Overview
Test management, as the name signifies, is the art of managing some tests in a testing process. For this purpose, a test management tool is used by the Quality assurance team for managing the tests automated or manual, depending on the needs. This is generally associated with Automatic testing software.
Process
The process of test management involves consideration of the requirements or specification set forward by the customer, and analyzing if all the clauses have been fulfilled. For this purpose, the test management tool has a Requirement or Specification tool which generates the Requirement Test Matrix automatically. This essentially implies that the software is going to be tested for all the requirements. Therefore, this process can be understood as a means of testing and validation of the software.
The most common tools used are scrapbooks, word processors and spreadsheets for notes and checklists. The latest means of test management has witnessed the use of spreadsheets and databases for automated testing.
Different aspects of testing management
There are different stages of testing management, as is evident from the fact that it is a complex process. The first phase is organization where the various elements that are to be tested, along with their testing procedures are listed. The assets that need to be considered are test scripts, software and hardware. This also includes relationships and dependencies between various modules. It is followed by test planning phase, which addresses questions as to the reason and concept of testing. The reason for the test is called the motivator, while the what of testing are called the test cases. The time period associated with the test is termed iteration, commonly known as a cycle. The third phase is called authoring, which answers the question as to how the test is to be conducted. Execution of the test is the next phase in the testing management process, which entails the actual running of the test. This is a long process, because even a small program has to be taken through repeated test procedures. The final phase of the process is test reporting, where the results of the tests are detailed and documented for analysis and communication.
Challenges faced in the management process
As is the case with every other management process, testing management has its fair share of problems. There are problems associated with every step in the process. They can be detailed as:
Time constraint in the testing process which requires speeding up of the process and therefore may not be complete.
Lack of human and system resources
Difficulty in communication because of the different geographic locations of the testing teams.
Difficulty in validation of requirements and keeping in sync with the development process.