What steps can you take to ensure quality standards are met during the testing phase?

In my experience, well-defined requirements serve as a foundation for testing and its success. As a BA, engaging with the Test Team when requirements are being documented helps the testing phase to run as smoothly as possible. Before testings starts, creating a detailed test plan that outlines the strategy, objectives, scope, different types of testing to be done including automation and regression testing, how and when it will be carried out helps to guide the testing activities. The different types of testing are carried out using test cases and scripts created based on the well-articulated requirements. Defects discovered during testing and feedback from stakeholders should be used to improve future testing processes.

When testing, it's important to make sure things work well. Create clear test cases covering different situations and talk regularly with the developers. Use automated testing for repetitive tasks and fix reported problems quickly. Regularly check the code and listen to what users say to improve the product. Working together and being thorough in testing helps make sure everything is good quality.

For a project or even a piece within , the test strategy should be clear and reviewed with all stakeholders. Product quality fails when testing is kept as black box for other stakeholders . Scope , coverage , acceptance criteria and exit criteria and quality check definition is must and approved by project / test manager (after having a review by stakeholders ) to kick-off tests.

In ensuring that quality standards are met during the testing phase, a fundamental step is to define clear test objectives. These objectives serve as the guiding light for the testing process, aligning it with broader project goals and expectations. By explicitly outlining what needs to be achieved through testing, teams establish a shared understanding of success criteria. Detailed test objectives contribute to effective test planning, enabling teams to focus on critical functionalities, set measurable success criteria, and delineate the scope of testing efforts.

I believe it's crucial to define clear requirements for successful software development. This involves ensuring a shared understanding among stakeholders and establishing precise acceptance criteria to guide testing. Simultaneously, creating comprehensive test plans is vital, outlining testing strategy, scope, objectives, resources, schedule, and deliverables. Identifying various test scenarios, including functional, non-functional, and edge cases, ensures a thorough testing approach, aligning with project goals and enhancing overall quality assurance.

One of the ways I used to insure that I don’t miss any test condition is to go through the application design document and make sure that all requirements / functionalities documented have a test case linked to it, both positive and negative (when applicable). This way, I reduce the chance to miss a test case.

Testing of Constraints. Test cases should be developed to test the constraints also along with functional and quality requirements. Types of constraints are: 1. Operational Constraints 2. Technical Constraints 3. Legal and Regulatory Constraints 4. Organizational Constraints 5. Economic Constraints Testing these constraints is crucial for compliance with standards and successful system delivery.

Think of clear test objectives like making a to do list for testing. It helps everyone know what to check. Designing test cases and scenarios is like planning each step of the journey with small tasks. It's like a checklist to make sure everything is covered in your testing adventure. This way, you're thorough and meet your testing goals.

I actively contribute to creating test cases that align with both functional and non-functional requirements, considering various user scenarios and potential edge cases. Recently, in a software implementation project, meticulous test case design played a pivotal role. By collaborating closely with the testing team, we formulated detailed scenarios covering diverse user interactions. This approach not only ensured extensive test coverage but also facilitated the early detection of defects. The well-designed test cases served as a robust foundation for systematic testing, contributing significantly to the overall quality assurance process and the successful delivery of a reliable software product.

Traceability. The business should review and ensure that all the functional test cases cover all the functionalities and scenarios part of the module

Choosing the right test methods and tools are crucial to a software tester. For example, in a scenario where a software development team working on a mobile application needs to work seamlessly across various devices and operating systems, they might choose a combination of manual testing for user experience aspects and automated cross-platform testing tools like Selenium. These tools can help assure app's performance on different devices and operating systems, ensuring that the app functions correctly and provides a consistent user experience across all platforms.

Before choosing test methods and tools, carefully evaluate the characteristics of the system you are testing. The type, scope, and complexity of the system will significantly influence the testing approach. By carefully selecting test methods and tools that align with your objectives, constraints, and project requirements, you can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your testing processes.

?Every test has its own set of objectives. ??Unit testing : To isolate written code to test and determine if it works as intended ??System testing : To minimize the risks associated with a system's behavior in a particular environment. and so on... ??Have accountability for failures in each phase of testing helps more than anything else. Otherwise it might result in a blame-game scenario

When testing, it's like choosing the right tools for a task. Think about what you need to check and pick methods that fit well. If it's lots of checks at once, automated tools are like helpful friends. But if you want to understand how people use something, manual testing is like adding a personal touch. Like having different tools in a toolbox, using a mix of methods helps make sure everything works the way it's supposed to.

When testing, it's like choosing the right tools for a task. Think about what you need to check and pick methods that fit well. If it's lots of checks at once, automated tools are like helpful friends. But if you want to understand how people use something, manual testing is like adding a personal touch. Like having different tools in a toolbox, using a mix of methods helps make sure everything works the way it's supposed to.his approach not only increased efficiency but also reduced the chances of human error, contributing to the overall quality assurance efforts.

Automation and Documentation are key words i would like to highlight here. Implement automated testing for repetitive and regression tests to increase efficiency and reliability. Automation can help execute more tests in less time and with greater accuracy. Carry out the testing according to the test plan. Document the results of each test case, including any deviations from expected outcomes. Log defects with detailed information for the development team to address. Also have versions documented if multiple iterations are being tested. Involve end-users in the testing process to validate that the system meets their needs and expectations. UAT can uncover usability issues that technical tests might not reveal.

While the testing is in progress monitoring the tests is also important. The testing should be tracked and worked upon if there are any defects while testing is conducted.

