Here's how you can manage unexpected delays in the testing process to meet deadlines.

Also consider the actual priority of the task If this is a critical feature, you should negotiate for more time in order to not loose coverage. It's okay to push back on fake sense of urgency when a lot is at stake In any case, if time or deadline is non negotiable then cover P0 happy and error paths, then go on for P1 and so on. Also automate P0 cases to ensure repeatable coverage.

Meeting deadlines in testing is crucial for timely software delivery. Here are some effective tips to handle unexpected delays and stay on track: 1. Start with a solid test plan. Understand project requirements, scope, and constraints. Break down testing tasks, prioritize them, and allocate resources. 2. With limited time, prioritize test cases based on importance and impact. Focus on critical scenarios first. 3. Automation can be a game-changer. Use tools to speed up repetitive tasks and ensure consistent results. 4. Regularly update stakeholders on progress and potential delays. Effective communication helps manage expectations. 5. Track progress against milestones, identify deviations, and take proactive measures to address delays

In cases of unexpected delays working with business becomes all the more important to define and identify DAY 1 requirements. It could be business critical or regulatory requirements . Having identified the DAY 1 requirements, if there is still an uncertainty of meeting the target date, then identify most frequently used business combinations and focus on testing those paths. Ex if there are 4 different payment methods and as a tester it is imperative to test all these 4 payment methods. Again the business intelligence can come into play to identify 80:20 rule and tests those combinations. Risk based testing plays a big role in mitigating risk without compromising quality and timelines. Another important lever could be automation.

If you have limited time, we can follow the below approach: 1. Test the critical functionality 2. Perform the impact analysis and perform the testing according 3. Perform the positive flow and then move to the impacted area. Once it is done, go for negative testing.

Make sure to prioritize testing essential and high-priority features. This is crucial for delivering a minimally viable product on time. Focus on critical functionalities and areas with the highest risk of defects to prioritize test cases based on risk and impact.

Make sure that test data is easily accessible and well-managed to prevent any delays in test execution. Let's prioritize creating efficient and effective test cases by applying techniques such as pairwise testing to minimize the number of test cases while ensuring comprehensive coverage.

Clear communication helps ensure the transmission of testing status, defect reports, and solutions. It will help to collaborate among project stakeholders for smoother deliverables.

Inform the Status updates with Regular Testing reports on the progress so that team is aware of the pending work and then timelines can be met, by prioritizing the backlog tasks.

Raise the blockers or any other hurdle’s immediately. Share the QA status on daily basis and keep all the stake holders in loop. This will give confidence to all the stake holder and in case of delay in testing, QA will have the proof with valid reason.

Encourage a spirit of collaboration among testers, developers, and team members to tackle issues causing delays swiftly. It is essential to keep all stakeholders informed about the status of testing and any delays. Regular updates are crucial for managing expectations and facilitating decision-making.

Proactive communication is key to building stakeholder trust in such situations We should try to highlight the blockers and what specific help is needed to help move things faster as soon as we discover them. The project tracking should also be up to date so that stakeholders have a way to visualise the state at any given point in time.

Prioritize critical tasks to achieve the project goals. Ask for additional help as needed, and collaborate with the team members as needed.

Yes, this should be proactive and not reactive though, adding engineers unfamiliar with the domain may induce further delays due to context, knowledge sharing It's important to ensure regular pairing and rotation of domains to ensure bus factor on a team is always low Engineers should call this out regularly in stand ups so that leaders can understand what areas are running hot and may need redundancy

The below approach can be helpful: - Identify the impacted functionality - At least validate the positive flow is working - Start the testing on the build. - Every person have the different mind set, we can take the help from other resource to perform monkey testing (Not only QA, PM’s and dev’s also participate). - If time is limited then we should take the from other team members (QA’s).

Find ways to streamline or reduce the number of test cases without sacrificing the quality of critical functionalities. Let's reexamine the test plan and modify the scope to prioritize the most critical areas. We should consider deferring lower-priority tests to a later phase.

Maintaining a thorough test strategy with well-defined testing scopes that incorporate deadlines and resource needs will enable us to allocate resources efficiently. Determine the system's main risk areas, such as the payment system for e-commerce sites, which can have a major influence on quality if they fail. This will allow us to devote more resources to thoroughly testing these important components.

Reviews give team members a chance to share their expertise, learn from best practices, and strengthen collaboration. Early defect detection is crucial since it can increase customer satisfaction.

Testing criteria and types of testing should be defined in the beginning. According to the project and the requirement we should update the tool and technology. Like if time is not the constraint then try to perform automation. This will help to reduce regression.

In case you have some blockers in test execution, inform the stack holders on the beforehand hand and try getting extension if it's a core patch or release that needs to be delivered on the stipulated date then plan for hours extensions or getting temporary resources for completion

It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan. After performing any tests, you should be prepared to prevent any surprise problems that may arise. Having a backup plan will help you resolve these issues quickly.

?? Have effective collaboration and communication with stakeholders. Transparency is the key to making win-win scenarios ?? Identify deviations or delays, seek professional guidance from the team or management, and keep lesson learned notes to manage such situations in the future.

1) Set specific goals and milestones at the project's start to provide direction and measure progress, ensuring team alignment. 2) Focus on high-impact tasks and be flexible with resources and assignments to address changing circumstances and maintain progress. 3) Use a reliable system, like project management software or a spreadsheet, to monitor progress and deadlines, preventing tasks from being overlooked. 4) Identify and plan for tasks that rely on others to ensure smooth project progression.

Scaling up testing resources is an another lever. Additional testers can come from Development and Business or Operations teams. However, they should be trained and guided