problem solving in software testing

What Is Problem Solving? How Software Engineers Approach Complex Challenges

From debugging an existing system to designing an entirely new software application, a day in the life of a software engineer is filled with various challenges and complexities. The one skill that glues these disparate tasks together and makes them manageable? Problem solving . 

Throughout this blog post, we’ll explore why problem-solving skills are so critical for software engineers, delve into the techniques they use to address complex challenges, and discuss how hiring managers can identify these skills during the hiring process. 

What Is Problem Solving?

But what exactly is problem solving in the context of software engineering? How does it work, and why is it so important?

Problem solving, in the simplest terms, is the process of identifying a problem, analyzing it, and finding the most effective solution to overcome it. For software engineers, this process is deeply embedded in their daily workflow. It could be something as simple as figuring out why a piece of code isn’t working as expected, or something as complex as designing the architecture for a new software system. 

In a world where technology is evolving at a blistering pace, the complexity and volume of problems that software engineers face are also growing. As such, the ability to tackle these issues head-on and find innovative solutions is not only a handy skill — it’s a necessity. 

The Importance of Problem-Solving Skills for Software Engineers

Problem-solving isn’t just another ability that software engineers pull out of their toolkits when they encounter a bug or a system failure. It’s a constant, ongoing process that’s intrinsic to every aspect of their work. Let’s break down why this skill is so critical.

Driving Development Forward

Without problem solving, software development would hit a standstill. Every new feature, every optimization, and every bug fix is a problem that needs solving. Whether it’s a performance issue that needs diagnosing or a user interface that needs improving, the capacity to tackle and solve these problems is what keeps the wheels of development turning.

It’s estimated that 60% of software development lifecycle costs are related to maintenance tasks, including debugging and problem solving. This highlights how pivotal this skill is to the everyday functioning and advancement of software systems.

Innovation and Optimization

The importance of problem solving isn’t confined to reactive scenarios; it also plays a major role in proactive, innovative initiatives . Software engineers often need to think outside the box to come up with creative solutions, whether it’s optimizing an algorithm to run faster or designing a new feature to meet customer needs. These are all forms of problem solving.

Consider the development of the modern smartphone. It wasn’t born out of a pre-existing issue but was a solution to a problem people didn’t realize they had — a device that combined communication, entertainment, and productivity into one handheld tool.

Increasing Efficiency and Productivity

Good problem-solving skills can save a lot of time and resources. Effective problem-solvers are adept at dissecting an issue to understand its root cause, thus reducing the time spent on trial and error. This efficiency means projects move faster, releases happen sooner, and businesses stay ahead of their competition.

Improving Software Quality

Problem solving also plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of the end product. By tackling the root causes of bugs and system failures, software engineers can deliver reliable, high-performing software. This is critical because, according to the Consortium for Information and Software Quality, poor quality software in the U.S. in 2022 cost at least $2.41 trillion in operational issues, wasted developer time, and other related problems.

Problem-Solving Techniques in Software Engineering

So how do software engineers go about tackling these complex challenges? Let’s explore some of the key problem-solving techniques, theories, and processes they commonly use.

Decomposition

Breaking down a problem into smaller, manageable parts is one of the first steps in the problem-solving process. It’s like dealing with a complicated puzzle. You don’t try to solve it all at once. Instead, you separate the pieces, group them based on similarities, and then start working on the smaller sets. This method allows software engineers to handle complex issues without being overwhelmed and makes it easier to identify where things might be going wrong.

Abstraction

In the realm of software engineering, abstraction means focusing on the necessary information only and ignoring irrelevant details. It is a way of simplifying complex systems to make them easier to understand and manage. For instance, a software engineer might ignore the details of how a database works to focus on the information it holds and how to retrieve or modify that information.

Algorithmic Thinking

At its core, software engineering is about creating algorithms — step-by-step procedures to solve a problem or accomplish a goal. Algorithmic thinking involves conceiving and expressing these procedures clearly and accurately and viewing every problem through an algorithmic lens. A well-designed algorithm not only solves the problem at hand but also does so efficiently, saving computational resources.

