Project Management Framework
Execution - Testing
The project testers need to adhere to the test plan during the course of the project, using the agreed upon testing approach and creating the test scripts and situations needed to make sure the system meets requirements.
For Best Results
- Apply reasonable timeframes for testing software applications. Do not shortchange the testing effort nor try to make up time by shorting the testing cycle.
- Make sure you have enough resources to complete the test plan in the scheduled time frame. Good testing takes time.
- Make sure staff are following the Control procedures for tracking errors, fixes, and reporting test results. If this mechanism is bypassed or neglected, it becomes impossible to understand and interpret the status of the testing process.
- Schedule short testing status meetings with the testers and the rest of the team at regular intervals, especially during periods of intense testing.
- Keep metrics related to testing status (e.g., the number of test cases completed, the number of errors discovered, closed, and still open).
- Keep the testers informed of changes to requirements and other aspects of the project because the changes may impact the test scripts.
- Use consistent testing templates and tools within an organization.
- Mitigate personal conflicts between testers and other team members that may occur because of the testing process. By its nature testing has a confrontational aspect. Work with the project team to be clear that the purpose of testing is to improve the final product and that is to everyone's benefit. Also be clear that the role of the tester is as important to the project's success as the other team roles.
- Make sure the test cases refer back to the requirements and that all the requirements are covered sufficiently by the test cases. Provide traceability from the test scripts back to the requirements.
- Allow enough time in the schedule for fixing the errors found during testing and retesting.
- Do not use developers as testers. Developers should unit test their code, but should not be in the role of determining whether the product passed the defined test scripts.
- Determine severity of test findings through a discussion with business managers, testers, and developers.
- Make sure all testing is done in the appropriate environment (e.g., test, QA), not in the production environment.
- Use documented structured testing processes and test script templates.
- Resist the urge to bypass regression testing.
Also Consider
- Checking to see if any of the system requirements have changed since the Test Plan was originally prepared. The tests will need to accurately address all the project requirements.
- Storing requirements in a single master document for ease of finding and providing an authoritative source.
- Including testers in the requirements gathering and design phase activities so they have a good feel of what the product is intended to do and how it should do it.
- Making sure the testers fully understand the organization's testing methodology.
- Co-locating testers with the other team members so they can communicate freely and easily.
- Using logical naming conventions and folder structures for the testing materials.
- Making sure the entire team understands the testing nomenclature.
- Creating test data and the test environment well in advance of the need.
- Assigning severity to detected errors and pre-determine the severity level below which you can accept a problem.
- Reporting testing metrics in Status Reporting (e.g., number of test scripts completed and remaining).
- Being flexible while exercising the test plan. New conditions may necessitate changes to test scripts and with the types of tests that were planned.
Related Links:
Test Plan
Test Plan Examples
Test Plan Template
Checklists