How do you handle defect reopening when working with remote or distributed teams?

1 Define clear defect criteria

The first step to handle defect reopening is to define clear and consistent criteria for what constitutes a defect, how to classify its severity and priority, and how to document and report it. This will help you and your team avoid ambiguity, confusion, and misunderstandings when dealing with defects. You can use a defect tracking tool or a shared spreadsheet to capture and track the defect details, such as the ID, title, description, steps to reproduce, expected and actual results, screenshots, attachments, status, assignee, and resolution.

2 Establish a defect workflow

The next step is to establish a defect workflow that defines the roles, responsibilities, and processes for handling defects from discovery to closure. A defect workflow should specify who can create, assign, review, test, and close defects, as well as the rules and criteria for each transition. For example, you can define when a defect can be reopened, who can reopen it, and what information is required to justify the reopening. You can also set up notifications and alerts to keep everyone informed of the defect status and changes.

4 Collaborate efficiently

Collaboration is another essential factor to handle defect reopening, especially when working with remote or distributed teams. You should collaborate effectively and efficiently with your team members and stakeholders to resolve the defects and prevent them from recurring. You should also leverage the tools and techniques that can facilitate and enhance your collaboration. For example, you can use a version control system or a code review tool to manage and review the code changes, a testing tool or a framework to automate and verify the defect fixes, and a feedback tool or a survey to collect and analyze the defect quality and satisfaction.

5 Learn and improve

The final step to handle defect reopening is to learn and improve from the defect experience and feedback. You should conduct a defect analysis and a retrospective to identify the root causes, impacts, and lessons learned from the defects and their reopening. You should also implement the improvement actions and recommendations to prevent or reduce the defect occurrence and reopening in the future. For example, you can improve your requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, and deployment practices, as well as your defect tracking, communication, and collaboration processes and tools.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?