Tools and techniques forsuperior test management

White paper

Table of contents

Introduction

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The need for test management

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What is test management?

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The test management process

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HP Quality Center software

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Summary

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Introduction

In recent years, the field of application testing hasevolved. The growing complexity of today’sapplications, combined with increased competitivepressures and skyrocketing costs of application failureand downtime, have catapulted the need for testing tonew heights.While the pressure to deliver high-quality applicationscontinues to mount, shrinking development anddeployment schedules, geographically distributedorganizations, outsourcing and high turnover rates forskilled employees make application testing challenging.Faced with the reality of having to do more with less,juggling multiple projects and managing diverse anddistributed project teams, many organizations areadopting test management methodologies and areturning to automated test management tools to helpcentralize, organize, prioritize and document theirtesting efforts.This white paper explores the challenges and rewardsof test management and provides practical ways tohelp you implement an organized and structuredtesting process. In addition, this paper discusses thebenefits of HP Quality Center software, whichaddresses the need for global test management.

The need for testmanagement

In the world of application development, manyorganizations do not seriously consider testing untilprogramming is almost complete. Testing at this phase isinadequate in light of increasing demands for softwarequality and shorter release cycles. As a result, the role oftesting in the application lifecycle is changing.Fueled by competitive pressures and high costs ofdowntime, organizations are now beginning to definetheir testing plans as they create their applications.Planning your testing in parallel with your developmentprovides a key advantage. The knowledge you applyto the application design can also apply to yourtesting strategy.The application testing strategy is evolving into a multi-stage process with its own methodology, structure,organization and documentation. Similar to thedevelopment process, a testing process needs amethodical, building-block approach that includes yourtesting requirements, planning, design, execution andanalysis—to provide coverage, consistency andreusability of testing assets.

Based on a project’s objectives, your test managerscan create a master test plan, which communicates thetesting strategy, priorities and objectives to the rest ofthe team. Using the master plan, your testers candefine test requirements or specific testing goals.Requirements define what needs to be tested andidentify the objectives, such as performance goals.Once your testers have defined your testingrequirements, they can begin developing testingprocedures that meet and validate your requirementsand run the tests.The goal of a test management process is to createone central point of control that is accessible to allmembers of the testing team. This central point housesall testing assets and provides a clear foundation forthe entire testing process—from deciding what needsto be tested to building tests, running scenarios andtracking defects. The test management methodologyalso supports the analysis of test data and coveragestatistics to provide a clear picture of the application’saccuracy and quality at each point in its lifecycle.

What is testmanagement?

Test management is a method of organizingapplication test assets and artifacts—such as testrequirements, test plans, test documentation, test scriptsand test results—to support easy accessibility andreusability. Its aim is to deliver quality applications inless time. Test management is firmly rooted in theconcepts of better organization, collaboration andinformation sharing. Planning, designing and runningtests represent a considerable amount of work, butthese efforts are rewarded when all testing assets areshared by testers, developers and managers alike,preserved when a tester leaves the team and reusedthroughout an application’s lifecycle.

Do it right or do it over—compellingreasons for test management

Although test project management is widely acceptedas a common practice, most organizations don’t havea standard process for organizing, managing anddocumenting their testing efforts. Often, testing isconducted as an ad-hoc activity that changes withevery new project.Testing without following planning and designstandards can result in the creation of tests, designsand plans that are not repeatable and cannot bereused for future test iterations.If you think a testing process is difficult to implementand even more challenging to enforce and maintain,consider the cost of redundant work and accidentallylost and overwritten testing assets. Without a centralpoint of control and clear, repeatable methodologies,it’s difficult to keep your testing projects on track anddeliver quality applications on time with limitedresources.