The demands for valuable, streamlined software continue to rise in nearly every sector across the board. This software can make quite the difference for organizations, depending upon the functionality it delivers and how it is leveraged within the business. As software requirements continue to increase, one thing remains constant: the need for robust and effective test management tools.
As the development sector continues to grow, so too does the market for testing services. According to a late 2015 report from TechNavio, the global software testing services market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 11 percent through 2020, with application testing services accounting for an 88 percent market share.
These market conditions make selecting the right test management tool absolutely essential. But with so many choices available, it can be difficult to navigate through these tools to find the right one. Thankfully, there are a few essential considerations testing teams can make to ensure they are using the most optimal test management tool possible.
1) Can it support agile processes?
One of the first considerations to make with test management tools is each system's capabilities as far as development and delivery. As agile methods become more popular, testing processes are prioritized throughout development. In this way, test management tools must be flexible and customizable so that they can be adjusted according to the needs and requirements of each project. The best test management tools feature these capabilities, and therefore easily lend themselves to agile testing.
2) How are bugs tracked?
It's also important to discern how each tool tracks software bugs and how these are presented during testing and in test results. The test management tool's bug tracking capabilities must align with the procedures utilized by the team. TechTarget contributors Matt Heusser and Michael Larsen pointed out that some testing teams still leverage outdated processes here, relying on detailed, yet unorganized spreadsheets to track bugs. Today's test management tools, however, can streamline these efforts and help testers better keep tabs on bugs and the necessary corrections.
3) How will the team access the tool?
Another critical consideration to make here is the level of access each tool can offer. This is particularly important if the team works from geographically dispersed locations. Each tester must be able to access the tool's capabilities from their working site, and view any changes or updates in real time.
For these reasons, the best test management tools are cloud-based. This allows for secure access from any location with Internet support. In this way, even teams working from different towns - or different countries - can still access the most up to date testing information possible.
4) Can the tool integrate with other solutions?
It's also helpful to examine the level of integration possible with each available tool. Important questions to ask here include:
What API support does the tool include?
Can the tool integrate with other automated and CI tools?
Can it integrate with test execution solutions?
Answering these will help ensure that the chosen test management tool fits into the team's overarching infrastructure. In this way, all the technologies will work together seamlessly and help better position the team for success.