This course will empower you with practical, industry-relevant skills to excel in software quality assurance and testing. You’ll learn to design comprehensive test plans, conduct effective user acceptance testing, and implement quality control measures that prevent costly defects. Through hands-on projects mimicking real workplace scenarios, you’ll gain experience troubleshooting system issues, documenting technical processes, and managing deployment pipelines – skills that make you invaluable to any development team.



Software Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance Strategies
This course is part of IBM Systems Analyst Professional Certificate


Instructors: John Rofrano
Top Instructor
Included with
Recommended experience
What you'll learn
Create test plans and traceability matrices , and coordinate testing with quality assurance personnel, developers, and stakeholders
Build deployment checklists with clear launch steps, go/no-go criteria, rollback plans, and data validation techniques
Define key system metrics to support post-launch tracking, organize response plans, and guide improvement through retrospectives
Create a Testing and Release Kit with test strategy, validation checklist, and support plans for post-launch success
Skills you'll gain
- Test Driven Development (TDD)
- Test Case
- Application Deployment
- Release Management
- Prototyping
- Test Automation
- Acceptance Testing
- Product Lifecycle Management
- Test Planning
- Regression Testing
- Data Migration
- User Requirements Documents
- Software Testing
- Usability Testing
- Systems Analysis
- Quality Assurance
- Software Quality Assurance
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- Process Flow Diagrams
- Behavior-Driven Development
Details to know

Add to your LinkedIn profile
10 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your Software Development expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate from IBM

There are 3 modules in this course
In this module, you will explore the key concepts of software testing and how it supports quality throughout the development process. You'll start by learning why testing matters, examining real-world examples of failures caused by poor testing. You'll also become familiar with different levels of testing, including unit, integration, system, and user acceptance testing, and understand how analysts contribute at each stage. Next, you'll dive into test planning and design. You'll learn about test coverage, how test cases are structured, and how traceability matrices help ensure that all requirements are tested. Hands-on activities will give you practice in reviewing and improving test plans. Finally, you'll be introduced to Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). You'll see how these approaches work, how they support collaboration, and how you can contribute using tools like Gherkin syntax.
What's included
13 videos2 readings4 assignments7 plugins
In this module, you’ll walk through the steps involved in managing the software deployment, from pre-launch preparation to post-launch monitoring. You’ll start by exploring the difference between deployment and release, along with the key activities involved, such as coordinating CI/CD workflows, handling stakeholder approvals, and planning rollback strategies. Next, you’ll cover the steps involved in planning and validating data migration, a critical part of many projects. This includes mapping data from legacy to new systems, documenting the migration process, and confirming successful transfers using techniques like record counts, checksums, and dry runs. Finally, you’ll be introduced to the processes that happen after deployment, including monitoring system performance, reviewing logs, and supporting continuous improvement. You’ll also outline key metrics and build a maintenance schedule to help ensure long-term system stability. By the end of the module, you’ll have a clear view of the full release cycle and the analyst’s role in making sure systems launch smoothly and continue to meet user and business needs.
What's included
9 videos1 reading4 assignments8 plugins
In this final module, you’ll bring together all key concepts to build a complete Testing and Release Planning Kit for a fictional software system. This includes defining a testing strategy, validating data migration steps, planning the deployment workflow, and outlining post-release monitoring activities. The capstone simulates what a systems analyst would deliver to support cross-functional software delivery. You’ll tailor your work to a scenario you create, using templates and frameworks introduced in earlier modules. As part of the process, you’ll review success criteria, identify risks and rollback strategies, and ensure the software is prepared for a stable launch and long-term support. This project focuses on coordination, planning, and documentation related to testing, deployment, and post-launch maintenance and not on coding or software development.
What's included
2 videos2 readings2 assignments2 plugins
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Offered by
Explore more from Software Development
Why people choose Coursera for their career





Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
In this course, you will learn how to lead testing activities, plan and support deployments, and manage systems after they are released. You will develop skills in writing test plans, coordinating user acceptance testing, managing risks, validating data, and improving release processes through practical, real-world examples.
This is an intermediate-level course. A basic understanding of the software development lifecycle will be helpful, but it is not required. The course offers clear guidance and hands-on activities to help you build your skills and confidence as you progress.
Testing and deployment help ensure that a system works correctly, meets user needs, and is ready for use in a real environment. These steps reduce the chance of errors after release and support a smooth and reliable delivery process.
More questions
Financial aid available,