In today’s era where customer demands are increasing exponentially, firms are expected to follow rapid application development (RAD) for survival. These models ensure testing software applications for quality and performance while including test scenarios, test cases and test results. We know that a simple mistake while testing can have a huge impact on quality assurance or even postpone the release date. This is where test case management tools come in really handy for agile teams, especially in cases where things are taking too long or are not working as expected to. 

Let’s have a look at five simple ways QA teams can use these tools to optimize their software testing efforts and the most:

Central Test Repository

Since development and QA teams no longer work in isolation and are expected to deliver quality apps more frequently than in the past, they need to have a central test repository in place. The level of repeating testing processes is high for each project which calls for test data to be saved at a place where test managers can view the progress of a project conveniently. Many individuals maintain their own repository, which is not ideal for teams working under a lot of pressure to meet their release deadlines. However, with a central test repository, test managers can have access to all test data and they can view the status of a project at any time, from anywhere. 

Do Not Repeat Test Cases Multiple Times

This one is really important to tip if a QA team wants to remain ahead of their project delivery deadline. We know how time-consuming it is to script test cases and if a team keeps scripting the same tests over and again, it usually wastes their time and effort. However, when teams maintain a repository, it can help them sort out all the test cases efficiently. New test cases that are captured should be sent to the repository first, so that other teams can benefit from them in completing other projects

Typically, testers do not know how to look for particular test cases, because they haven’t used consistent ways to identify each test case. This is quite similar to the issues caused by lack of repository. Tagging is one of test case management best practices and it can help teams look for test cases quickly while allowing them to re-use test cases conveniently.

Classification of Defect IDs

Effective Tagging 

In agile environments, it is possible for defects to be duplicated. Testers are not concerned with the same defects appearing, but the effort each defect requires and they also rely on their memory to recall which ones are duplicate. But a good test case management tool allows testers to see the link between a particular test case and all the defects. It helps the team to identify severity for a defect.

Conclusion

One of the most common problems that slows down the testing process is running the same test cases over and over again. We know the effort and time it takes to script test cases, so this can be a simple waste of time. All the above ways can help teams in optimizing their test case management process to deliver quality products.