In this blog we are going to discuss what test strategy is all about, why test strategy is required when we would require a test strategy document and finally about how to write Test strategy document<\/p>\n
A Test strategy is a static document that describes how the testing activity will be done. This is like a handbook to stakeholders which describes the test approach that we undertake, how we manage risk as well as how we do testing and what all levels of testing along with entry and exit criteria <\/a> of each activity. This will be a generic document that the testing team would refer to prepare their test plan for every project.<\/p>\n Test strategy act as a guidelines\/plan at the global Organization\/Business Unit level<\/b> whereas Test plan will be specific to project and always we should ensure that we are not deviating from what we commit in Test strategy<\/p>\n It gives an Organization a standard approach about how Quality is ensured in the SDLC. When there is any typical risk involved in a program, how to mitigate those risk and how can those risks be handled. When every project adopt to the same standard, quality improvement<\/a> will be witnessed across the Organization and hence Test strategy is important<\/p>\n Below could be some of the circumstances which would require Test Strategy.<\/p>\n <\/i> When an Organization is forming a separate QA wing<\/p>\n <\/i> When there is a change in QA Organization from normal QA model to TCoE \/ QCoE where the operating model and structure is changed<\/p>\n <\/i> When QA leadership changes who comes with different perception<\/p>\n <\/i> When Organization is adopting different tool approach for Automation \/ Performance etc <\/p>\n Below are the contents of Test Strategy document<\/p>\n 1) Brief Introduction about programs covered in this Strategy<\/p>\n 2) Testing Scope and Objective<\/p>\n 3) Test Planning \/ Timeline<\/p>\n 4) TEM Strategy<\/p>\n 5) TDM Strategy<\/p>\n 6) Performance Strategy<\/p>\n 7) Automation Strategy<\/p>\n 8) Release and Configuration Management<\/p>\n 9) Test schedule, cycles, and reporting<\/p>\n 10) Risk and Mitigation<\/p>\n 11) Assumptions<\/p>\n This section covers the overall scope this Test strategy is going to be covered with. Important engagement and programs which will run based on this Test strategy. <\/p>\n <\/i> This section describes the following<\/p>\n <\/i> What will be the different levels of testing conducted like Integration, System, E2E, etc<\/p>\n <\/i> The process of review and approval of each stage<\/p>\n <\/i> Roles and Responsibility<\/p>\n <\/i> Defect process and procedure till final Test sign off<\/p>\n This section covers in-brief the following<\/p>\n <\/i> What are the programs going to be executed<\/p>\n <\/i> What is the timeline that each program is going to constitute<\/p>\n <\/i> What will be the infrastructure and tooling needs to support this program<\/p>\n <\/i> Different Environment that will be used<\/p>\n Prior section describes the overall requirement and this section describes in detail about the Test Environment Strategy<\/a> and covers the following<\/p>\n 1) How to book Environment for project purpose including booking 3rd party Environment<\/p>\n 2) Assess to Environment to users for project requirement<\/p>\n 3) Environment integration and stability management<\/p>\n 4) Test data refresh co-ordination<\/p>\n 5) Post release Environment validation<\/p>\n 6) Support and co-ordination requirement<\/p>\n Similar to Environment, different project test teams would require different data requirement and some would need to mock up live data. This section in TDM strategy would provide the below information<\/p>\n <\/i> What are the forms to be filled and agreement to be in place to serve this data need<\/p>\n <\/i> What type of data to be loaded and when it will be available<\/p>\n <\/i> Who will be the point of contact for each program<\/p>\n <\/i> If any 3rd party Vendor support is required, this would describe in detail of that<\/p>\n Based on various programs and its schedules listed in the prior section, performance strategy would describe how Performance Testing requirements<\/a> would be fulfilled and what their tool strategy, license model is and team availability. If the team also does Performance Engineering, it would describe in detail about how it is performed<\/p>\n It cover details about Requirement phase<\/b> (How NFR requirement will be gathered from stakeholders, Proof of concept procedure, how critical scenarios are defined.), Testing phase<\/b> (How testable scripts are created, how data setup is done), Analysis and Recommendation<\/b> (How performance issues are reported, sign off procedure)<\/p>\n Similar to Performance Strategy, Automation strategy would describe how requirements are defined, tool strategy, license model, etc and also elaborate how the Automation team conducts feasibility approach till defining framework, developing scripts till execution and Continuous Testing if it is in-scope<\/p>\n This section describe the following areas of Release and configuration management<\/p>\n <\/i> Overall release and configuration strategy<\/p>\n <\/i> QA deployment and release calendar<\/p>\n <\/i> How different Test assets are loaded and tracked<\/p>\n <\/i> Co-ordination of QA Deployment<\/p>\n <\/i> How QA audit is conducted<\/p>\n <\/i> How production deployment is co-ordinated by the QA team<\/p>\n <\/i> Change Management for any CR post-release is managed<\/p>\n This section details out about each program, its schedules, Test timeline, Test cycles and how reporting will be carried out.<\/p>\n This section describes overall risk management and risk mitigation process<\/b> along with how it will be tracked and reported.<\/p>\n It also classifies various risk levels like Project level and program level risk and describes how it will be handled during the execution phase<\/p>\nWhy Test Strategy is required<\/h3>\n
When do we need a Test Strategy<\/h3>\n
Contents of Test Strategy<\/h3>\n
Brief Introduction about programs covered in this Strategy<\/h3>\n
Testing Scope and Objective<\/h3>\n
Test Planning and Timeline<\/h3>\n
TEM Strategy<\/h3>\n
TDM Strategy<\/h3>\n
Performance Strategy<\/h3>\n
Automation Testing Strategy<\/h3>\n
Release and Configuration Management<\/h3>\n
Test schedule, cycles and reporting<\/h3>\n
Risk and Mitigation<\/h3>\n
Assumption and Dependencies<\/h3>\n