The software testing strategy is an essential process that comprises part of the software development life cycle. Companies that fail to implement quality control standards and properly define the range of tests for an application can destroy brand credibility, sabotage the overall project, and create a cost explosion.
The test plan is part of the project documentation. The goals, objectives, and functional requirements of a software application are outlined and delimited by the project plan. The test documentation is designed to create test cases to rate the application for functional fit, system stability, platform stability, usability, and performance.
The initial bump test requirements are executed during the later stages of the first build of the software. The developer or development team puts the software through a series of tests to ensure that it meets initial stakeholder requirements and to pave the way for further test team testing, beta testing, and end-user testing. Sometimes specialized software is used during the testing process. Regression software allows the development team to make modifications and record changes along the way. This allows for “rollback” in case a change compromises the functionality of the existing code.
The testing phase allows a fresh set of eyes to put the application through a series of “real world” tests outside of the formalities followed by the development team. This may include testing the software on different machines with different operating systems, functional testing, and testing for ease of use. Feedback from this enables the development team to improve application performance and ease of use. In some cases, an initial version of the software is provided to an intended audience to ensure a wider range of feedback. This is commonly called beta testing. Large software companies frequently engage in this process to make use of the full skills and experiences that result from using a larger collective user base. Sometimes usability software is used during this process to collaborate and centralize feedback from the testing phase.
Different software testing strategies are tailored to the business and cultural requirements of the software development company. Understanding the software development life cycle and testing process is essential for any commercial software business. The implementation of best practice standards is part of the ongoing commitment of industry professionals to the continuous improvement paradigm.