Quality VS Progress
When it comes to delivering comprehensive software products, technology companies always struggle to find a balance between quality and release dates. Testing your product is a critical step in making sure everything runs smoothly. If a company does not follow any testing time estimation techniques, it may result in missed deadlines and budgets.
Overspending budgets and missing deadlines can cause tension between software delivery companies and their clients. Therefore, evaluating quality assurance in software development, although complex, is a fundamental process that cannot be ignored.
In this article, we explain how to calculate test time estimates, understand what test estimates are, and how to use best practice software testing and quality assurance (QA) and test estimation techniques to ensure delivery schedules and budgets stay on track.
Test process planning
This step consists of two phases: project research and test strategy development.
Project research may vary depending on the company, the team, and the project itself. This phase includes reading and analyzing project documents, meetings, discussions with managers, and market research. On average, we recommend that you spend 1-2 days to clarify all details and get all questions answered in case problems arise during the discussion.
You may need some extra time if:
- The project is large and the documentation is extensive.
- This is your first time working on a certain type of project, and you’ll need some extra time to dig into it.
- The experts involved in the project have different schedules or time zones. Consider planning extra communication time.
Test strategy development includes several important nuances that define the project:
- What types of tests will be performed?
- What experts do you need to develop test plans and test cases?
- How many experts do you need for testing, and what skills should they have?
Test task
Now that we have our testing process planning figured out, it’s time to discuss testing tasks. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that testing time only includes project research and testing. The QA team must also perform a series of other tasks:
- Write test plan
- Build test case
- Develop upgrade procedures
- Conduct tests and evaluate results
- Verify repair
These are just a few basic testing tasks and may vary depending on the organization and project. Therefore, it is important to estimate the testing time and include all required tasks.
Software testing time estimation technology
There are five core estimation techniques in software development that every expert should know:
1. Function point analysis.
The method involves assigning each function point a weighted number based on difficulty. Rank each from 1 to 5 as 1 (simple), 3 (moderate), or 5 (complex). After this, multiply the number of function points by the weight assigned in each category, then multiply the number by 2 (man-hours per function point).
Delphi method.
To use this technique, you need to conduct a survey with a QA expert to determine the average time estimate for each task.
Work breakdown structure.
In this approach, we deconstruct the project into its very basic basic components and estimate the time for each component.
Three estimates.
This estimating technique involves breaking down the project into its basic component tasks. Each component is then assigned one of three given time estimates: optimistic (a), pessimistic (b), and realistic (r). Then, to determine the time estimate (E), use the following formula: E = (A + 4xR + B)/6.
Planning Poker.
This time estimation technique is gamified and is also referred to as scrum poker. After breaking the project down into individual tasks, team members create estimates by playing numbered cards, not revealing their cards until the discussion is over.
Using these planning techniques is a key part of QA time estimation. This template includes various tests that may be relevant to the project. Depending on the project, quality requirements and some other aspects, the template pattern may be modified. If you are new to QA and don’t have a software testing company time estimation template yet, simply try Baidu search. You’ll find plenty of examples that you can then modify and use as needed.
In Conclusion
It is difficult to determine an infallible set of estimation techniques in software testing and development because QA is a complex process with high risks. Keep in mind that all of its estimates include bias. That’s why it’s so important to effectively combine different testing methods and techniques based on the team, project, and other variables that impact project time, resources, and budget.
