How to choose the right test case management tool

End to end quality assurance requires the use of a powerful test case management tool to ensure that all the staff working on the project, irrespective of their responsibilities, is aware of the status of the project and has access to essential information throughout the life cycle of the application.
Test case management has the ability to improve the process of software development by improving coordination and visibility, allowing teams responsible with different parts of the project coordinate to achieve better results faster.
It is therefore important for a software development company to find a suitable test case management tool that will meet the specific demands of the QA team.
A popular practice at the moment is using JIRA for test case management .
JIRA is a powerful bug tracking tool that can be customized to meet TCM demands.
Users can either set up functional tests inside JIRA after finding the specific features of the program that are useful for test case management or fully integrate JIRA withan external test case management with the full set of features.
JIRA customization has its limits, therefore integration is preferable especially for organizations that work on very large projects and need to coordinate complex tasks.
Choosing the right TCM tool is just a matter of comparing your specific needs to the list of features provided by the software that piqued your interest.

Ease of use

A configurable and easy to use tool will increase productivity and eliminate waste.
Although often undermined, an intuitive interface and high customization will speed up the testing process.
Easy access to information and tasks is essential inside a company that develops software on a schedule.
The incorrect and slow handling of a bug can delay the release date of the product, so speeding up the process of testing is essential.

Visibility

An important feature of a test case management is its ability to offer quick access to information.
Visibility is important, considering the fact that software development is realized through the combined efforts of different teams and departments.
Coordination and visibility are essential to enable staff with different sets of skills, tasks and goals work together to achieve the same end results.

Consistency

Test case management software is responsible with the management of various processes such as the execution of test cycles.
Test results are entered into the manager with the purpose of showing testers all the requirements and procedures for each test.
Therefore, consistency in results from test to test is essential to ensure the correct interpretation of the test.

Traceability
A good test case manager will ensure that reports can be generated at any given time and test results compared with other test runs on different configurations.
Requirement traceability enables testers to gain a better perspective on the project as a whole and the way in which test are run by other team members.

Integration with existing tools
Software development organizations have an arsenal of tools at their disposal, some specific to certain teams and departments responsible with different parts of a project, others used with the purpose of connecting disparate tools, but all of them important to the development process.
This is why using a test case management tool capable of seamless integration with your existing bug tracking system for instance will ensure that you will not need to implement another set of tools for the sake of TCM integration.

Do you need a test case management tool?
Test case managers optimize testing productivity allowing quality assurance and quality control departments to manage the entire testing process from a single location.
Eliminating waste is the ultimate goal of QA, therefore, applications that can maximize the testing time and improve communication across different departments and teams can only be called useful.


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