Software Testing Metrics: A Blueprint for Software Testing

Normally, the software testing metrics fall into a few categories. Two of the most important metrics are project management (which includes process efficiency) and process improvement. People are not clear about what metrics they should be using for their purpose. Different metrics are used for different purposes. For example, you may have a set of metrics that you use to evaluate the output of your test team. One such metric may be the project management measure of the number of bugs found. Others may be an efficiency measure of the number of test cases written, or the number of tests executed in a given period of time. The main objective of the metrics is to give the visibility for the software regarding its quality standard; this will help in your assessing how close you are to the point of release to the market.

There is a tendency to overuse the software testing metrics without looking into its usefulness for getting the software done in an efficient and cost effective manner. Ultimately, it is important for the metrics to provide the desired visibility of the software product's quality which alone will give value. Metrics are only useful if they help in making sound business decisions in a timely manner. If the relevancy or integrity of a metric cannot be justified it should not be used. This can further be explained from the decisions being taken in a home environment. At home you prepare a list of activities that need to be completed and as the activity gets completed you check them off. In case you go on making lists including unwanted items you will be only wasting time. Similarly you have to use software testing metrics with care.

The design of the software testing metrics has to be done by the company management who will have an overall view of the requirements of quality, time and cost. This task should not be left to the software testing engineers. They should follow the list given by the management. By doing this way the company tends to get more benefit. The software testing engineer’s job is to do the testing as per the metrics provided to them and not designing of the metrics. The most important feature of the metrics is to provide sufficient visibility on the quality of the software to determine whether it meets the desired standard and also to assess the readiness or closeness for software release date.

Tracking the progress of software testing is an important activity and this is done by using software testing metrics. The output comes in the form of a graph and lists the details of the information on the number of test cases required, expected per week and actually performed. Using software testing metrics in this manner helps in the efficient completion of the software testing by the test team and also accelerates the process of development of the software.