Leverage Your Data
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Explain how to use test management data.
- Communicate data to advance testing efforts.
The goal of testing is to uncover information, but it takes the right test management tool for teams to be able to do something with it. This “something” is to organize, analyze, and optimize their testing. We know that organization is a key function of these tools, but teams can also use that data to improve and advocate for their testing. Even though it might be testers or test managers who own the Software Testing Lifecycle, test management is a process that will benefit the whole team.
Optimize Your Testing
A strong test management process can help teams better use their resources. When teams identify high-priority areas for testing, they can forego low-impact testing activities. This allows them to reallocate these resources to activities that look beyond developmental changes and mature their testing framework. Teams need to use what they learn from testing data to identify how to refine their systems along with their code. As test management advances, testing capacity grows, too.
Increase Visibility
It’s as simple as the old adage: out of sight, out of mind. When testing and its data are only visible to testers, others might struggle to understand its purpose and value. Because testing is all about preventing problems, teams need to be proactive about sharing evidence of their work. Stakeholders will most likely notice when a major bug arises, but they might not always think about the work that needs to be done to keep it from happening in the first place. To illuminate these otherwise hidden efforts, teams need to make sure they clearly communicate their results.
Improve Collaboration
A tool should open up a network of communication about testing activities and results. As teams grow and scale testing, siloed systems of data storage will only create problems. Teams need a clear and unified process for organizing activities and analyzing data. This means having the right tool to serve as the single source of truth to foster collaboration among the team.
Advocate for Testing
Sharing these developments with leadership teams is crucial. Advocating for testing can lead to incorporating it into larger project reports and serving as one of the key metrics of an organization’s project management. There are a few tips for effectively communicating the value of testing with leadership.
- Communicate frequently: Share with all stakeholders often
- Create a schedule: Set a regular cadence for internal and external reporting
- Use digestible metrics: Help stakeholders visualize the data with easy-to-read reports and dashboards
- Give context: No single data point can tell a complete story. Give context to your data by sharing not only testing data but also information about the code behind it.
Sum It Up
Test management is a process that requires both a team who can manage the stages of the Software Testing Cycle and a tool that organizes and optimizes this work. Not only does it help teams of all levels monitor their current performance, but it also offers the opportunity to refine their testing and maximize their potential. A well-utilized test management tool will positively impact the team’s work both within and beyond it.