CH05. L02. Test planning overview

Summary

This video script delves into the critical role of test planning in project management, emphasizing its dependency on limited resources and budget. It outlines key influencing factors such as organizational policies, project importance, testing goals, and resource availability. The script also discusses the necessity of considering system testability, risk management, and the organization's test strategy, advocating for proactive or reactive testing approaches post-project planning or after design and coding stages.

Takeaways

• 📝 The test manager is crucial for test planning, which significantly impacts the overall testing quality of a project.
• 🚀 No project has unlimited time, resources, and budget; clear planning with defined constraints is essential.
• 🏢 Organization policies, constraints, and culture are the first factors influencing test planning and determine its importance and success metrics.
• 🔝 The importance of the project, including its priority in terms of time and resources, is a key factor in determining the extent of test planning.
• 🎯 Testing goals and objectives are integral to test planning, guiding the identification of what needs to be achieved through testing.
• 🔍 Test planning objectives can include finding defects, calculating resolution time, or decreasing risks, which all shape the planning process.
• 📍 Starting testing should always be based on clear goals and objectives, not just on the project's progress.
• 🌐 The scope of the project dictates the level of detail required in test planning; larger and more complex projects necessitate more detailed plans.
• 💼 Testing resources encompass team abilities, available equipment, and funding, which are critical in setting up the testing plan.
• 🤖 The testability of the system is a factor in test planning, with easy systems allowing for straightforward development and testing.
• 🛑 Risks, including product and project risks, must be considered in test planning to account for potential issues like unfixed bugs or changing requirements.
• 📈 The test strategy of the organization provides a roadmap for setting test levels, types, and activities, influencing the planning approach.
• 🔁 The timing of testing can be influenced by the test strategy, with options to start testing proactively after requirements or reactively after design and coding.

Q & A

What is the role of a test manager in the context of test planning?

The test manager is responsible for overseeing the test planning process, which is a vital step in defining the quality of testing for a project.

Why is it unrealistic to assume that a project will have unlimited time, resources, and budget?

It is unrealistic because every project has constraints and must operate within a clear plan that includes definite time frames and resource allocations.

What are the three elements that control testing within an organization?

The three elements are organization policies, constraints, and culture, which determine the importance of testing and the criteria for judging the success of test planning.

How does the importance of a project affect its test planning?

The importance of a project influences the allocation of time and resources for test planning, with higher priority projects receiving more focus.

What are testing goals and objectives, and how do they impact test planning?

Testing goals and objectives are the targets and aims of the testing process, such as finding defects or reducing risks, and they directly affect the direction and focus of test planning.

What is the significance of starting testing from the project's goals and objectives?

Starting from the goals and objectives ensures that the testing process is aligned with the project's overall aims, making the test planning more relevant and effective.

How does the scope of a project influence the level of detail required in test planning?

A larger and more complex project requires a more detailed test plan to ensure comprehensive coverage, while a smaller, well-defined project may require less detailed planning.

What are the components of testing resources mentioned in the script?

The components include the abilities and skills of the testing team, the available equipment, and the funding allocated for testing.

Why is considering the testability of a system important during test planning?

Considering the testability of a system helps in determining the ease or difficulty of conducting tests, which in turn influences the form and considerations of the test plan.

What are the two approaches to starting testing as mentioned in the script?

The two approaches are starting testing immediately after the requirements and project plan are ready, known as 'Pro-active', or starting after the design and coding phase, known as 'Re-active'.

How do product and project risks affect test planning?

Product and project risks, such as unfixed bugs or changing requirements, can impact the final quality of the system and the availability of resources, thus affecting the test planning process.

What is the role of an organization's test strategy in shaping the test planning process?

The test strategy provides a detailed approach for setting test levels, types, activities, and other factors during the testing stage, guiding the direction and focus of test planning.