Testing Practices – lessons learnt

Gaining insights from diverse testing projects has significantly enriched my professional journey, contributing valuable lessons that have proven beneficial in subsequent endeavors. I believe these insights can be valuable for others as well.

One crucial aspect of any testing process is Requirements Traceability, playing a pivotal role in empowering the testing team to meet stringent quality gate criteria. Here’s a structured approach to enhance this aspect:

1. Requirement Identification:
   • Extract both functional and non-functional requirements from either the System Requirements Spec (SRS) or Business Requirements Spec (BRS).
   • Document requirements captured from SRS for System Testing or System Integration Testing.
   • Gain consensus from all stakeholders, including the business.
2. Mapping Requirements to Test Cases:
   • Establish a clear link between requirements and test cases. Consider adding a column to identify which requirement(s) a test case addresses.
   • It’s acceptable if a test case covers more than one requirement.
3. Testing Scope:
   • Functional Scope:
     • Determine the functions that require testing, clearly defining what falls within and outside the testing scope.
     • For instance, when testing a website, focus on the functionality of specific pages related to particular functions, ensuring clarity on whether external link content should be validated.
   • Mobile Testing:
     • Identify the devices to be included in testing, avoiding oversights. For instance, mentioning Microsoft mobile devices is crucial, as overlooking this may lead to post-implementation issues reported by end-users.
     • Specify the mobile browsers and versions within the testing scope. Client preferences might differ from the development team’s choices.
   • Tricky Requirements:
     • Acknowledge and document requirements that cannot be directly tested by the testing team, such as legal compliance. Clearly communicate these as out of scope and define how they will be addressed.

These practices ensure a robust testing framework, addressing critical elements like requirements traceability and testing scope. My experiences underscore the importance of meticulous planning and communication in achieving successful testing outcomes.