How Defect Tracking Works?
Anytime the performance of the software application deviates from the requirements or from the expected behavior, it is categorized as a defect or a bug in the system. As opposed to the ubiquitous view that most of the bugs that are found are coding errors, deviations in the requirements, system design, or even the development phases are the most common types of defects. In order to reduce the testing efforts and the defect escape rate, the quality assurance team embeds the defect tracking software in the lifecycle from the initial phases. The fundamental aim of the defect tracking is to monitor the defects, report them to the team, allocate to the relevant team members, and keep a check on their progress through all stages of the development. One of the major components of the defect tracking system is the central repository which records history, comments, and facts associated with the defects. The database is accessed by everyone in the team and includes factual information like the severity of the defect, the team member who reported, the development phase during which it was detected, the erroneous behavior of the application, and lastly, comprehensive details about the reproduction of the defect. During the defect tracking life cycle, a bug has to go through various stages before it is considered to be resolved. Open: This denotes that the defect is active in the system and is being investigated by the quality assurance team. Test: After the bug is reported back to the development team, they resolve the issue, and pass it over to the QA team for testing. Verified: The reported bug is re-tested by the QA team and verified. Resolved: If the defect does not pose a problem after it is verified by the QA team then it is considered to be closed. Re-opened: If the reported issues in the system still persist after it has been re-tested and verified then it is re-opened and goes through the same cycle again. The management and allocation of defects are entirely contingent on the severity of its impact and how the team prioritizes them. The relative impact of the persisting problem on the timely delivery and release of the software application allows them to classify the defects into main categories. Catastrophic – In this case, the reported error cause total failure of the application or even irrecoverable data loss. There is no possible workaround for this error which impedes the release of the product. Impaired Functionality – Even though a workaround exists for this type of defect, the solution is still not satisfactory which has a detrimental effect on the release of the software application. Failure of non-critical systems – if this bug is detected in the early phases of the development lifecycle and documented properly, then the damage can be curtailed. A satisfactory solution is available and the application may still be released. Very minor – This is an issue that is so minor that it cannot be ignored and an acceptable workaround is also available. It does not impact the product release or quality in a major way.How Defect Tracking Improves the Quality Assurance Process?