Parallel Thinking

Parallel thinking is a structured process where team members think in the same direction at the same time, allowing for more organized discussion and collaboration. It’s an approach popularized by Edward de Bono with the “ Six Thinking Hats ” technique, where each “hat” represents a different style of thinking.

In the context of software engineering, parallel thinking can be highly effective for problem solving. For instance, when dealing with a complex issue, the team can use the “White Hat” to focus solely on the data and facts about the problem, then the “Black Hat” to consider potential problems with a proposed solution, and so on. This structured approach can lead to more comprehensive analysis and more effective solutions, and it ensures that everyone’s perspectives are considered.

This is the process of identifying and fixing errors in code . Debugging involves carefully reviewing the code, reproducing and analyzing the error, and then making necessary modifications to rectify the problem. It’s a key part of maintaining and improving software quality.

Testing and Validation

Testing is an essential part of problem solving in software engineering. Engineers use a variety of tests to verify that their code works as expected and to uncover any potential issues. These range from unit tests that check individual components of the code to integration tests that ensure the pieces work well together. Validation, on the other hand, ensures that the solution not only works but also fulfills the intended requirements and objectives.

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Evaluating Problem-Solving Skills

We’ve examined the importance of problem-solving in the work of a software engineer and explored various techniques software engineers employ to approach complex challenges. Now, let’s delve into how hiring teams can identify and evaluate problem-solving skills during the hiring process.

Recognizing Problem-Solving Skills in Candidates

How can you tell if a candidate is a good problem solver? Look for these indicators:

• Previous Experience: A history of dealing with complex, challenging projects is often a good sign. Ask the candidate to discuss a difficult problem they faced in a previous role and how they solved it.
• Problem-Solving Questions: During interviews, pose hypothetical scenarios or present real problems your company has faced. Ask candidates to explain how they would tackle these issues. You’re not just looking for a correct solution but the thought process that led them there.
• Technical Tests: Coding challenges and other technical tests can provide insight into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities. Consider leveraging a platform for assessing these skills in a realistic, job-related context.

Assessing Problem-Solving Skills

Once you’ve identified potential problem solvers, here are a few ways you can assess their skills:

• Solution Effectiveness: Did the candidate solve the problem? How efficient and effective is their solution?
• Approach and Process: Go beyond whether or not they solved the problem and examine how they arrived at their solution. Did they break the problem down into manageable parts? Did they consider different perspectives and possibilities?
• Communication: A good problem solver can explain their thought process clearly. Can the candidate effectively communicate how they arrived at their solution and why they chose it?
• Adaptability: Problem-solving often involves a degree of trial and error. How does the candidate handle roadblocks? Do they adapt their approach based on new information or feedback?

Hiring managers play a crucial role in identifying and fostering problem-solving skills within their teams. By focusing on these abilities during the hiring process, companies can build teams that are more capable, innovative, and resilient.

Key Takeaways

As you can see, problem solving plays a pivotal role in software engineering. Far from being an occasional requirement, it is the lifeblood that drives development forward, catalyzes innovation, and delivers of quality software. 

By leveraging problem-solving techniques, software engineers employ a powerful suite of strategies to overcome complex challenges. But mastering these techniques isn’t simple feat. It requires a learning mindset, regular practice, collaboration, reflective thinking, resilience, and a commitment to staying updated with industry trends. 

For hiring managers and team leads, recognizing these skills and fostering a culture that values and nurtures problem solving is key. It’s this emphasis on problem solving that can differentiate an average team from a high-performing one and an ordinary product from an industry-leading one.

At the end of the day, software engineering is fundamentally about solving problems — problems that matter to businesses, to users, and to the wider society. And it’s the proficient problem solvers who stand at the forefront of this dynamic field, turning challenges into opportunities, and ideas into reality.

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Understanding Problem Solving in Software Testing: An Exploration of Tester Routines and Behavior

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• First Online: 19 September 2023
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• Eduard Paul Enoiu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2416-4205 10 ,
• Gregory Gay   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6794-9585 11 , 12 ,
• Jameel Esber 10 &
• Robert Feldt   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5179-4205 11 , 12  

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14131))

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Software testing is a difficult, intellectual activity performed in a social environment. Naturally, testers use and allocate multiple cognitive resources towards this task. The goal of this study is to understand better the routine and behaviour of human testers and their mental models when performing testing. We investigate this topic by surveying 38 software testers and developers in Sweden. The survey explores testers’ cognitive processes when performing testing by investigating the knowledge they bring, the activities they select and perform, and the challenges they face in their routine. By analyzing the survey results, we provide a characterization of tester practices and identify insights regarding the problem-solving process. We use these descriptions to further enhance a cognitive model of software testing.

