How can you test effectively in distributed and remote teams with your engineering standards?

1 Define your testing strategy

Before you start writing any code, you need to define your testing strategy. This means setting clear goals, objectives, and criteria for your testing process. You also need to decide what types of tests you will use, such as unit tests, integration tests, end-to-end tests, performance tests, etc. Your testing strategy should align with your engineering standards and reflect the needs and preferences of your team and customers.

2 Use a test automation framework

One of the best ways to test effectively in distributed and remote teams is to use a test automation framework. A test automation framework is a set of tools, libraries, and conventions that help you create, execute, and manage your tests. A test automation framework can save you time, reduce errors, increase consistency, and improve collaboration. Some examples of test automation frameworks are Selenium, Cypress, Jest, Mocha, etc. You should choose a test automation framework that suits your technology stack, project scope, and team skills.

3 Implement continuous testing

Continuous testing is the practice of testing your code throughout the development lifecycle, not just at the end. Continuous testing helps you catch bugs early, avoid rework, and deliver faster feedback. To implement continuous testing, you need to integrate your test automation framework with your version control system, such as Git, and your continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, etc. This way, you can run your tests automatically every time you make a change to your code or deploy a new version of your product.

4 Communicate and collaborate

Communication and collaboration are essential for testing effectively in distributed and remote teams. You need to share your testing strategy, results, and feedback with your team members and stakeholders. You also need to coordinate your testing activities and responsibilities with your peers and managers. To communicate and collaborate effectively, you need to use the right tools and platforms, such as Slack, Zoom, Jira, Trello, etc. You also need to establish regular meetings, check-ins, and reviews to discuss your testing progress, challenges, and improvements.

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?