If your teams are still running a separate System Integration Test (SIT) phase, I’ve got bad news: you’re not agile. You might have squads, scrums, and stand-ups… but if you’re still treating integration as a final boss fight at the end of your release cycle, you’re clinging to waterfall in an agile costume.
The SIT Trap
SIT was born in an era when teams threw code over walls. Developers built in isolation, and only after months of coding did testers try to stitch everything together. Unsurprisingly, it was a mess - like assembling IKEA furniture in the dark after throwing away the instructions.
In Agile, that wall shouldn’t exist. Integration should be continuous. Every code commit, every merge, every deployment should prove the system works end-to-end. If you’re waiting until the end to find out whether your parts fit, you’re running a high-risk casino, not a software delivery team.
Why SIT Won’t Die
Executives cling to SIT because it feels safe. A dedicated phase, a big bang test cycle, a final thumbs-up before launch—it’s comforting. But comfort is costly. SIT:
Delays feedback: Bugs found late are expensive and demoralizing.
Creates bottlenecks: Test teams become overwhelmed as deadlines loom.
Breeds blame: Developers and testers point fingers instead of collaborating.
The Agile Alternative
True agility means shifting left:
Continuous Integration (CI): Merge code daily, run automated tests with every build.
Continuous Testing: Embed QA into development squads, test as you go.
Continuous Delivery (CD): Deploy small, frequent changes, so integration issues surface early.
You don’t wait until the end of a bake to see if the dough has risen or if the yeast worked. No, you knead, proof, and adjust as you go, making sure every stage blends perfectly so the final product comes out golden and ready!
The Mindset Shift
Killing SIT isn’t about skipping testing. Instead, it’s about testing more frequently and smarter. It’s about:
Building quality in, not inspecting it at the end.
Seeing testers as part of the team, not gatekeepers.
Trusting automation to catch issues before humans ever notice them.
If you’re serious about agility, it’s time to retire SIT. Tear down the last wall. Make integration invisible because it’s happening all the time. That’s when you’ll truly be agile… not just wearing the jersey.
Oh, and btw! The same applies to UAT. If you’re still batching work to be “accepted” by someone at the end, you’re also not agile. You’re just running a different flavor of waterfall with sprinkles.
Question: What’s stopping your teams from making SIT obsolete? Is it tooling, mindset, or fear of letting go of the safety blanket?