Test management is a process that involves multiple phases of risk analysis, test estimation, test planning, test monitoring and control, issue management, test report and execution. However, it has its own set of challenges such as the lack of time for testing, lack of resources, and testing teams, and the issues in test requirements. In order to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the test management process, it is important to overcome these challenges first. A proper test management life cycle consistently helps in meeting customer demands in terms of software quality. The race between organizations to reduce the time to market with quality products is being stressed greatly today due to the rising demands than ever before. Since everything relies on software apps these days and it is the center of attention, the process may lead to better quality products, and thus more satisfied customers. QA teams are equipped with different software testing tools, test case management tools, etc. to keep their testing efforts in the right direction.
Let’s have a look at the best practices for test management:
Test Earlier in the Software Lifecycle
It is one of the basic principles that organizations need to follow blindly. However, only a few succeed at doing so. When firms fail to achieve it earlier in their cycle, it results in identifying bugs at a later stage, which adds on to the costs. The testing process needs to begin as soon as a few test cases have been written or if they are available from the initial requirements.
Reuse Test Assets
QA teams can recycle and reuse test automation to enhance the quality and efficiency of a software product that can save a lot of time and effort by implementing this strategy. While teams need test management skills to be able to foresee if a a test case can be reused in the future.
Perform Iterative Tests
Software testing is an important activity and should be performed iteratively. Testers follow this risk-based approach to manage important testing assets and also help in reducing problems by focusing on bugs or delays in the early cycle.
Utilize Testing and Testing Strategies focused on Requirements
In order to perform different types of tests QA testers need to follow different testing approaches that suit their test management framework. Simply put, testers should follow a requirements-based testing approach that helps them in app validation and also in calculating the testing efforts they need to meet the user requirements.
Utilize Flexible Testing Processes
As we know that different software projects have a variety of testing needs and similarly require different testing efforts. Similarly, teams also customizable test management processes to create an automated workflow. The process needs to be easily repeatable and have room for optimization and modifications according to the requirements. In order to implement test management successfully, teams need to define the process including the workflow and then enforce the same within the team. This works for those organizations that adhere to strict quality regulations. And these standards are audited from time to time.
Communicate the Project Status with the Team
One of the major success factors for a software project is to ensure proper communication. If effective communication is not made at the right time, then it can be a costly affair for an organization. Test management involves sharing relevant data and information including goals and status, at the right time to the stakeholders involved regarding the project.
Coordinate with the Development Teams
In order to achieve effective communication and seamless integration of a product’s testing environment, development teams and QA teams need to work in collaboration with each other. This improves the quality and reduces any chances of bugs/issues identified during the process. By filling the communication gap, teams can ensure that they do not miss out on anything important in the process.
Conclusion
The best practices for test management include maintaining the testing efforts organized with predefined processes and systems. As different projects have different specific requirements, teams can deliver an efficient test management process that is easily repeatable. These processes can be planned and estimated easily, and also allow better management of a project. It is also recommended for QA teams to use new approaches to implement a successful test management scenario. By following the best practices for test management teams can overcome different issues that they face in their testing processes. QA teams with effective test case management tools can also amp up their software testing process.