Support provided by Software Center Project 30: “Aspects of Automated Testing”, H2020 under grant agreement No. 957212 and Vinnova through SmartDelta project.

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Enoiu, E.P., Gay, G., Esber, J., Feldt, R. (2023). Understanding Problem Solving in Software Testing: An Exploration of Tester Routines and Behavior. In: Bonfanti, S., Gargantini, A., Salvaneschi, P. (eds) Testing Software and Systems. ICTSS 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14131. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43240-8_10

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4 steps to solving any software problem

Problem-solving is a key skill for students, new programmers, and those who work with them.

I’ve noticed a gap in technical education which oddly coincides with a skill all software developers are expected to have: the problem-solving process. I started my software career with a combination of online tutorials and a coding bootcamp, but I’ve heard similar complaints about academic computer science programs.

I’m not saying no one formally teaches these skills, but it seems more common for developers to have to figure them out on their own. Many classic (and controversial ) parts of technical interviews, like whiteboard exercises and “brainteaser” questions, are attempts to test these skills.

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That’s why, whenever I’m helping beginners learn to code, I try to walk them through the process of solving problems in the same way I would at my job. I’d like to articulate those steps here, both for software newbies who are overwhelmed by this whole “coding” thing, and to see how it compares to the process other experienced developers use.

In general, I believe the process of solving a software development problem can be divided into four steps:

• Identify the problem
• Gather information

Iterate potential solutions

Test your solution.

While I’m writing these steps with students and less experienced developers in mind, I hope everyone who works in software will find them a useful reflection on our development process. Programming instructors and anyone who mentors new programmers should make sure their students or mentees have a firm grasp of this process along with any specific technical skills they may need.

What kind of problem?

Note that when I talk about a software development problem, I mean a problem of any size and scope:

• You’re trying to do a very specific thing and you can’t get some piece of it to behave as expected.
• You’re seeing a strange error message and you have no idea what it means.
• You’re trying to figure out some cryptic section of a legacy code base when the original developers have all left the organization.
• You know generally what you want to build, but you have no idea what the individual components of the project will look like.
• You’re trying to decide what software package to use and you don’t know which one is best.
• You know there’s a function to do exactly what you want, but you can’t remember what it’s called.

Identify and understand the problem

This is easier in some cases than in others. Sometimes you get a straightforward error message and you realize you made a simple mistake: a syntax error, forgetting to pass all the variables you need into a function, neglecting to import a package.

On the other hand, sometimes the error is totally baffling. Often a bug won’t present itself with flashing red lights—the program just doesn’t do what you want it to do.

Even when this is the case, you can try your best to articulate the problem. Ask yourself the following questions (and maybe even write down the answers):

• What am I trying to do?
• What have I done already?
• What do I think the program should be doing?
• What is it actually doing?

Gathering information

Sometimes I see people skipping straight to this step without having done the previous one. Examples include:

• Googling Stack Overflow as a first step.
• Copying and pasting code—whether from Stack Overflow, a tutorial, or elsewhere in your codebase—without understanding what it does.

I believe this practice leads to “solving” problems without fully understanding them. That’s not to say any of these resources—Stack Overflow, tutorials, any other examples you find—are bad. But they should be treated as a single tool in your toolbox, not the start and end of the problem-solving process.

How else can you use this toolbox? Think about the kind of information you’re looking for:

• If you know exactly what function, class, or API endpoint you’re using from an external package or service, you can go to the relevant page in its documentation to see all the various options when using it.
• If you’re having problems with an open-source package and you don’t know why, try reading the source code for the relevant feature to make sure it’s doing exactly what you assume it is.
• To get an overview of a new tool or framework, try searching for a tutorial or quickstart guide.
• If you don’t understand why something in your code base is designed the way it is, try looking at the commit history for the relevant file or files—often you can piece together a story of what past developers were trying to do.
• And yes, search engines. Sometimes you know exactly what you want to do but you don’t know what it’s called: “PHP assign two variables.” Sometimes you want ideas on how to do something: “JavaScript shuffle a deck of cards.” And sometimes you just have no idea, but looking at other people’s similar problems can help you figure out what to try next: “Django forms validation not working.” When you do this, try to read any links or relevant documentation you find to get a broader understanding of the issue.

