Basic Principle of Rapid Testing

The basic principle of rapid testing assumes that there is the closest possible interaction between testers and developers over the entire lifecycle of the software product. During requirements elicitation and analysis, such integration is achieved through the use of static testing technology. The latter involves the review of requirements with the aim to detect defects, as well as the participation of software testing service providers in the requirements formulation process for the purpose of creating specifications as early as possible, which in turn allows the application of requirements during the test planning phase. The principle of integrating testing activities in the development should be followed while planning and calculating labor costs. Software testing is an expensive, complex, resource-intensive process, which consumes one-half the estimated cost of the project. The effective test planning and accurate labor cost estimates contribute significantly to the success of the whole testing process, while failures at this stage can lead to exceeding the estimated cost of the project and disrupting the schedule.

The output of the participants performing the test planning setup is a document or set of documents that must be verified by members of the testing team, the development team and the personnel managing the software development and maintenance. The test plan identifies the resources needed to test a software product, defines what needs to be tested, how testing should be conducted, and what outputs or deliverables will be obtained from the test results. The content and format of the test plan are normally discussed within the organization, by its employees.

The test planning process consists of the following main activities:

1. Definition of a test strategy.
2. Determination of structure of the test system (hardware and software).
3. Effort estimate (resources and schedule).
4. Assessment of the risks associated with non-fulfillment of the project scheduling needs and preparation of a plan of action to mitigate the effects of these risks.
5. Preparation and review (approval) of test plan documentation.

Despite some diagrams tend to show linear sequence of main activities, in many cases, these are performed simultaneously or iteratively. And although the sequence of activities in a project can change, it is important that they all are a part of the trial planning process.