Lack of Test Case Management Threatens Software Quality
Seapine Software Quality-Ready Assessment results indicate that many QA
departments use inefficient methods to track test cases
Mason, OH--June 26, 2008--According to results from the Seapine Software
Quality-Ready Assessment (QRA), only 29 percent of organizations use a test
case management application. The survey also found that:
* 18 percent perform ad hoc testing
* 16 percent document tests as they go
* 21 percent document tests in advance but use a paper-based system
This means 55 percent of organizations use inefficient methods to manage
their testing.
"The results suggest that the use of test case management solutions is
still in its infancy," says Richard Riccetti, president and CEO, Seapine
Software. "Developers have used change and defect management applications
for years to improve quality and efficiency, but QA departments are just
now moving to electronic tracking systems."
Manual processes and informal test case management contribute to missed
deadlines and cost overruns. According to the QRA, 34 percent of companies
complete their application development on time and on budget less than 75
percent of the time.
In addition, test case data and defects may be scattered across multiple
systems. As a result, 75 percent of organizations either cannot analyze
their test failures or they must compile the data manually.
Riccetti suggests the following to improve an organization's test case
management process:
* Develop a repeatable process for creating test cases.
* Create a suite of tests that are stored in a test case management system
so they are available to the entire organization.
* Evaluate your reporting capabilities. Anyone should be able to check the
status of the testing effort with the click of a button. You should not
have to collect the data manually.
About the Quality-Ready Assessment
The QRA is a high-level evaluation tool that helps development and QA
organizations measure the state of their quality readiness. To date, nearly
1,000 individuals from a variety of industries have completed the survey.
Visit (http://www.seapine.com/qualityready) for more information or to take
the quality-ready assessment.
About Seapine Software
With over 8,500 customers worldwide, Seapine Software, Inc. is a leading
provider of quality-centric application lifecycle management solutions.
Headquartered in Mason, Ohio, with offices in Europe and the Asia-Pacific,
Seapine solutions help companies reliably and efficiently develop quality
software applications. Seapine's products support best practices, integrate
into all popular development environments, and run on Microsoft Windows,
Linux, Sun Solaris, and Apple Macintosh platforms.
