4 Essential Features that Test Management Tools Should Have

Author’s Words: This article is contributed by Vu Lam, the CEO of QASymphony, emphasizing the critical importance of key features in test management tools and assessing the existing state of the market.

We’re keen to know your opinions regarding the crucial features highlighted below. Please leave your comments.

With the Agile methodology permeating Software Development and the rising prominence of cloud computing, the market is overflowing with ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) tools. As noted by the esteemed research firm Gartner, global enterprise software expenditure is projected to touch $297 billion in the current year, marking a 6.4% rise from 2012. Such fierce competition unfortunately results in the neglect of test management functionality in these tools.

Caught in the race to maximize profits, the needs of seasoned testers are often sidelined. As a result, the test management tools fail to fulfill the prerequisites for a successful test cycle, let alone a long-term project stretching over several months or years.

Essential Traits of Test Management Tools

In several instances, ALM solutions tend to focus more on the needs of software developers, often neglecting the valuable insights of professional testers. When test management tools are incorporated as an afterthought, they frequently lack the essential components required for an efficient test cycle, not to mention a wide-ranging project that expands over months or even years.

In the contemporary software development environment, projects often go way beyond the production release. Accordingly, the testing requirements such as regression testing and incorporating new features in operational platforms have become increasingly complex. This nudges testers into looking for test management software and tools equipped with indispensable features.

Suggested Reading => The Significance of Feature Testing

Trait #1: Simplicity and Flexibility

If a test management practice proves too complicated or daunting, it could lead to unwarranted training costs. The system should be comfortably accessible and intuitive. The simpler it is for testers to comprehend, the quicker its adoption, and the less likely it is to lead to mistakes.

Additionally, the solution should be flexible enough to adjust to various scenarios. Different projects call for distinct testing needs, and the tools should be designed to cater to diverse testing processes. Having to input unneeded data, repeating superfluous test cases, or carrying out redundant steps, simply wastes time and resources.

This flexibility should extend to forming and executing particular sets of tests aimed at specific demands or defects.

Trait #2: Openness and Traceability

Testers immensely appreciate the opportunity to trace all aspects of their work within the test management system. This promotes accountability and lends copious amounts of data that can streamline testing and aid in planning for upcoming projects. Any trustworthy Test Management Software should track the entire lifecycle of a problem or requirement.

There should exist a lucid link between requirements, test cases, defects, repeated test cycles, and the responsible personnel. This prevents any likely contradictions between testing and development, thereby avoiding any blame game.

Determining a clear connection between requirements and test cases, whether it involves multiple requirements in one test case or multiple test cases for a single requirement, is paramount. Considering the inherent repetition in testing, this explicit relationship can remarkably save time. Clarity results in enhanced productivity.

Trait #3: Task Delegation and Monitoring

Clear delegation and monitoring of tasks are crucial. It must be feasible to delegate specific tasks to requirements or defects, along with monitoring their completion status and by whom.

Besides delegating tasks, it should always be evident which tasks are approved by either the development team or, when necessary, the project manager. Clear and actionable tasks and assignments must be duly highlighted for the relevant team members.

Testers should have the feature to filter tasks, thereby gaining a swift summary of their forthcoming assignments. Various filters can also assist test team leads and managers by giving insights into the progress and generating useful reports that underscore the team’s activities and encountered issues.

Trait #4: The Ultimate Test Management Practice

Each project is unique, requiring a flexible test management solution. Finding an answer that combines flexibility with traceability, usability, and transparency prepares you to handle any testing hurdle.

About the Author:

Vu Lam, presently serving as the CEO of QASymphony, is a key figure in the advancement of Quality Management Solutions for Software Developers and QA Testers. He has been a pioneer in Vietnam’s offshore IT services industry since 1995 and has formerly been associated with First Consulting Group.

He earned an MS degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University. He can be reached at Vulam [at] qasymphony.com.

Over to You

What trait do you regard as critical in any test management tool? Leave your feedback in the comments section below.