What's your strategy for minimizing software testing risks?

Define your testing objectives based on the project’s requirements, specifications, and expectations. Ensure these objectives are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, aim for "80% code coverage by the end of the sprint" or "a 50% reduction in critical defects before release." Clear objectives help you prioritize tasks, allocate resources efficiently, and communicate progress effectively. This approach ensures focused testing efforts and enhances the overall quality and success of the project.

There is nothing called a testing objective as a separate item. It is part of the application acceptance criteria. The test plan sets the scope. If a junior reads this article,it will dilute the content to the level where it is unnecessary. Example: 80% code coverage- this is the developer's test objective and not functional testers!

To minimize testing risk we must include and involve software testers immediately when the software development life cycle begins. Let the testers be part of requirements gathering phase as well as well analysis. This helps testers to create and develop comprehensive test plans as they have better understanding of the system and/or application under test. This added knowledge and understanding will help to catch bugs early in the software development life cycle. One other important factor that helps minimize testing risks is a well written and documented Business Requirements Document and Business Requirement Specifications, both these documents help to determine traceability between test cases and requirements as well as the testing scope.

Defining a clear testing objective will be one of the key factor for reducing for software testing risks. As we have n number of tools for Automation, Test Management we must have a clear cut comparision of all the tools and select the best suiting tools for our project needs. It not a compulsion we should always use the market trending tools instead we can select the best which will give effective ROI for our project.

To minimize software testing risks, a comprehensive strategy involves early testing involvement, risk assessment, and meticulous test planning. Test automation should be employed for repetitive and critical scenarios, integrated into the CI/CD pipeline for rapid regression detection. Focus testing efforts on high-risk areas using risk-based and exploratory testing approaches. Regular process reviews, feedback, and a commitment to continuous learning round out the strategy, promoting the delivery of high-quality software products while mitigating testing-related risks.

Unit Testing ??not a responsibility of testers but developers (according to industry best practice) You don't fix the button yourself when a tailor stitches it in the wrong side of the new shirt and deliver -do you? As article stated,there is NO DISADVANTAGE in performing any of the testing types in integration testing, system testing, acceptance testing, performance testing, security testing, usability testing. Only disadvantage is to consulting third party folks who make money by not testing right types on time while delivering changes -they make money by addressing the issues reported by users and fix them later on ?? This is how the whole software industry make money by leaking defects. This is my HONEST answer to the core problem.

Minimizing software testing risks involves a comprehensive approach that ensures the quality and reliability of the software being developed. Here's a strategy to minimize software testing risks: Requirement Analysis: Ensure that requirements are clear, complete, and well-documented. Involve testers in the requirement gathering phase to gain early insights. Test Planning: Develop a detailed test plan that outlines the scope, objectives, resources, and schedule of testing activities. Prioritize test cases based on the criticality of the functionalities. Test Automation: Automate regression tests to ensure that existing functionalities are not broken with new changes.

How do you get feedback from customers and users when the product is not even released to them (because you are in the testing phase) ? Take feedback from an accessibility engineer to see whether users with disability can use assistive technology to access applications ??this is super critical.

Define as many testing risks as you can upfront with mitigation. Share those risks with the whole team or squad. Use retrospectives as an example to reassess risks and how to prevent them coming to fruition. Escalate risks with management if necessary.

This article has been poorly written by the AI side of linkedin since it doesn't cover real potential risks that will appear due to the gaps of not performing, ??Long Haul Tests ??Low Latency Tests ??Soak Tests

There is a risk analysis methodology in 3x3 grid used for each functionality, non-functionality and its related Test cases where team of stakeholders assessed risks on the basis of its ‘Likelihood of failure’ and ‘Impact of failure’ which is quite helpful in this regard.