Defect Status Tracking

Alongside effective defect management, the test manager also has to verify that any corrections made adequately remedy the faults that cause the recorded defects.

This requires continuous end-to-end monitoring of the defect analysis and correction process, from discovery and registration to the finished solution. An issue can also be “solved” by accepting the limitations that the fault causes, either until it is corrected or accepted permanently.

Monitoring is tracked using a “status” attribute and rules that determine which changes of status are possible and/or permissible. Table 6-4 shows a sample defect status template.

Table 6-4Defect status template

Figure 6-4 visualizes the potential changes in status and the corresponding workflow.

Fig. 6-4Defect status model

Our Tip Only a tester can set status to “done”

• It is essential that only the tester is allowed to set the defect status to “done”, and only once a confirmation test has verified that the issue described in the defect report no longer occurs. If the correction causes new side effects, these have to be documented in new defect reports and are then handled separately.

Decision-making processes and bodies

The template shown above can be used for a wide range of projects, provided that the existing (or necessary) decision-making processes are adequately represented. This may require adjustments to the model. While the decisions made in the model described above all lie with individuals, in larger projects the same decisions are often made by panels or committees. This makes the decision-making process more complex as they involve representatives of multiple interests.

Side Note: Change Control Board (CCB)

A “Change Control Board” (or CCB) is a typical body that makes decisions regarding the implementation of corrections and changes to the product. The members of a CCB usually represent product management, project management, test management, and often the customer too.

CCBs are necessary because decisions on whether a defect report is “warranted” or not and how much effort should be used to correct defects are usually discretionary. Every such decision has to be made from the point of view of “normal” product and feature planning.