A software tester participates with an initial consultation with his internal or external client for the purpose of understanding the scope of a project. Either independently or in a group setting, he creates a testing plan based on the parameters outlined during the client consultation. The tester actively uses the software he is testing, utilizing every function and tool to search for results regarding performance, reliability, bugs and any other failures. Detailed metrics are recorded and edto track the progress and outcomes of the testing process. Testing status is communicated either verbally or in writing to his manager or directly to the client. At the conclusion of testing, he may make recommendations, debug failures and/or perform other tasks required by his client.