Test Management System
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Test management system is the end-to-end procedure of evaluating a software’s functionality as per the defined specifications. To accomplish this in an efficient manner, Test Management Software Tools can be used by Quality Assurance teams for software testing, especially to plan test activities, resource management, test metrics, schedule timelines & manage all aspects of testing documents and reports- test plan, test case, bug report, etc.
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[edit] Overview of Test Management System
Testing is not a onetime process. Software applications are to be tested in phases--and also every time a version upgrade, module addition or enhancement is made. Test management systems help in test planning, test case creation, execution to all aspects of resource, project management; and even bug tracking and report generation. To ensure that the software reaches the market on time, the entire testing process should be carefully planned, managed and reviewed. Automated test management systems have enhanced features that keep all the data in a centralized repository with real time data that facilitates instant collaboration.
[edit] Test Team Deliverables
Deliverables are provided based on the requirement at the start of the test phase while some other deliverables are produced after the completion of each test phase. Some of the deliverables are:
- Test Trace-Ability Matrix
- Test Plan
- Testing Strategy
- Test Cases (for functional testing)
- Test Scenarios (for non-functional testing)
- Test Script Planner
- Test Scripts
- Test Data
- Test Execution Results
- Defect Reports
- Corrective Action Log
- Test Summary Report
- Release Notes
- Tested Build
[edit] Global Collaboration for Software QA Teams
Test management systems have instant access to project level communication and collaboration. The test cases can be accessed from any computer over the intranet/Internet, depending on how the test management tool is deployed. The test results, along with comments, can be added immediately as and when the test is processed. The web-based process supports parallel execution of test cases by many team members that are globally spread apart.
[edit] Risk and Mitigation
The risks associated with QA processes, systems and projects have the potential to impact product safety, efficacy, quality or compliance. Automated test management systems enhance the level of effort, quality and documentation associated with every aspect of the testing process and also help with quality risk management.
[edit] Software QA Team Management
Test management systems manage all aspects of the QA team in one place: the team’s details, organization, contact info, access, roles, skills, performance, hiring, current, historical and comparisons, etc. They also keep track of the QA team’s various activities. Test management systems organize all relevant information about QA resources in a way that the system can automatically build multiple Organization Charts. They even track hiring needs and progress, capture interview comments and use the sample job descriptions for further recruiting and promotions. The latest test management systems automatically track every individual’s accomplishments over any range of time--projects and releases they worked on, number of test cases written and executed, filed defects, rejected defects--and how their performance compares to their colleagues.
[edit] Project Management – Assigning Leads & Resources
Testing project begins by building a test plan, test case creation to the implementation of test scripts, test case execution, and ends with evaluation and reporting of test results. Test management systems create new projects, schedule timelines for the projects and assign them to testers. The systems have Project Desktops and Dashboards that allow the assigned Leads and Testers to commence working on a new project. The Test lead has complete control of the project and its Releases using a set of applications that allow them to manage Releases, Test Case Repositories, Creation, Scheduling, Execution and Reports.
[edit] Centralized Test Case Repository
Nothing falls through the cracks as everything is neatly stored in a centralized repository in test management systems. The centralized repository offers version control as all the data is automated and is real time, allowing test teams to ensure that every tester is using the same version of the test case. Each piece of data needs to be entered only once. When one record is modified, all common records get automatically updated. The common source ensures a backup of the complete data every time the database is backed up.
[edit] Need for Customized Desktops
A customized desktop in a test management system provides testers easy access to all the documents, charts, reports, and test cases--along with access to the centralized repository. A testing desktop manages the entire testing process, maintaining the resources, assigning and managing projects. Customized desktops help in upward communication, budget management and assigning the related task to test lead and testers. It also helps testers in creating, executing and identifying the defects in a test case, all in one customized desktop.
[edit] Automated Dashboards
The automated dashboards of a test management system gather information as test cases are created, problem reports are entered, and test cases are executed. The test management system fosters a structured test process and provides several reports and processes that otherwise require extensive manual data collection, organization, analysis, and reporting. It provides relevant status reporting to facilitate planning, test execution, results tracking, and release decisions throughout the software development lifecycle.
[edit] Document Management
All the files, wikis, emails, stacks of paper and updated relevant documents are managed in one place in a test management system. Test Management System provides the QA team members access to the most updated and relevant documents that are specific to the test releases. It also provides instant access to the point of location, where all the relevant data resides.
[edit] Preparation of a Test Plan
During the creation of a test plan, the Test Team and QA Team Lead develop detailed test scenarios that meet the test requirements. Test plans address the questions of why, what, where, and when to test.
[edit] Test Workflow
[edit] Test Case Creation
Test management systems aid in creating several test cases instantly with a quick test case editor, relevant requirements, design documents and access to software.
[edit] Test Case Execution
Test management systems provide history about test case execution; that is, what testing has been done, which test cases have been executed, results of each test case that has been executed and if a problem report has been written against the failed test cases.
[edit] Defect/Bug Tracking
Test management systems instantly update all the new bugs found in the centralized repository. The defects can be linked with the test cases and they provide information to reproduce and analyze the defects. The bugs can be filed in live charts, which are automatically updated with the location of the defect, priority, defect details and also information on the backlogs. Test management system helps in listing the bugs or defects with relevant fields grouped and aligned in a way that makes for easy readability and navigation while also providing the ability to search and browse through the defects in multiple ways.
[edit] Defect Analysis
Identifying defects is the QA testing team’s primary responsibility. Test management systems track not only the defects found, but also provide a real time report of how many bugs have been fixed, what is yet to be tested, and what works as per specifications.
[edit] Generating Reports and Testing Metrics
Test management systems can provide objective, accurate, real time information that helps in deciding the quality of the software. Test reports are generated based on different attributes like type of test, modules, etc. Test management systems generate test metrics like functional test coverage, defect detection effectiveness, test execution progress, etc. Several test metrics are collected at each phase of testing to track and measure the entire testing process. Test management systems adequately handle most of the test metrics. The test metrics are broadly classified into three categories:
- Project Related Metrics
- Test Size
- Number of Test Cases tested per day
- Number of Test Cases created per day
- Total number of review defects (RD)
- Total number of testing defects (TD)
- Defect Severity
- Process Related Metrics
- Schedule Adherence (SA)
- Effort Variance (EV)
- Schedule Slippage (SS)
- Test Cases and Scripts Rework Effort
- Residual Defect Density
- Defect Remark Ratio
- Backlog Testing
- Customer Related Metrics
- Percentage of defects leaked per release (PDLPR)
- Percentage of automation per release (PAPR)
- Application Stability Index (ASI)
