End-to-end testing is the process of testing transactions or business level
products as they pass right through the computer systems. Thus this generally
ensures that all aspects of the business are supported by the systems under
test.
This ensures that the overall process flows as expected that is that system
components integrate together correctly and that the right information is passed
between them.
The process may fail and there could be omissions in the process.
Dependencies may not have been identified and incorrect information could be
passed between system components and systems. The software may work but the
overall process does not (for example people order goods but they are never
delivered).