How do you plan and prepare for the next testing cycle or project after the test closure phase of the STLC?

The test closure phase is crucial. Recently, after completing a major project, I reviewed the test closure report, which summarized our activities, results and metrics. This review included a SWOT analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses. Our automated regression suite was a strength, cutting testing time by 40%, but inconsistent test data management was a weakness, causing false positives. Comparing outcomes with objectives highlighted gaps, such as missed performance benchmarks due to underestimated loads. These insights guided our next testing cycle, focusing on improving test data management and refining performance testing. Continuously leveraging lessons learned ensures each cycle is more efficient and effective.

-Creating comprehensive deliverables test reports and evidence. -Storing test cases, scripts, and results for future reference. -Analyzing the testing process to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement.

As a Service Quality engineer, transitioning from test closure to the next project involves a knowledge transfer through test closure report review, project intake with developers to understand scope and risks, crafting a test plan with lessons learned in mind, preparing test environments and data, designing test cases (leveraging existing ones when possible) with an eye for automation opportunities, and maintaining clear communication with all stakeholders throughout the process.

This is an important step. In my previous organization, test closure reports were used to just focus on the shortcomings. But that rarely helped because then teams tried to manipulate their results to get the 'perfect report'. Now, we use this report to figure out what we've been doing right and what needs improvement. For example, we learnt that trying to automate every scenario was wasting a lot of time and efforts. Hence, we decided to plan what to automate, and what to let go based on experience, client usage, and historic data.

After one test cycle is completed by the QA team, the team has to submit a report to the management mentioning test activities, metrics and other outcomes with a feedback from stakeholders involved in the testing. This will be reviewed and points should be taken into consideration for the next iteration or cycle.

Before we jump into the next one, let's take a sec and have a quick team chat. We can talk about what worked awesomely this time around, and you know, anything that maybe slowed us down a bit. Sharing our experiences, the good, the bad, and the in-between, helps us all learn from each other and get even better testers for the next project. Basically, it's like a post-game review to make sure we're all MVPs next time!

As an SDET, conducting a retrospective meeting after the test closure phase is vital. Recently, after completing a major project, our team gathered to reflect on what went well, what didn't, and how we could improve. We invited developers, project managers, business analysts, and clients to share their insights. This collaborative approach allowed us to celebrate our successes and learn from our challenges. We documented key findings and action items, ensuring we addressed them in the next testing cycle. This process has been instrumental in continuously improving our testing methods and outcomes.

A meeting should be held with the QA team to reflect on how the testing cycle was followed, what went well, what didn't and identify improvements to be done in the next build. Checklist must be made in this meeting to be followed in the test cycle of the next build.

As an SDET, maintaining an organized test repository is crucial for our testing process. After completing a recent project, we updated our test repository to ensure all test artifacts—cases, data, scripts, logs, and reports—were accurate, consistent, and complete. We removed obsolete or redundant items and backed up the repository to prevent data loss. This practice has streamlined our preparation for the next testing cycle, allowing us to reuse and efficiently manage our test assets. Keeping our test repository up-to-date has been essential in maintaining high standards and continuous improvement in our QA processes.

A good strategy here is to have a backlog just for test maintenance, as it may not always be possible to make all the changes immediately. Prioritize these changes and keep doing these incorporations regularly, preferably in every sprint.

Testing Objectives: Define clear and measurable objectives for the next testing cycle. Align these objectives with the overall project goals and the new functionalities being introduced. Test Strategy and Scope: Develop a test strategy outlining the methodologies (e.g., black-box, white-box testing) and tools to be used. Determine the scope of testing based on the risk assessment and project timelines. Test Case Design: Start designing test cases for the new features and functionalities. Leverage learnings from the previous cycle to optimize test case creation.

All right, so you finished testing for a project—congratulations! But before diving into the next one, let's tie up loose ends and get ready for takeoff. First, send a quick email to the team thanking them and highlighting important findings from testing—a high five for a job well done! Next, schedule a brief "lessons learned" meeting to discuss what went well and what could be improved. This fine-tunes your testing process. While you're at it, get a sneak peek at the next project's specifications to organize in advance. It's like packing for your next journey. Finally, assess the team's capacity and training needs. With a high-level strategy for upcoming testing stages, everyone will be on the same page, ensuring a seamless transition.

If you are proceeding with testing the new release, please follow these steps: a) Review the lessons learned and determine what needs to be changed in the process, toolset, or practices for the next release. b) Analyze production feedback from the previous release, including bugs reported in production, Appstore feedback if it's a mobile app, and social media feedback. Adjust your testing strategy based on this analysis. c) Optimize and update your regression pack to incorporate the new changes that have been implemented in production.