How do you communicate and collaborate with stakeholders and customers during test-driven bug fixing?

1 What is test-driven bug fixing kanban?

Test-driven bug fixing kanban is a variation of the kanban method, a lean and agile approach to managing work. This concept uses a board with columns and cards to represent the workflow and the work items. Applying this to the bugs found and fixed during the TDD cycle, a software development technique that involves writing tests before writing code, can help track and prioritize bugs based on severity, impact, and urgency. Test-driven bug fixing kanban can also facilitate communication and collaboration with stakeholders and customers on bug status and resolution. This can lead to reduced waste and rework caused by unresolved or recurring bugs as well as an increase in the quality and reliability of your software product.

2 How to set up a test-driven bug fixing kanban board?

The first step to set up a test-driven bug fixing kanban board is to define the columns that represent the stages of your bug fixing process. The exact number and name of the columns may vary depending on your project and team, but a common example is a backlog for collecting and listing all the bugs, a ‘to do’ column for moving bugs ready to be fixed, an ‘in progress’ column for fixing bugs, a ‘testing’ column for verifying bugs, and a ‘done’ column for confirming the bug has been fixed. You can use a bug tracking tool or spreadsheet to capture the details of each bug, such as the test case, code module, user story, or customer feedback. Additionally, you can employ a simple ranking system or matrix to prioritize the bugs according to their severity and impact. Furthermore, you can limit the number of bugs in progress at any given time with a work in progress (WIP) limit. Finally, you can use automated testing tools or frameworks to speed up and streamline the testing process.

3 How to use a test-driven bug fixing kanban board?

Once you have set up your test-driven bug fixing kanban board, you can use it to manage and monitor your bug fixing process. To do this effectively, you should review your backlog regularly and move the bugs that are ready to be fixed to the to do column. Additionally, pull the bugs from the to do column to the in progress column when you start working on them and ensure that they are not pushed to the next column until they are done. It is also important to update your board frequently and visibly with color codes, labels, or icons to indicate the priority, severity, or impact of the bugs. Furthermore, communicate and collaborate with stakeholders and customers throughout the bug fixing process by using your board as a communication and collaboration tool. Finally, inspect and adapt your board and process regularly by utilizing metrics, charts, or reports to measure and analyze performance, as well as retrospectives, meetings, or surveys for feedback and suggestions.