Executing and monitoring tests is a critical phase in the testing process. The execution involves systematically applying the defined test procedures, inputting the test data, observing the system's responses, and meticulously documenting the results. Simultaneously, continuous monitoring is essential to track the progress, performance, and quality of the tests. This includes assessing key metrics like test coverage, completion status, defect rates, and severity levels. Vigilance in reporting any encountered issues, risks, or changes is paramount to maintain transparency and facilitate necessary adjustments during the testing phase.

Executing tests systematically and continuously monitoring the process is key to identifying issues early on. In a software upgrade project, we conducted frequent regression tests to ensure that existing functionalities remained intact. Constant monitoring allowed us to detect compatibility issues with third-party plugins promptly, enabling timely adjustments and preventing potential setbacks in the release timeline.

Executing tests involves systematically following test procedures, applying inputs, observing outputs, and meticulously recording results. Concurrently, monitoring test progress, performance, and quality is essential, with an emphasis on tracking metrics like test coverage, completion, defect rate, and severity. Vigilance in reporting any issues, risks, or changes that could impact the testing process or outcomes ensures transparency and facilitates timely adjustments. This holistic approach to execution and monitoring is vital for maintaining a high standard of testing throughout the project lifecycle.

1. Rigorous Analysis: Meticulously compare actual outputs with expected results, pinpointing deviations and identifying root causes. 2. Structured Documentation: Craft comprehensive test reports, summaries, and logs, capturing key findings, defect details, and resolution actions. Ensure clarity, consistency, and accessibility 3. Knowledge Harvesting: Distill lessons learned, best practices, and recommendations for future testing endeavors. Foster a culture of continuous improvement 4. Strategic Communication: Articulate test results and insights to stakeholders in a clear, concise, and actionable manner. Facilitate informed decision-making regarding system deployment, maintenance, and future iterations.

Documentation is vital in the testing process. After the completion of testing, the results including the actual outputs should be compared with the expected outputs. Tracking and documentation of these issues/bugs is used by the development team, who use it to rectify these issues. The documentation also serves as a reference for future updates, helping ensure that similar problems don't reoccur and that the quality remains consistent in subsequent versions.

Few strategies can be followed while documenting evaluation: - Comparative Analysis (Expected outcome and desired outcome with % of deviation). - Set of common metrics/criteria for better understanding of loopholes. - Root Cause Analysis and User/Actor based analysis. - Easy and storytelling mode (It helps even non-technical persons to go through it).

For effective onboarding and ongoing assistance, businesses should invest in comprehensive training programs. This includes developing user-friendly training materials, conducting interactive training sessions, and providing access to a knowledge base or learning management system. Personalized onboarding plans tailored to individual customer needs can significantly enhance the adoption of products or services. Implementing feedback loops, such as customer surveys or post-training assessments, can provide valuable insights for refining processes. Additionally, the integration of machine learning algorithms can help predict customer issues, allowing businesses to address concerns before they escalate

The original PLAN (including revisions) must be measured & tested for each major area of testing. Any "user stories" related to how needs are met by the tests should be captured (in business terms). The dimensions of quality, timeliness, completeness, impact, etc. should be documented during testing. Items the stakeholders & users are pleased with, don't need special attention. However, some areas that are less than acceptable will need follow-up & action plans to address concerns after RCA analysis. It's good also to use automated software like JIRA, Sharepoint or ServiceNow to capture details efficiently & historically. Finally, communications is critical in planned meetings, email, etc. to open/close issues with appropriate approval

Testing should be run as almost a separate project or phase of the development. All test scenarios, scripts, automations and results should be reviewed. Standards and measures for the success of the test should be defined at the point of writing the tests. On larger projects I have always appointed a Test Manager to ensure testing is done to plan, measured correctly and reported back to the stakeholders at regular intervals.

Regular reviews and validations of test outcomes are crucial for maintaining a high level of accuracy. In a data-intensive project, we continuously reviewed test outcomes to ensure the accuracy of data processing algorithms. Regular validation against expected results helped in identifying discrepancies, allowing us to fine-tune the algorithms and enhance the reliability of the system.

The conclusive step in maintaining quality during testing is reviewing and validating outcomes. This includes verifying if test objectives are met, ensuring the system aligns with stakeholder expectations, and confirming readiness for deployment. Soliciting feedback from various stakeholders, including users, clients, developers, and managers, is essential. Additionally, conducting a quality audit or review ensures adherence to established quality standards and guidelines, providing a comprehensive validation of the testing process and results.

Another important thing is seeing the unseen . Generally, focus in testing around functionalities enhanced or changed . What is often missed is the cascading impact of those in connected functionalities . Though, regression do cover business as usual , but if functionality impacted is not BAU, it backfires. So, important part is to have holistic view and see wider impact to include in testing scope .

Sometimes it is very useful to switch on a helicopter view, to look wider at the problem and change the strategy of testing. Chaotic testing can help detect "problem zones" which difficult to find using complex formal tests.

When designing UI, then always perform the "Corridor" test : walk in the hallway/corridor with your laptop and ask the first unaware colleague that walks past you to look at the screen and try to do something with it...Usually, this will spark a conversation and they will try to "use" this new screen/feature, and that should lead to "holes" in the design. Could also be used when testing physical gadgets... (Back in my telephony days we had the "drop" test for telephone sets...)

There are often multiple possible methods for achieving relevant results. For example, to measure the “strength” of a material, you could use AFM, nano indentation, imaging rheology, rotational and oscillation rheology, vibration/laser methods, among many more. Each method tells you the “strength,” but from a different perspective. How far the material stretches, indents, shears, etc. Make sure you’re gathering the right “strength” results.

?Whenever you are testing, testing should be based on business requirements and pre-defined hypothesis. ?Application may not work perfectly well on every set of device : For example Desktop website gives good experience as compared to mobile version. ?Customer should be notified accordingly so that the business advertises correct versions with their own set of customers ultimately leading to a win-win scenario.