In agile teams, it’s common for traditional test plans to be thought of as outdated formalities. However, even in the rapid pace of agile environments, maintaining a simplified test plan proves invaluable—providing a structured framework to guide testing efforts across a project’s lifecycle.
Here are practical strategies to simplify test planning within agile environments:
Unlike more rigid traditional methods like waterfall, agile test planning is all about flexibility and adaptability. It’s not just about preparation; it’s also about being able to respond quickly to changes. In an agile environment, test planning operates on the core principles of iteration, collaboration, and continuous improvement:
In agile software development, it’s crucial for teams to simplify test plans while ensuring they remain effective. For this reason, agile teams focus on quickly delivering value to customers, often by streamlining processes and minimizing documentation.
Shift your focus from creating extensive documentation to delivering value through effective testing. Identify the essential information necessary to guide testing efforts and prioritize documenting those aspects.
When creating test plans, start by clearly defining the objectives of your testing effort, like checking functionality, performance, and usability. Identify the test objectives, testing tasks (like unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing), and key milestones without delving into unnecessary details.
It’s also important to clearly define the scope of testing, including supported environments, OS versions, and what is considered in-scope or out-of-scope. Specify testing needs like functional testing, regression tests, and performance tests, and define what is expected from third-party or other teams.
Consider a mobile application project targeting both Android and iOS platforms. Listing the supported environments and OS versions in the test plan ensures early setup of test environments and proper allocation of testing tasks. This approach prevents redundant testing across multiple environments during release. Any aspects not defined in the initial test plan can be automatically considered out of scope.
To that point, it’s essential to distinctly define “in-scope” and “out-of-scope” categories within the test plan. In-scope items encompass tasks like functional testing on all user stories, regression tests, sanity tests, final user acceptance tests, specific performance and load tests, and test case reviews.
Conversely, tasks outsourced to third-party entities or other teams, or those not included in the defined scope, can be disregarded, saving resources. For instance, if security tests are outsourced to another company, there’s no need to duplicate security tests on specific user stories. Similarly, testing on OS versions older than the specified minimum would be considered out of scope.
Recognize that project requirements and priorities may change over time. Keep your test plans flexible and adaptable, allowing them to evolve alongside the project. Regularly review and update the documentation to reflect any changes or updates.
Leverage agile tools and technologies to streamline your documentation process. Explore options such as test management platforms, version control, or agile project management tools to simplify documentation and enhance collaboration within your team.
Image: Centralize your testing activities to make it easier to access and manage test assets, reduce duplication, and ensure consistency and collaboration across the testing process.
Leverage agile test plan templates or frameworks to streamline the planning process:
Image: This Test Case (Text) template (one of four customizable test case templates in TestRail) allows users to describe the steps testers should take to test a given case more fluidly.
In agile projects, time and resources are limited, so it’s essential to prioritize testing activities based on their potential impact on the product. Here are some steps you can take to prioritize your tests:
Start by identifying the most critical features and functionalities of your software. These are the aspects that are essential for the product to function correctly and meet user needs.
Understand the key user workflows within your application. Determine which workflows are most commonly used or have the greatest impact on the user experience.
Evaluating potential risks and their level of impact is crucial in test case prioritization. In the context of text case prioritization, risk refers to the probability of a bug occurring. Assessing risk usually involves analyzing the possibility of an identified risk occurring and the potential implications the risk could have if it occurs.
Image: Organize your TestRail test case repository based on priority
Visual aids such as diagrams, flowcharts, or mind maps can help simplify complex test plans and make them more accessible to stakeholders. Use visual representations to illustrate test processes, dependencies, and relationships between different testing activities. Visual aids can enhance understanding and communication, making it easier to convey the software testing strategy to team members and stakeholders.
Image: Agile test plan mind map, created by Nishi Grover Garg
Crafting a streamlined and effective test plan demands thoughtful attention to ensure thorough coverage and successful results. Here are some best practices for agile test planning:
Treat your test plan document as one that evolves over time. Regularly review, update, and refine the test plan based on feedback, lessons learned, and changing project requirements. Continuous improvement is key to enhancing the efficacy of your test planning process, ensuring that it remains aligned with project objectives and responsive to emerging challenges.
Foster collaboration among team members by encouraging open communication, sharing knowledge, and facilitating cross-functional interactions. Collaboration enhances the quality of the test plan and promotes collective ownership of testing goals.
It’s important to also collaborate with stakeholders from different domains to gather insights, requirements, and expectations. Engaging stakeholders early in the process helps ensure alignment and enhances the relevance of your test plan.
Leverage automation testing tools and frameworks to streamline repetitive tasks, accelerate testing cycles, and improve efficiency. However, ensure that test automation efforts align with project objectives and provide meaningful value.
Image: TestRail can be integrated with almost any platform or framework: Easily integrate your automated tests and submit test results with TestRail’s flexible API and CLI tools.
Define relevant metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of your testing efforts. Monitor progress, track outcomes, and use data-driven insights to continuously refine your test plan. Here are some metric formulas you might consider:
| Metric | Formula | Description | Example |
| Defect Density | Defect Density = Defect count / Size of release (lines of code) | Measures the number of defects per unit of size of the software release | If your software has 30 defects and 5,000 lines of code, its defect density is 0.006 defects per line of code |
| Test Coverage | Test Coverage = (Total number of requirements mapped to test cases / Total number of requirements) x 100 | Indicates the percentage of requirements covered by test cases, offering insight into testing scope | If there are 80 requirements mapped to test cases out of 100 total requirements, the test coverage is 80% |
| Defect Detection Efficiency (DDE) | DDE = Percentage of defects detected during a phase / Total number of defects | Measures the effectiveness of defect detection during a specific phase of development | If 50 defects are detected during the testing phase out of 80 total defects, the DDE is 62.5% |
| Time to Market (TTM) | TTM = Time taken from idea to product launch | Measures the duration from conceptualization to the release of the product in the market | If it takes 10 months from the idea to product launch, the TTM is 10 months |
Ready to streamline your test planning process and enhance your team’s productivity? Try TestRail today and experience the benefits of comprehensive test management software. With intuitive features designed to support agile testing practices, TestRail empowers teams to create, execute, and manage test plans with ease. Start your free trial now!
