If you recall, the
PDCA approach, i.e., plan, do, check, and act, is a control mechanism used to
control, supervise, govern, regulate, or restrain a system. The approach first
defines the objectives of a process, develops and carries out the plan to meet
those objectives, and checks to determine if the anticipated results are
achieved. If they are not achieved, the plan is modified to fulfill the
objectives.
The same PDCA quality cycle can be applied to
software testing.
The Plan step of the
continuous improvement process, when applied to software testing, starts with a
definition of the test objectives, e.g., what is to be accomplished as a result
of testing? Testing criteria do more than simply ensure that the software performs
according to specifications. Objectives ensure that all responsible individuals
contribute to the definition of the test criteria to maximize quality.
The Do step of the continuous improvement
process when applied to software testing describes how to design and execute
the tests included in the test plan. The test design includes test cases, test
procedures and scripts, expected results, function/test case matrix, test logs,
etc. The more definitive a test plan is, the easier the test design will be.
The Check step of the continuous improvement
process when applied to software testing includes the evaluation of how the
testing process is progressing. It is important to base decisions as much as
possible on accurate and timely data. Testing metrics such as the number and
types of defects, the workload effort, and the schedule status are keys. It is
also important to create test reports. Summary and interim test reports should
be written at the end of testing and at key testing checkpoints.
The Act step of the continuous improvement
process when applied to software testing includes devising measures for
appropriate actions relating to work that was not performed according to the
plan or results that were not anticipated in the plan.
