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Enterprise test software (ETS) is a type of software that electronics and other manufacturers use to standardize product testing enterprise-wide, rather than simply in the test engineering department. It is designed to integrate and synchronize test systems to other enterprise functions such as research and development (R&D), new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing, and supply chain, overseeing the collaborative test processes between engineers and managers in their respective departments.
Like most enterprise software subcategories, ETS represents an evolution away from custom-made, in-house software development by original equipment manufacturers (OEM). It typically replaces a cumbersome, unsophisticated, test management infrastructure that manufacturers have to redesign for every new product launch. Some large companies, such as Alcatel, Cisco, and Nortel, develop ETS systems internally to standardize and accelerate their test engineering activities, while others such as Harris Corporation and Freescale Semiconductor choose commercial off-the-shelf ETS options for advantages that include test data management and report generation. This need results from the extensive characterization efforts associated with IC design, characterization, validation, and verification. ETS accelerates design improvements through test system management and version control.
ETS supports test system development and can be interconnected with manufacturing execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and product lifecycle management (PLM) software packages to eliminate double-data entry and enable real-time information sharing throughout all company departments.
ETS covers five major enterprise-wide test applications.
