by: Heather Todd
You scream, I scream, we all scream for testing?
In the world of software, testing comes in many flavors: Data migration/conversion, system configuration, customization unit testing, QA testing, End-to-end testing, Performance, Disaster Recovery, Parallel testing, and more. But why do we test? What is the difference between a test strategy and a test plan? This blog post answers those questions and more.
Why do we test?
We test to find problems that risks the value of the platform, or that risks the on-time, successful completion of any kind of development work. We test to help the business, managers, and developers decide whether the platform or custom feature is working as per the business requirements.
Approach to testing: Strategy vs Plan
The below table reflects the high-level difference between a test strategy and test plan.
Test Strategy
Goal A technique to follow and which module/features to test.How to test, when to test, and who will verify.
Objective Describes how testing needs to be executed (the approach).
Level Organization/Platform
Changeable No
Management Project Manager/Business AnalystTest Manager
Test Plan*
Goal How to test, when to test, and who will verify.
Objective Describes the scope, objective, and specific details on software testing.
Level Project
Changeable Yes
Management Test Manager
*Note, in a small project test strategy can be incorporated into the test plan.
Test Strategy
A test strategy is a high-level document that derives from the business requirements specification document. Usually, a project manager or a business analyst creates the test strategy to define software testing approaches used to achieve testing objectives. A test strategy document answers the following questions:
What is the product?
What part(s) of it should be tested?
How should they be tested?
When should testing begin?
What are the start/end criteria?
The main components of a test strategy are:
The scope of testing
Test objectives
Budget limitations
Communication and status reporting
Testing measurement and metrics
Defect reporting and tracking
Configuration management
Deadlines
Test execution schedule
Risk identification
Test Plan
A test plan is a document that describes what to test, when to test, how to test, and who will do the tests. It also describes the testing scope and activities. Usually, the Test Manager creates the test plan. If a smaller project, then the project manager or business analyst to create the test plan. The test plan includes the objectives of the tests to be run and helps control the risks. A good test plan should include the schedule for all necessary testing activities in order to control your team’s testing time. It also should define the roles of every team members so that everyone is clear about what is required of them. A test plan document should contain the following information:
Test plan identifier
Introduction
References (a list of related documents)
Test items (the product and its versions)
Features to be tested
Features not to be tested
Item pass or fail criteria
Test approach (testing levels, types, techniques)
Suspension criteria
Deliverables (Test Plan, Test Cases, Test Scripts, Defect/Enhancement Tracking system, Test Reports)
Test environment (hardware, software, tools)
Estimates
Schedule
Staffing and training needs
Responsibilities
Risks
Assumptions and Dependencies
Approvals