Integration Testing Phase is very crucial because the software is not yet stable and the test scenarios covered during integration / system integration are wider than the scope of unit testing. Once the defects are logged in large volume, the development team may point to a “lack of design time,” refer to an e-mail chain, or worst case, compromise on their software engineering practices to do a “quick-fix.” Traditionally, software development vendors may trim the size of the development team during the development support phase, which does not help either. If that is the problem, then what is the solution? Frankly, there is no “one” solution to the problem. I have tried to present a set of best practices based on my experience that will help us address this issue. I’ve included a few example problems; each is paired with a best practice that can help address the problem. I have also included additional information to help you decide on the best course of action.