Written By Geoffrey Rodgers, Manager, Software Quality Assurance, Atlas RFID Solutions

As a software quality assurance specialist for the last 12 years, I have seen test case management done about the same way in each of the companies where I either worked or consulted for. Most medium-to-large organizations use a system specifically designed for test case management, so it seems that would be the ideal solution. However, I have noticed time and time again that so much of the effort that goes into creating test cases is wasted on inefficient processes and duplicated information. In many cases, by the end of the project, the majority of the test cases have become obsolete due to changing requirements and code.

The intent, I believe, for most documentation on a project is that it is ‘living’ – meaning, constantly updated and accurate for its purpose. The reality is that it takes time to write documentation, and it is one of the first things to get dropped when it comes time to push harder and faster and get the software released. In an effort to overcome the temptation of ignoring documentation altogether, I set out to find a new solution for test case management. What I came up with was something that we were already using for other purposes: a wiki.

Using a wiki for test case documentation is not as simple as moving all of your existing test cases into a new tool. The key to making the most of a wiki solution is to transform the information found in system requirements and test case documents into a full-fledged knowledge base for the entire system. That knowledge base then provides all of the necessary details, making test case creation more efficient and accurate. The knowledge base can even be reused to provide detailed information for user guides and technical support teams. Effectively, the same principles used to make the software itself more manageable can be used to make documentation more manageable and accurate.

For more information on how this solution is implemented, be sure to join me on August 19th  for the next TechTuesday meeting, hosted by TechBirmingham and sponsored by Alabama Power.

Register to attend  HERE

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