Must-Have Test Management Features for Every Team

Test management tools provide developers and other professionals with a great way to manage, structure, and execute the tests they need to build better products for their customers.

With the right features, interfaces, and functionalities, a test management tool allows every member of a development team to focus more on what they do best and less on repetitive administrative tasks.

So what makes a strong test management tool, and what should you look for when you are trying to find the best fit for each member of your team?

When beginning any test management tool comparison, it’s important to know what you are looking for. Here is a look at the must-have features in a test management tool and how they will deliver for your team:

The Must-Have Test Management Features

There are many options to choose from when it comes to test management tools. However, there are only a select few that can deliver the right mix of features and functionalities to benefit every member of your development team. 

Here are some of the key features to include in your must-have list:

An Intuitive User Interface

Make it easy for your team (and testers) to find the features they need with a platform that offers an intuitive and clean interface. You can even take it to the next level with a flexible platform that personalizes the user interface (UI) for your team’s needs and customizes it to fit your brand and best practices.

A Logical Workflow

Although every product and team is unique, there are consistent steps and approaches to test management. Make sure that the test management tool offers the right balance between structured testing and spaces to facilitate collaboration and communication.

Flexible Test Management

Allow your team to focus more on what they do best and less on administrative tasks by selecting a tool that makes it easy to:

• Create schedules and milestones from templates.
• Leverage test case libraries and templates.
• Manage requirements from end to end.
• Execute tests and capture results across testing types.

Reporting and Analytics

With a range of built-in and customizable reports and dashboards for both individual test efforts and across a portfolio, you ensure comprehensive reporting and analytics.

Integrations

Ensure the tool can integrate with existing enterprise and development team applications and software to streamline workflows.

The Essential Features for Your Team

Software testing is one of the most crucial phases of software development. That’s why the right test management tool can offer benefits to each level and role on your team. 

Here are some of the features that each member of your team will discover they cannot live without:

Test Managers

From leveraging testing templates, built-in reporting templates, and end-to-end requirement traceability to providing enhanced visibility into project status for external and internal stakeholders, test managers will have better control over their projects and risk mitigation.

IT Project Managers

IT project managers are responsible for orchestrating the many phases and moving parts of testing efforts. You should give them the ability to create schedules, develop reports, manage budgets and resource estimates, and monitor risks and issues within a test management tool that easily integrates with their preferred project management software.

QA Managers

Quality assurance (QA) managers bring a unique blend of technical expertise and managerial skills to their role, ensuring their teams produce reliable, fit-for-purpose software. A test management tool accelerates their ability to create test cases, execute test runs, and monitor defect resolution from identification to closeout. 

Scrum Masters

Scrum masters are focused on coaching their teams and clearing roadblocks that can slow down development from sprint to sprint. The right test management tool is flexible enough to handle every project, sprint, and team composition, all while giving scrum masters the tools needed to communicate, coordinate, and track tasks with precision.

Release Managers

Release managers have many balls to juggle when it comes to evaluating, testing, and deploying new features for their brand’s software. Not only do the new features or patches need to work with existing integrations, functions, and other components, but they also must pass through user acceptance testing (UAT) and security evaluations. A modern test management tool makes it easy to handle multiple release efforts from start to finish.

Developers

The workflows and approaches that developers use are as unique as the products they create. However, managing sprints, tracking issues, performing quality audits, and resolving bugs are common across all industries and experience levels with software development. The right test management tool is agile enough to deliver for all kinds of developers, resulting in more stable, error-free, and secure software.

Take the Next Step

Whether you are in the market for your first test management tool or your organization has evolved and needs a more powerful solution, taking the time to seek out the must-have features of today’s modern platforms can deliver significant dividends to each member of your team—and prevent buyer’s remorse in the future.

Ready to get your hands on an industry-leading test management tool? Then click here to get started with your 14-day free trial of TestMonitor.