Evaluating Test Management Tools: Reporting

by René Ceelen, on March 3, 2021

In order to achieve the highest level of testing excellence, your team needs tools that measure excellence. Well, not just excellence—a User Acceptance Testing (UAT) tool should also track and report on the bad and the ugly. 

Imagine trying to figure out if a scientific experiment yielded results without a peer-reviewed study or data report? Total failure! When it comes to success along the UAT journey, poor reporting yields poor UAT. Next-level, insightful reporting capabilities provide a top-down perspective that fuels better coordination and information across the entire UAT process. 

In short, your UAT tools must have an almost magical ability to deliver real-time insight into testing status and progress, revealing strengths, weaknesses, and growth areas.

OK, so super-charged reporting functions are essential. Now what? What should my team look for in terms of the pinnacle in UAT reporting? 

Get Smart

Smart reporting allows management to track the workload of the entire team with real-time status and progress reports for test runs, test cases, and issues.

If your UAT cannot provide the following reporting capabilities, keep looking:

  • Timely analysis
  • Fact-based conclusions
  • Reports providing context
  • Connecting reports to all team members
  • Team workload tracking
  • Progress reports to quantify and deploy best practices

Progress Must Progress

A progress report is only useful if it reports, well, action-based progress. That means reports must include all aspects of the UAT process: test runs, test cases, and arising issues. Integrated reports should provide output for the whole package (requirements, risks, test runs, test results, and issues). This also includes the ability to view traceability, progress, and coverage reports. Finally, powerful progress reports allow your team to view issue reports per status, impact, category, priority, or organization.

Filter It

We all have that friend. You know, the one who lacks an internal filter and unloads every single thought that happens to occupy their brains: jokes, commentary, and so on. For UAT reporting, the lack of a filter is not necessarily inappropriate. Having access to all data is important overall, but when it comes to drilling into issues and data management, filters can produce laser-focused analysis. For example, a quality UAT will filter down by defined requirements, risks, planned milestones, or by the tester. Such a test management tool embraces and reflects good test design via next-level reporting.

A Quick Word About Questions

Once upon a time, the American electronics chain RadioShack ruled the electronic retail world. They were the Best Buy and local electronic hobbyist shop all rolled into a carpeted mall store. During the late 90s, the chain mandated that employees answer phone calls with the rather cumbersome: “Welcome to RadioShack. You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers!” 

That may not be the best example of proper phone etiquette (and it’s a mouthful for hapless employees), but the sentiment of the salutation is nevertheless helpful for UAT reporting options. There are a few tough questions that project managers need to ask of UAT reporting functions (and yes, the UAT tool needs to have answers):  

  • How well does the UAT enable viewing traceability, progress, and coverage reports?
  • Are issue reports available per status, impact, category, priority, or organization?
  • Are reports easy to understand and organize?
  • Will the reporting feature push the team to think properly about the overarching goal? 

The TestMonitor Advantage

Does your team have questions about UAT reporting? TestMonitor has answers. Our UAT tool deploys every facet of next-level reporting capability

Our world-class reporting options provide key insights across the project, from strengths to weaknesses and growth areas. TestMonitor produces integrated reports that provide output for the whole package, including requirements, risks, test runs, test results, and issues. 

Ready to put our reporting muscles to the test? Start your free trial of TestMonitor today.

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