The test management process refers to the activity of managing the computer software testing procedure. In other words, test management is another name provided to the procedure utilised to successfully control and drive the testing activities of a company.
The significance of test management cannot be overlooked in today’s world. Majority of the companies look for the best test management tools to test their software.
Stages of A Software Testing Life Cycle
The different stages of a software testing life cycle are described below:
- Managing Test Artefacts: This pinpoints the appropriate maintenance of the things to be assessed. This will include the tools needed to perform the actual tests. Test assets are perhaps in the form of hardware, data, scripts and software.
- Planning looks at the following questions:
Ø The test cases to assess
Ø Where to manage the documentation related to the assessments
Ø When to implement the test iterations
- Development refers to apprehending the particular needs for successfully accomplishing the provided tests.
- Implementation entails the procedure of successively running the collected script for producing the desired outcomes.
- Evaluating incorporates the procedure of analysing testing outcomes and then distributing the reports. These reports form the foundation of determining the present status of the test executed along with the complete product quality being evaluated.
The complete effort produces a big quantity of data based on which metrics are gathered that assist measure and trace quality objectives of the project.
Challenges Encountered During The Test Management
There are many difficulties that an organisation encounters when they are applying and following a software testing life cycle. A few of them are mentioned below:
- Lack of time availability to assess products because of tight deadlines
- Not enough resources with enhanced opportunities coming everywhere
- Co-located testing teams
- Recurrent variations made in requirements
- Development teams do not upgrade modification on time, or offer the correct information
How To Resolve The Challenges?
In order to increase the return on investment, companies are required to update their software testing skills and come out of the traditional document-based framework. To overcome difficulties like the ones mentioned above, companies should try to incorporate the following practises to apply a successful test management system.
- Start the testing activities in this cycle early
- Execute iterative tests
- Use test assets again and enhance time allocated each time
- Use testing based on the needs
- Guarantee effective and proper coordination between co-located testing resources to provide best utilisation of skills
- Outline and apply flexible testing procedures
- Organise and integrate with the development teams and utilise shift left practises for DevOps.
- Tell the right status and at the right time
- Concentrate on objectives and outcomes
- You must apply automation to save time
- Efficiently trace and re-dress defects because they can break a product
- Manage the testing team tactfully and carefully. This plays an imperative role in the success of the company’s growth
- Follow various testing plans for various sorts of tests to be conducted- say agile, performance and security. The testing strategy must be made so it fits best with the test management model.
- Use Particular Test Management Tools: There are various open source and commercial test management tools that are available in the market today. Majority of the test management tools must be installed in-house. The other tools can be used as Software as a Service (SaaS). The examples include; IBM rational Quality manager, JIRA, Zephyr, Silk Central, QAComplete, and HP ALM/ Quality centre.
Conclusion
In order to overcome the difficulties of applying a successful test management framework and to attain the excellent advantages of the same, you must follow the best practises suggested here. Following these best practises will allow you to enhance product quality.