Tips on Software Testing Documentation
Any software testing project requires strong communication and must be well documented. This week we are therefore providing some hints and tips on software testing documentation.
Let us assume that your business has decided to right-source at least one aspect of QA testing. You now need to ensure that the external team are as effective as they can be.
Top Tips
- Designate a leader
- Determine what you will test and what you will give to the external team
- REVIEW everything before you then send it to the testing team – do not send ‘junk’!
- Try not to view the external team as that; they must be a natural extension of your own team – this is a 2-way street, of course!
Top Tips Explained
Designate a leader who will knit the internal and external efforts together. Then ensure they decide exactly what information is given to the right-sourced testing team.
Determine what you will test… The leader determines the type of training and documentation to be given to the testers.
REVIEW everything… Get the software development team, the manager and any internal QA testers to thoroughly review all documentation sent in order to eliminate JUNK. In the words of one of our senior testers: “Never send junk out to an external team and then expect them to figure it out. Send them quality, accurate data and you’ll then receive quality test execution and valid defects back.”
Don’t see the external team as an isolated resource. They must operate with your own resources in collaborative fashion. This takes effort from both parties, requiring strong, clear communication.
More ‘pearls of wisdom’
- “If you send junk in, you’ll get junk back.”
- “If your plan is X… make sure that’s understood and part of your SLA”
- “If you want success then gather a small team of internal SMEs to validate the depth and accuracy of the help and end user documentation before it’s sent
- “If it’s appropriate, train the external testing service team using the same training materials… [that] you give your customers”
So, if you are on the verge of right-sourcing your testing needs this year or want more information, contact us today.
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