Preparation for Test Strategy

A test strategy can be developed for a project/product which can be in any phase such as Requirement, Coding, Testing or Maintenance phase. Test Strategy usually is developed at the initial stage of the “Testing”.  There could also be scenarios where you get a project for testing whose development is over and the client is outsourcing only "Testing"

Regardless of the phase, we have to start with some basic activities to develop test strategy, i.e. understanding the Business, the development and testing environment.

We need to understand the business issues, requirements, processes, working environment, development and testing practices, and expectations of the customer. Once we understand them well, we have the basic blocks, and now we have to put them in place.

Now how to understand the business better and quicker? The best way is to come up with questions, as many as possible. And then try to find out their answers with the help of documents, SME, Knowledgebase, History; Client’s appointed Point of Contacts, Internet, Proof of Concepts etc.

However, I have prepared a long list of questions, which I have divided in to four categories. It could be possible, few question may reappear in another category.

The categories are:

1. Test Related Requirement Elicitation

2. Test Related Process Elicitation

3. Test Related Portfolio Management

4. Test Related Service Level Management. 

The list of questions to be asked under each of above mentioned categories are given in different Blog posts. Please go through them and add values by adding questions and suggestions.