If I’ve been using one of these methods for a while and I don’t seem to be making progress, I’ll often switch to another. I find that a lot of developers I know reach for the search engine first, but for me, intentionally using a variety of methods helps me gain a broader scope of understanding.

Try something. It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you see anything change as a result, that’s a success. You’ll improve on it soon. Then keep trying things until you’ve made substantial progress on the problem.

If you’re in unfamiliar territory, it can help to break down the “solution” into very small increments, and try them out piece by piece. Print your data to the console before you worry about how it’ll be rendered. Call a function you haven’t used before with simple hardcoded arguments, and get it to run as expected before replacing them with the actual data you’ll be using in your application.

This still applies if you’re using someone else’s code from Stack Overflow or a tutorial as an example. Don’t just copy and paste the code into your editor—type out the code line by line. This has two advantages. First, you’re forced to engage with the code and understand it in more detail. Second, you’ll have the chance to update anything that doesn’t translate perfectly to your application. Maybe you can leave out a variable you won’t use; maybe their example uses class Animal and you’re trying to sort Books , so you’d replace a variable called species with one called title .

Sometimes it’s harder to try out what you’re doing after every line of code; that’s ok. The idea is to avoid a situation where you’re typing away at code for hours, only to find that what you created doesn’t work and you have no idea why. Try to find a middle ground, and get to results you can see within a relatively short amount of time.

If you iterate like this for a long time and don’t seem to be getting anywhere, maybe it’s time to start back at step one and try something different. But if you can get something to work, even if it’s not exactly what you had in mind, now’s a good time to move on to the next step.

Often we do this by hand: load a web page and check that it contains all the elements we expect it to render. Try replicating the conditions that led to a bug, and confirm that the bug no longer happens. Try using the feature we added in a few different ways and see what happens.

Another way we do this is with automated tests. Adding a test that asserts a feature works as predicted or a bug no longer occurs helps prevent unexpected problems down the line.

Test-driven development is an alternate approach that starts with this step rather than leaving it to the end. For each change you make to your project, you start by writing a test that asserts the change will work as predicted, then make the change.

One advantage to the test-driven approach is that it forces you to think about what success means before you start working on a given section of the project. This is a good question to ask yourself whether you start by writing a test, write one at the end, or verify your change worked by some other means. It’s part of the first step defined here—identify and understand the problem—because it’s so fundamental to finding a solution.

Even if you are writing automated tests before you add any program code, you’ll be checking that a given portion of work satisfies what you’re trying to do: running the test suite, and trying the feature to make sure it works as expected.

What’s next?

These are the steps I take to solve problems when coding, and the ones I try to impart to students and junior developers when I’m helping them with an issue. I’d like to see more coding education programs—whether in academic computer science, bootcamps, or self-paced tutorials—provide their own instructions on this process. The exact process will depend on the person, the organization, and the work they’re doing—but knowing how to solve problems is a foundational skill to being a programmer. If you work with students or less experienced developers, see what you can do to help them develop this skill.

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11 Must Have QA Testing Skills for Software Testers

Sanjaykumar Ghinaiya

March 22, 2023

What are software tester skills?

#11 automating the process, #10 proficiency in programming languages, #09 knowledge of test management tools, #08 software development life cycle (sdlc), #07 agile methodology, #06 analytical skills, #05 excellent communication skills, #04 project management, #03 problem-solving, #02 planning and documentation, #01 continuous learning process.

•  Is testing a technical skill?

How can I improve my software testing skills?

To complete any professional assignment or job, a professional must have the necessary skill sets and knowledge. Although the requirements may differ depending on the profile, they must be well understood. 

This article will concentrate on several facets of becoming a software tester regarding the crucial abilities and information necessary to succeed in the industry.

