Before reaching the market or the client, a software product goes through numerous stages of software development and testing, which help validate the effectiveness and quality of the product. During each of these phases, the team lead or manager prepares multifarious documents and reports for the ease of their team, which also help them to improve communication among team members and other stakeholders of the project. These reports and documents are an integral part of software development/testing life cycle and are commonly known as test deliverables, as they are delivered to client with the release of the software product.
What are Test Deliverables?
'Deliverables' are simply the end product of the entire testing process conducted by the testing team. Few deliverables are produced at the end, few during the testing process and few before the completion of the testing process. A test deliverable gives a reasonable analysis on the various aspects of the project being tested. Moreover, it is an outcome that is given to a client after the release of the software. We can think of a deliverable as a software product, a design document etc. Test deliverables help to determine whether the project is moving in the right direction or not, and what all strategies we need to adopt to rectify any discrepancy. When a product is being developed, its testing technique lies at the discretion of developers and testers, collectively. Generating failure reports, note the bug fixes and deploying the right product is the ultimate goal of the people engaged in software development process.
List of Test Deliverables:
As mentioned above, during the process of software testing various documents are published by the team lead, manager, or any other responsible individual. These test deliverables offer a summary of the activities performed during the software testing life cycle and define a variety of techniques, methodologies, and tools used by software testers.
Hence, the test deliverables prepared during the process of software testing are:
Test Specification Document: This document contains a detailed summary of the scenarios that are going to be tested, the way they will be tested, and how often the testing activity is going to be performed.
Test Plan Document: A test plan document is a blueprint for carrying out testing process. It lists the sequence of activities that are followed by the team to test the software. Apart from defining the testing process, it also identifies the scope and objective of testing.
Test Strategy: This is the the way or approach used by the team to achieve the testing target. It includes the test objectives, methods to test new functions, time and resources required for the project as well as the test environment.
Test Scenario Document: Such a document simply depicts the flow of application. A test scenario document helps to make sure that every process flow is tested thoroughly.
Test Design Standards: Standards are the formally defined ways or rules that lay the foundation upon which the design of tests is prepared.
Test Case Document: The test case document enlists the various combinations of input and output that produces a pass or fail report. Based on the report, further rectifications or updates are decided upon.
Requirement Traceability Report: A traceability matrix is prepared to map the requirements with specifications. The traceability matrix is followed throughout the validation process to ensure that requirements are not compromised while testing the software. This document is updated as the project progresses.
Test Logs: A log report is a complete list of series of test execution activities. It is a precise report of the passed or failed tests, contains details regarding test operations and states the reasons behind passed or failed activities.
Test Data: The data or input provided to the application with the intent of fetching some results, are called test data.
Test Metrics: The measuring mechanisms for analysing a product's efficiency and its degree of complexity are termed as test metrics. Test metrics have various models and formulas for calculating results.
Test Status Report: Status report is that document which is prepared with an aim to track the progress of the application. Status report can be prepared on a periodic or weekly basis, to list the accomplishments till that time, the work that remains pending, and a milestone analysis.
Test Scripts:Test script defines the various steps as well as instructions that are executed by the team on the software to tests and validate its functionality and to ensure that it is as per the requirements and expectations of the client.
Installation & Configuration Guide: It defines system’s or program’s installation and configuration requirements, such as the way it is set up, the components that make up the system, and its hardware & software requirements.
Effort Estimation Report: Effort estimation report highlights the efforts put in by the team to complete the process of testing. Moreover, the cost and time of failed and passed test cases is also defined by the team in this document.
Test Execution Report: This document contains the test results and the summary of test execution activities.
Test Incident Reports: Reports all the incidents- resolved or unresolved -found while testing the software. It tracks, classifies and manages the incidents. Additionally, it helps the team differentiate incidents from defects.
Bugs/Defects Report: A bug report is simply a document enlisting all the errors generated through a test.
Test Closure Reports: From defining various testing techniques and methodologies, to providing details about the various defects, bugs, and discrepancies found in the software, this report offers a summary of the entire testing process to the reader.
Release Notes: These are the documents and reports delivered to the client, customer or other stakeholders of the project after the culmination of the testing process.
Conclusion:
Test deliverables are an integral part of software development life cycle that help maintain transparency among team member as well as other stakeholders of the project. These documents assist the team in improving the quality and effectiveness of testing and allow them to create reliable and trustworthy relationship with their clients and customers. Moreover, through test deliverables software engineers can share necessary information with the client and enable them to be informed throughout the process. Hence, the importance of the test deliverables is immense.
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