager, a project manager, or similar manager. For larger organizations and projects, release decisions might be made by a committee of personnel with sufficient collective knowledge of the relevant considerations.

在许多项目中发布软件依据软件发行的标准。一些标准常常依据测试结束来衡量，在以前的问题“如何知道什么时候停止测试？”中讨论过这个问题，然而不幸地是，即使对于最简单的项目，没有很多假设和主观判断也几乎不可能有充分详细有用的标准来判定的。例如，假如发行标准依据通过一定的测试集，这很可能有一种假设就是测试屏蔽了所有软件风险。对于大多数软件项目，一般不可能有充分的资金，因此这种假设可能存在大的风险。

一个典型的方式测试领导、QA或测试经理作为发布的决定者。这同样也涉及到必要的假设－例如一种假设是测试经理认识软件质量充分地满足了软件发布的一些特性，或者假设不得不依据时间点和费用来权衡。在许多企业中，“充分地质量”不是很好定义的，非常主观地，可能还没有进行有效的讨论，或者不同项目不断在改变甚至每天的都在变化。

考虑的发布标准包括最终期限、销售目标、商业/市场/竞争、行业质量体系、法律法规、技术和设计规划、最终用户的期望、内部预算、其它企业项目和目标的影响、还有其它各种因素。对所有这些因素常常需要大企业中部分员工共同的认识的，例如项目经理、主管、客户服务经理、技术领导或经理、市场经理、QA经理等。在小的企业或项目中这可能是由一个人来决定，但最可能是项目经理，而不是测试领导或QA经理。

由于这些原因，通常由测试领导、测试经理或QA经理决定何时发布软件不是一个好主意。他们的职责是提供做出发布的决定者或组织一些入口因素。对于一个小企业或项目决定者可能是产品经理、项目经理或相关经理。而对大企业或项目，可以通过充分的收集相关考虑因素后由一个委员会做出软件发布的决定。