Software testing is a tedious task and when it’s about finding errors and reporting them then the numbers keep on increasing. There are multiple variables involved in the process due to which things keep on becoming complex over time. If processes are not organized and issues are not reported or managed transparently then the situation may become annoying over time. 

With multiple errors and issues being reported simultaneously, it is imperative to look out for issue tracking tools that can be installed or integrated with your existing system to serve the complete purpose. By incorporating these tools, the whole team stays on the same page and update the relative information in real-time. The issue tracking tool’s importance has increased over time as software development companies go to all limitations to ensure the maximum quality of the product. To assure that the product you developed has no issues, one needs to utilize the automated tools as it not only saves time but also retain cost too. Here is the guide on how you can start with issue tracking tools.

Most of the developers know its significance because the fate of their product depends upon the quality which ultimately decides the shelf life of that product. Though developers and testers are well versed to identify and rectify errors, they surely need a system through which all these issues can be tracked and managed. It may seem that there are hundreds of options to choose from but if you select the wrong tool then eventually it will add more reasons to your problems rather than fixing them. 

Basics of Issue Tracking

People who work in the testing or development field may have the idea of how issue tracking tools (ITS) work. All the issues of the projects are recorded and maintained through this tool. These tools usually serve multiple purposes for instance one can easily track issues, manage bugs, and perform task management. All the issues can be easily documented, though it’s just one part of the whole system but it is really important to consider. 

Tracking and recording issues is an imperative part of any successful project. Any developer who deeply wants to improve the product’s quality, should use such tools to do the task. To analyze issue tracking tools, one needs to consider what features it offers. If you are looking for a good tracking tool then you need to ensure that it supports the following features.

Flexibility

The ease with which issues can be logged and monitored is considered as the hallmark of a successful tracking tool. It should be flexible enough that users can access the issues as per their convenience and do not have to go through different tabs to complete a single task. A daily or weekly check can also be helpful for the users. Tools having a search option may also help the user to look out for relevant issues which results in saving time and they do not have to go through the entire data. 

User-friendly Interface

The user-friendly interface always comes in handy as users can easily master the tool and won’t require much external help to understand the functionality of the system. If a dashboard is customizable then it serves as the strongest element and users can easily moderate the progress of the projects. You can also add elements as per your requirements and project needs. 

Attachments

A tool should have an attachment option as testers generally attach files while reporting issues so that developers can understand which issue needs to be fixed and what sort of results it is generating. Attaching a video or image can make things a lot more understandable and bugs can be easily identified and reported. 

A better understanding is built with pictures and usually, all recommended issue tracking tools have this feature. 

Task Management

Tasks should be managed based upon urgency and there should be a way through which each issue can be assigned a level. When issues are prioritized then developers realize can plan their work accordingly too. Following an issue timeline also helps to understand the importance of the tasks status quo of reports.

Sharing of Information

Effective and purposeful collaboration between the team is the key to success. If a team can easily share the relative information and do not have to utilize different channels then data can be shared smoothly. One needs to realize that issue tracking tools are not only built for tracking and reporting issues, they serve a lot more than that. 

Task Assignment

A decent tool would also make it easy to assign the task to a relevant person. Through such features, work can be divided promptly and transparency remain intact. Once equal work is divided among the teams and their time and performance are also monitored then no one would have to go through the extra workload. 

Conclusion

If you are looking out for tools that you might need for your testing team then keep issue tracking tools in your list too. Kualitee is a great example in this regard as it contains all the features and meets all your testing expectations. These scalable solutions work for all team sizes and every sort of software product.