4 IMPORTANT STEPS TO WELL-STRUCTURED SOFTWARE TESTING PROCESS (BONUS CHECKLIST)
Because of the wealth of information nowadays, it happens that the software testers/teams/companies do not know what to focus on or how to make the process of testing well-structured. We have already written about the TESTING AS A PROCESS. But in today’s article, we will give some effective tips for software process improvement based on our experience. Ready?
Even 10 years ago, the vision of the tester was significantly different from the current one. Every morning a group of testers was provided with a list of applications for testing and they “disappeared” for all days long to find bugs. The more bugs testers found, the more experienced they were. There was no strategy, no motivation. And more importantly, there was no question of the quality of the errors found. What do you think about such a “workflow”?
It begs to question: what value can they give the product, and can they give it at all? Or is it worth continuing to simply continue to check the software for errors and not to deviate from the course? And I think the importance of Software Testing and QA was also not known at all yet.
Over time, it came to be understood that the tester is in fact not just the person who is looking for bugs, it is also a member of the team that makes a significant contribution to the common cause. As testers became an integral part of some teams, attention focused on the continuous improvement of automation and in-depth knowledge of each component. The role of QA has come to be seen in a whole new light.
Our task is to represent you 4 steps to software testing improvement which can help to reach a more structured approach to ensuring product quality. Let’s go!
1. Overview of project documentation
It is always helpful to have as much knowledge as possible about the product under testing. If the design and project requirements are available, do not be lazy (!) and read them. You will be amazed at how much more and faster you will understand the product architecture, integrated components, and data flow than if you tested the product without knowledge. Take notes and draw parallels with what you are testing and how the system interacts.
2. Analysis of the recent bugs
It is important to know the risk areas and the most susceptible functionality that may disrupt your application with every change. Such data may be in the product error history.
Do some research on your research product and analyze the mistakes you made earlier. The data obtained after this analysis will help you develop more automation capabilities in this area. Also, this technique will help you in the future in making decisions about the testing strategy for various product releases.
3. Troubleshooting
QA detects a problem and reports it to the developer. But what if you assume that your work is not finished yet — you can go further by asking yourself important questions. Is there anything else you could do? Do you know why this problem occurred, etc.?
You have access to the log, commits, and code, so you can make an effort to help resolve any errors. Depending on how deep your technical knowledge is, you can investigate errors further. Clarify the problem and start a conversation with the developer. They will appreciate the detailed information.
4. Go beyond the reporting problem
Sometimes it is useful not just to focus on testing functionality. Think about the internal and external interfaces of your application.
For example, the application may work as expected, but with some errors that occur at the end. Is the error description detailed enough? Are there any exceptions? To interact with the browser, open the developer tools in your browser and monitor the network component. Is the answer longer than acceptable? Is there some kind of request that is not required when accessing some parts of your application?
All these questions allow the tester to go beyond what they “designate” for testing. You can also have discussions with the product owner and developers who may not have thought out some of the scenarios.
It is important to have a flexible way of thinking when looking for product flaws and ways to solve them.
Being a software tester is not just looking for bugs and trying to break the application. It is about continuous improvement, defining a clear testing strategy and improving product quality. By following a consistent, structured approach to QA, you can gain more knowledge about the product under test, ask the right questions and have a direct impact on the quality of the product under test.
Catch our checklist for software testing process improvement:
And one more important point! Software Testers should understand the business value of the product. It means that they not only know the technical aspects of the product but also suggest their own improvements through this understanding.
And don’t miss a chance to let professionals provide your project with TOP-NOTCH IT Talents. I am sure that Fintegro Company Inc. corresponds to all those tips described above ;)
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