Good planning and strategizing are at the core of every effective process and testing is no different. Successful testing requires preliminary preparation, which is why it becomes vital to formulate test strategies to guide and streamline testing efforts.
A good test strategy helps you define a testing approach and establishes guidelines, rules, and parameters for the testing process. This includes decisions like how to test, what the scope of testing is, what methodologies to use and what the possible risks are etc.
Here are some strategies you can use for methodical and organized testing processes. These strategies can make test case management easier and ensure ultimate testing success.
All team members should be clear on testing goals and requirements to prevent trouble and confusion later. This includes deciding what modules, components, and systems to test, what test levels are required, and what test uses or scenarios are to be covered.
Ascertaining objectives for different types of testing, establishing high-level goals, and knowing testing limitations can help you keep relevant experts at hand, save time and optimize resource allocation. All team members and stakeholders need to be on one page to avoid redundancy and stay on track.
Everyone should know and understand what their responsibilities are. Each person should be assigned clear tasks such as who is the owner of the project, who is planning and performing manual/automation testing, who will plan and monitor testing activities etc. Defining roles ensures that relevant people can be resourced and assigned. Once everyone knows what is required of them, they can work more efficiently and prevent task duplications, overlaps and bottlenecks.
Standardizing tools and processes across the software development cycle is essential for effective test case management and strategizing. Standardizing tools like automation, defect management, and test management makes it easier for the organization to work together as a whole. Reusing testing solutions across multiple projects can help save software licensing and other related costs. Testers and managers can quickly transfer information across multiple projects, making it easier to measure, evaluate and share reports and data between teams.
Testworthy is a powerful end-to-end test management tool that can help you standardize your testing process. Use Testworthy to manage, plan and execute all your testing activities across multiple projects and make your life easier. Track your tests, collaborate with stakeholders and obtain valuable insights, all on one platform. Try for Free.
A good testing strategy is identifying and noting all possible risks the team might encounter. These risks should then be listed in order of priority to direct testing effort where it is most needed. The next step is to discuss risk mitigation strategies and risk allocation. Taking a proactive and preventative stance to risk management can save your company big bucks, which is why all risks and their probable impact should be anticipated and recorded in time. A contingency plan should be prepared, so team members know exactly what to do and who to report to in case of any problems.
Testing deliverables and acceptance criteria should be clear from the get-go. If the end objective is not apparent, testers will waste a lot of effort without achieving the required results. Teams and stakeholders need to predefine a test success criterion to work towards desired outcomes. Key deliverables should be finalized, and the relevant person should be assigned to sign off on the completion of each deliverable. Appropriate metrics should be identified, collected, and analyzed to measure testing success and plan improvements.
Once the testing process and activities are final, time limits should be allocated for each task. A test schedule should be prepared to define the timeline and duration for various testing activities. Target times should be set for the achievement of key milestones and events. A schedule ensures that all testing processes are conducted on time and do not cause delays in project delivery. Setting time goals keeps the testing team on track as team members work proactively to meet deadlines. Once a schedule is in place, it also becomes easier to manage external dependencies such as other projects and allocate resources according to their availability.
A good testing strategy can make the entire testing process flow seamlessly. It is essential to put in the work to formulate a well-defined testing strategy, as making an effort once can provide fruitful results for a long time. With the precise allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables, your team can manage testing more efficiently and yield better results, faster.
A good test strategy helps you define a testing approach and establishes guidelines, rules, and parameters for the testing process. This includes decisions like how to test, what the scope of testing is, what methodologies to use and what the possible risks are etc.
Here are some strategies you can use for methodical and organized testing processes. These strategies can make test case management easier and ensure ultimate testing success.
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Clearly define the objective and scope
All team members should be clear on testing goals and requirements to prevent trouble and confusion later. This includes deciding what modules, components, and systems to test, what test levels are required, and what test uses or scenarios are to be covered.
Ascertaining objectives for different types of testing, establishing high-level goals, and knowing testing limitations can help you keep relevant experts at hand, save time and optimize resource allocation. All team members and stakeholders need to be on one page to avoid redundancy and stay on track.
Clear Roles and Responsibilities
Everyone should know and understand what their responsibilities are. Each person should be assigned clear tasks such as who is the owner of the project, who is planning and performing manual/automation testing, who will plan and monitor testing activities etc. Defining roles ensures that relevant people can be resourced and assigned. Once everyone knows what is required of them, they can work more efficiently and prevent task duplications, overlaps and bottlenecks.
Testing Tools and Processes
Standardizing tools and processes across the software development cycle is essential for effective test case management and strategizing. Standardizing tools like automation, defect management, and test management makes it easier for the organization to work together as a whole. Reusing testing solutions across multiple projects can help save software licensing and other related costs. Testers and managers can quickly transfer information across multiple projects, making it easier to measure, evaluate and share reports and data between teams.
Testworthy is a powerful end-to-end test management tool that can help you standardize your testing process. Use Testworthy to manage, plan and execute all your testing activities across multiple projects and make your life easier. Track your tests, collaborate with stakeholders and obtain valuable insights, all on one platform. Try for Free.
Risk Analysis
A good testing strategy is identifying and noting all possible risks the team might encounter. These risks should then be listed in order of priority to direct testing effort where it is most needed. The next step is to discuss risk mitigation strategies and risk allocation. Taking a proactive and preventative stance to risk management can save your company big bucks, which is why all risks and their probable impact should be anticipated and recorded in time. A contingency plan should be prepared, so team members know exactly what to do and who to report to in case of any problems.
Have Clear Deliverables and End Goals
Testing deliverables and acceptance criteria should be clear from the get-go. If the end objective is not apparent, testers will waste a lot of effort without achieving the required results. Teams and stakeholders need to predefine a test success criterion to work towards desired outcomes. Key deliverables should be finalized, and the relevant person should be assigned to sign off on the completion of each deliverable. Appropriate metrics should be identified, collected, and analyzed to measure testing success and plan improvements.
Establish Schedules and Deadlines
Once the testing process and activities are final, time limits should be allocated for each task. A test schedule should be prepared to define the timeline and duration for various testing activities. Target times should be set for the achievement of key milestones and events. A schedule ensures that all testing processes are conducted on time and do not cause delays in project delivery. Setting time goals keeps the testing team on track as team members work proactively to meet deadlines. Once a schedule is in place, it also becomes easier to manage external dependencies such as other projects and allocate resources according to their availability.
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Conclusion
A good testing strategy can make the entire testing process flow seamlessly. It is essential to put in the work to formulate a well-defined testing strategy, as making an effort once can provide fruitful results for a long time. With the precise allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables, your team can manage testing more efficiently and yield better results, faster.
FAQs
Usually, a test lead or manager is responsible for creating test strategies. However, they must collaborate with the project manager and development team. A test strategy outlines QA objectives, scope, testing approaches, and required resources. It also defines the testing tools and methodologies to be used in the QA process, along with the roles and responsibilities of every member of the QA team.
A practical test strategy must include scope, testing objectives, resources, approach, schedule, etc. The acceptance criteria, test levels, and types, test methodologies and tools, deliverables, and entry and exit criteria must be clearly defined. Furthermore, it should have a clear and actionable plan for defect management, risk management, and test environment setup.
The most basic testing strategies include system, integration, acceptance, and unit testing. Unit testing focuses on individual lines of code, integration testing combines units to test interfaces, system testing validates the entire system, and acceptance testing ensures the system meets the predefined business and technical criteria.