Test Deliverables In Software Testing

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.” – John Ruskin

In the world of software testing, ensuring quality is not a mere coincidence but a meticulously planned endeavor. As we embark on this voyage of software testing, we come across a set of invaluable companions known as “Test Deliverables.”

Just as a well-prepared meal requires the right ingredients and a skilled chef to bring out its flavors, successful software testing relies on these key documents, artifacts, and reports to achieve its goals. 

In this blog, we will try to understand test deliverables and explore their significance, types, and the pivotal role they play in delivering high-quality software.

What are test deliverables?

Test deliverables are the tangible artifacts and documents generated during the software testing process. These items serve various purposes, from planning and execution to reporting and analysis. They are essential for tracking progress, ensuring adherence to testing standards, and providing stakeholders with valuable insights into the quality of the software under test.

List of test deliverables:

Imagine you’re at a hospital for treatment/surgery, and a team of expert doctors is attending you. What would you expect from them? Thorough planning, meticulous execution, and detailed documentation of the entire process, right? Well, in software testing, we have our own set of “doctors” – testers – who ensure the “health” of our software. Just like in medicine, there’s a need for precision and care in software testing, and this begins with creating the right “test deliverables.”

Let’s take a closer look at these test deliverables by drawing parallels with the medical industry:

Test Strategy

In the medical world, a doctor begins by crafting a treatment plan, which outlines the overall approach to addressing a patient’s condition. Similarly, in software testing, the Test Strategy serves as the treatment plan. 

It defines the scope, risks, quality criteria, testing techniques, resources, and timelines, providing a strategic view of how testing will be conducted throughout the project.

Test Plan

Much like a doctor starts with a thorough diagnosis to understand a patient’s ailments, the Test Plan in software testing is like the initial assessment. It defines what needs to be tested, how it will be tested, and what resources are required. 

The Test Plan is a detailed document that describes the testing approach, objectives, and methodologies. It includes the scope of testing, roles, timelines and test schedule, resource allocation, and test environment requirements.

Test Cases/Test Scripts

Just as a doctor prescribes a specific treatment regimen with detailed instructions, software testers create Test Cases or Test Scripts. These detailed instructions guide the testing process, specifying what to test, what data to use, and the expected outcomes. They are the treatment regimen for your software.

Test cases/scripts detail the step-by-step instructions for executing tests, including input data, and expected results.

Test data

A patient’s medical history is vital for diagnosis and treatment decisions. Similarly, Test Data in software testing provides the necessary input and configurations to execute tests. It’s like the patient’s medical history, helping testers understand the software’s behavior under various conditions. 

Test Data encompasses the input values, configurations, and scenarios used during testing. Proper test data management is crucial to ensure thorough and accurate testing.

Test summary report

After a doctor prescribes treatment, they regularly review the patient’s progress. Similarly, a Test Summary Report tracks the progress of testing. It provides an overview of the testing effort, including pass/fail results, coverage, and any issues encountered. This report keeps stakeholders informed, much like a progress report keeps the patient and their family updated on their condition.

The Test Summary Report provides a high-level overview of the testing activities and results. It includes key metrics, such as test coverage, pass/fail status, and any outstanding issues.

Test Closure Report

When a patient’s treatment is complete, doctors prepare a discharge summary, highlighting the overall health status and future recommendations. In software testing, the Test Closure Report is akin to the discharge summary, signaling the readiness for deployment. It marks the end of the testing phase, summarizing the entire testing effort, lessons learned, and recommendations for future projects.

Role of Test Automation in Getting the Test Deliverables

Test automation acts as a powerful tool in the production of test deliverables by increasing efficiency, ensuring consistency, and providing detailed reporting. It allows software testing teams to meet tight deadlines, maintain high-quality standards, and deliver valuable insights into the quality of the software being tested.

Just like a highly efficient assistant to a doctor can help streamline patient care, test automation simplifies and enhances the process of producing test deliverables. Here’s how:

• Efficiency & Speed: Test automation tools can rapidly build and execute test cases and generate test results. This efficiency significantly reduces the time required to perform testing activities. 
• Data Management: Test automation tools often come with data management features. They can help generate and manage test data, ensuring that the right input data is used for each test case. This is like having an automated system to maintain and update patient records, making sure the correct data is associated with each patient.
• Continuous Integration: Test automation can seamlessly integrate with the software development process, enabling continuous testing. With each code change or build, automated tests can be triggered automatically. This integration ensures that test deliverables, such as test results and reports, are continuously generated and readily available.

• Parallel Execution: Automation tools can execute multiple test cases simultaneously, increasing testing throughput. This parallel execution capability expedites the testing process and accelerates the production of test deliverables.
• Reusability: Automated test scripts and artifact templates are reusable assets. Once created, they can be used across different testing phases, and projects, or even with minor adjustments for similar features. This reusability not only saves time but also promotes consistency across different testing efforts.
• Reporting: Automation tools typically provide detailed test execution reports. These reports include information such as pass/fail status, logs, and screenshots. Using these reports, generating test summary reports and test closure reports becomes more efficient and accurate, similar to how an assistant can compile and organize patient records for the doctor’s review.

Conclusion

In software testing, test deliverables are not just documents; they are the tools, guides, and records that ensure a successful expedition into the software wilderness. They help testers navigate, document their findings, and ensure that the software landscape is thoroughly explored, just as explorers rely on their compass, maps, journals, supplies, logs, and debriefs to conquer uncharted territories.

They provide a roadmap for testing activities, ensure accountability, and offer valuable insights into the quality of the software. Incorporating a robust set of test deliverables and leveraging test automation as a strategic ally, software development teams can navigate the complex landscape of testing with confidence, delivering software that meets user expectations and industry standards.