A test manager’s tips

Test manager knowledge? We’ve covered many different types of software testing in our recent guide to software testing, as well as in many individual posts (check out our testing archives here). Beyond knowing the ins and outs of software testing, it’s helpful to learn from those who have traveled the path before you to learn from their mistakes and leverage the tips and tricks they’ve learned along the way (and graciously decided to share with the development world). That’s why we rounded up this list of software testing tools.

Getting your test environments sorted is a critical task, however this is often much easier said than done. Environmental issues are often the single most time consuming (aka time wasting) aspect of a test phase in any organisation. Key to getting the environments set up is the “who”. Who owns the environments? Who can create them for me? Who can fix them for me? Get the “who” sorted out – preferably they will be an expert in the environment – and everything else might just fall into place a bit better. Now… if only I could take my own advice and implement all of these 10 top tips my own projects will run smoothly! As I mention a few times in this article, things are easier said than done…

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Report findings in the context of business value. Focus on the data that is being communicated back to stakeholders, from your findings as part of testing – the data should be in context of ‘how’ the behavior observed is detrimental to the objective of the feature or application being developed. Engage the end user. Probably the most important person in the whole process, yet many times we may be tempted to keep them at arm’s length; you should involve the customer actively. Have them give frequent feedback on the product for future improvement and development; software developers who respond quickly to customer feedback are generally more successful. Always keep learning. [The] IT field changes; way [faster] than some of us would like. If you are not constantly updating your skills, you could get irrelevant, obsolete and outdated. In a world of lay-off paranoia, it is a good idea to rise above it all, gain immunity and feel secure. The best way to do so is to make learning a habit.

Quarantine software testing advice for today : For those who are not used to remote working, it sounds idyllic until your dog/kid/partner starts driving you up the wall. And remember we are not at home because we want to be. We should do what we can to make this easier for each other, and look out for each other. Sending care packages can be a good idea, as long as they don’t get in the way of essential supplies being delivered (at the time of writing this article, Amazon is rumoured to have started delaying non essential shipments). Leaders in the company need to let people know that the company is OK with productivity taking a dip overall. Also there will be a tendency for people to use the company’s channels (instant messengers, virtual meetings) to discuss things in the news and compensate for their relative isolation. Leaders should tolerate and encourage this. Expect that most company meetings will start with 10 minutes of banter unrelated to work, that’s OK. See even more info at cania-consulting.com.