Any software has a fixed lifetime during which is it useful to the user. A software testing tool goes through a lifecycle from the time it is acquired to the time it is retired.

The Test Manager needs to ensure that the software tool is managed well during its lifecycle such that it available to the testing team and can be used efficiently when required.

Table of contents

1. Software Testing Tool Lifecycle
   1. Acquisition
   2. Maintenance and Support
   3. Evolution
   4. Retirement
2. Tool Metrics

Software Testing Tool Lifecycle

Test Manager needs to manage these 4 stages of a testing tool’s lifecycle:

Acquisition

In this stage the software testing tool should be procured as per the considerations discussed in tool selection. Once the decision to acquire a tool is taken, a tool administrator is assigned by Test Manager.

Usually a Technical Test Analyst or Test Analyst is the tool administrator.

The administrator is responsible for taking decisions like tool usage, tool roll out timelines, naming conventions, storage for tool output, etc.

Taking these decisions in advance improves the testing tool ROI in the long run. In this stage, training is also imparted, if needed.

Maintenance and Support

The selected tools need continuous maintenance and support. It is provided by the tool administrator, who might constitute a dedicated group for this purpose.

Some of the points to be considered here include interface with other processes, if required, data backup and tool restoration in case of failure or crash.

Evolution

With time, the tool may need to be extended, modified, updated or converted according to business, environment or vendor considerations (vendor releases a new version).

Changes in regulatory policies may require the tool to be upgraded to a newer version. Some of the upgrades may not be backward compatible or may not work with other applications.

Based on the level of involvement of the tool in business processes, the Test Manager must ensure uninterrupted service / availability of the tool.

Retirement

No tool can be around forever. Once it has outlived its utility, it must be retired. This can happen because tool lifecycle has come to an end or the cost of acquiring new tools is too high compared to its business value or risks associated with the tool outweigh the benefits.

However, the functions provided by the tool must be replaced and its data archived for a successful tool retirement.

The onus of managing the tool for efficient and continued performance lies on the Test Manager for the lifetime of the tool.

Tool Metrics

The tools which are used by Test Analysts and Technical Test Analysts can provide valuable metrics and gather data in real-time. This can considerable decrease data collection effort. Test effort can be managed by the Test Manager using this data.

Data gathered by various tools is different because their focus is different. Here are some examples of data that can be collected using different tools:

• Test management tools – Examples of data collected include traceability matrix for requirements and test cases, metrics on coverage provided by automated scripts, currently planned tests, available tests, execution status, etc.
• Defect management tools – Defect information like status, priority, severity, density of occurrence, rate of escape, phase of defect introduction etc. are some information gathered by the defect management tools. This information enables the Test Manager to implement process improvements in the team / project.
• Static analysis tools – Static analysis tools can assist in detecting issues related to maintainability and reporting them.
• Performance tools – Performance testing tools provide data on system scalability and help determine if the system will scale.
• Coverage tools – These coverage tools gather data about what portion of the system has really been tested.

Reports to be created by the tool must be specified during tool selection itself. It is also essential to implement these requirements during the configuration phase so that the reports generated can be easily understood and put to correct use by the stakeholders. Use of tools can also reduce time taken to gather test metrics.

This concludes the series of topics on test tools and automation. In the next section on people skills, we examine how Test Managers can assess, manage & develop skills in testers.

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