Test Case Management: Benefits and Challenges

Test cases are used to verify the software’s functionality or specific features. This collection of exercises consists of precise stages, data, and conditions that must be met in order to determine the conditions.

It suggests that test cases demonstrate the system’s demand for the whole testing process to be connected. If your conditions are very stringent, or if you must conduct substantial testing activities, you may require to work around the entire method to optimize testing so that the software’s quality and integrity are not jeopardized.

Testing Your Software

From the moment you start writing software, you also begin testing it. You might not initially think of it this way, but it’s true. When you write the iconic “hello world” program, the next thing you do is run it to check that it does, in fact, say hello to the world.

As you move from that initial seed of a program to more and more complicated functionality, the problem of testing shifts from the realm of common sense to that of serious logistics. Before long, you can’t any longer keep a record of everything the software should do in your head. To achieve that, you rely on artifacts such as specifications documents or collections of user stories.

But those documents don’t describe a life story. Rather, they just explain what the software should do when concluded. They don’t, in and of themselves, show you whether the software is complete and whether it works in a satisfactory fashion. That responsibility falls to your software testing efforts. Testing needs to create a direct relationship between requirements and demonstration of strong completion of said requirement. And the basic unit for that is the test case.

Understanding the Idea of a Test Case

At this point, let’s introduce three concepts: the test case, the test scenario, and the test script. These concepts answer somewhat different questions.

The test scenario explains the question, “what goals do users have with the application?” The test case then explains the question, “what discrete activities comprise the users’ goals?” And finally, the test script explains the question, “exactly how do I perform this discrete activity?”

There is some debate over the finer points of these pictures in the industry, but you a more comprehensive treatment here.

With this in mind, you can track a neat relationship sequence. Requirements tell you what the software requires you to do. Then test scenarios describe a means for confirming the requirement. Test cases illustrate how, the component pieces of verifying that requirement. And, finally, test scripts (whether automated or executed manually) inform you exactly how to execute that component piece. Typically, you’ll have a number of test cases per test scenario, incorporating various permutations of inputs and behaviors. You then have one or probably more scripts per test case.

Benefits of Test Case Management Software

Since you are planning to shift to management software, there are some features that you might consider while looking for the software which may help you with enhancing the quality assurance process. It will not only fasten up the complete process but will also make it much more reliable.

• Should be sound adequate to handle the requirements
• Test cases can be edited, built, and executed.
• Smart enough to track defects
• Tracking coverage while mapping the test specifications
• Full support about test case template
• Smart enough to link defects during test execution
• Customized reporting mechanism
• Provides full coverage testing

Challenges of Test Case Management

In the beginning days of software development, test case management appears irrelevant. Still, slowly as the development process speeds up, one understands how hard it is becoming to handle the quality of the system manually. As these tools and automation processes have their own perks, there are a few features that might result negatively.

• Challenging to test the complete program: Such tools primarily purpose to do testing about specific situations and not to test the whole system. Test case management won’t scale well if you are not certain about the cases you require to work around and do not have plenty of the related information.

• Underestimating time, cost, and effort: When you are introducing a new tool in your system, you require to have appropriate training regarding it. If you are not sure about the methods through which you are going to accomplish the beneficial outcomes, then you are draining your time and resources.

• Miscalculating efforts to accomplish essential goals: Deep understanding is required to begin working with such tools. Initially, one requires to work around in a much more careful way. Anything new requires time, and while your team works around it in the initial phase, you want to set attainable and realistic goals to make the process smooth and to overcome the challenges which might occur. As it would be your first try with the tool so there would be possibilities that you are not able to make the most out of the complete process.

• Efforts to Maintain Results: Most people acknowledge that the tool will do the complete job itself, and you are not needed to maintain the records or results generated. Underestimating the efforts, you require to put in during the test case management may result in an inappropriate or failed scenario.

• Depending way too much on the tool: The idea of test management tools is to make the method consistent, easy, and efficient, but it does not imply that you entirely depend upon it for testing purposes. There are several features for which the tool is designed, and it is assumed to work around the set targets. These automated tools are helpful, but it does need a special skill set and level of intelligence from its user to get the job completed. You can require a test case management tool to do test designing.

Also Read: Strategies For Successful Implementation Of Test Management In Jira

Conclusion

While entering the world of software quality assurance, one requires to recognize that test cases play an essential and fundamental role. It proclaims what to expect from the software and what results should be created in each scenario. A software tester recognizes the significance of such tools, which automate the method with minimum input and deliver qualitative work.

At TestUnity, we strive for the highest quality in every project, and our professional QA specialists are ready to ensure it. Contact us if you’re looking for a dedicated team to enhance your product’s quality.

TestUnity

Testunity is a SaaS-based technology platform driven by a vast community of testers & QAs spread around the world, powered by technology & testing experts to create the dedicated testing hub. Which is capable of providing almost all kind of testing services for almost all the platforms exists in software word.