The skills for software tester has two key sections, the first of which is the technical expertise needed to do the task without error. The soft abilities you need to have in addition to your technical implementation come next. 

Now, it’s essential to recognize that both abilities work together to produce the desired results. First, one must grasp software testing fundamentals to better understand these two crucial components.

Before making it available to customers, a software tester ensures a fully functional system or service. Developing observable hard and soft skills is frequently necessary for a career in this field. 

Skills for Software Tester: Definition and Skills 

Here we are reading about what are software tester skills and which are highly effective skills for software testers .

Before a corporation distributes a software system or service to the end customer, a software tester has to test the system’s or service’s functionality. You may need a mix of hard and soft talents to succeed in software testing.

Hard skills are the technical skills that help you find defects in a system. Soft skills help you perform your tasks efficiently and add value to the organization. 

Some examples of hard skills for software tester include knowledge about document preparation, database, test preparation, Linux commands, testing procedures, automation tools and issue tracking. Soft skills include analytical reasoning, communication, business awareness and organization.

11 Skills of Highly Effective Software Testers

You will need more than manual testing to get there because of the incorporation of the newest technologies, rising software complexity, and integrations in the application. 

Software testers or QA engineers should gain automation skills for testing browser compatibility, performance, and database and integration layers since it imparts more accuracy due to the business logic and technicality it may provide. 

Additionally, there are a number of test automation tools that fully complement the testing approach and have the capabilities to accomplish the duties efficiently.

Some of the popular test automation tools include:

• TestGrid  
• Katalon Studio

Having programming language knowledge is crucial if you want to improve your automation testing abilities. 

Software testers must be conversant in a standard programming language to interact more effectively with the IT department. Code coverage, statement coverage, and other automation testing techniques require an in-depth understanding of programming concepts.

You may design test cases, meet test requirements, manage resources, and do a lot more with the aid of test management systems. To prevent errors from entering production, test management expertise is essential. You should be familiar with the following test management tools:

• Testing specs, planning, reporting, and requirement tracking are all included in TestLink, one of the top test management solutions.
• TestPad is a compact test planner that strives to offer sufficient test procedures without requiring a complex test management infrastructure.
• QADeputy: It is a fully functional test management application created for small to medium-sized teams that significantly increase testing efficiency.
• TestRail is a test management platform that aids teams in organizing and monitoring software testing activities.

The software development life cycle is referred to as SDLC. Testers must understand the SDLC to organize testing cycles efficiently. They will be better able to understand software complexity and prevent them in the future by having more in-depth knowledge of the software development life cycle.

Thanks to the SDLC’s overall framework, they will be able to comprehend the tasks involved in application development and arrange the testing cycle properly. 

A thorough understanding of the SDLC cycle will also enable testers to foresee application complexity, which will help them decide on the best course of action in advance. Testers must also get familiar with alternative development mythologies, such as Kanban, Waterfall, Scrum, Lean, etc.

Read also: Everything You Must Know About SDLC Automation and Its Benefits

Agile testing follows the same concepts as agile software development in the software testing process. Agile testing is consistent with an iterative development approach in which the development aligns with the client’s needs.

Agile testing is a continuous, non-sequential process. Testing begins at the project’s outset, and testing and development are continuously integrated. The fundamental objective of agile development and testing is to produce high-quality products.

In this method, the team pushes themselves outside their comfort zones and produces high-quality results. Software testers should be well-versed in agile testing instruments like:

Appium, Selenium, Web Driver, JunoOne, JIRA.

A successful software tester needs to be a strong analyst. In doing so, the tester can simplify complex systems and thoroughly understand the code. Additionally, it will support the creation of better test cases, increasing the system’s overall productivity. 

The tester’s primary responsibility is to pinpoint the issue and offer the most effective action to resolve it. To succeed, they must be analytically inclined to assess the problems, faults, and security flaws.

Testers must communicate vocally and in writing with a variety of stakeholders.

As a result, you should be precise when expressing your views and ideas regarding the problem and its solution.

Depending on the stakeholder, a highly effective software tester should be able to describe the problem both technically and plainly. They should know how, when, and what to say during each position because communication is just as crucial as the testing itself.

You should be able to explain the flaw or process improvement to your coworkers who test software, as well as to developers, managers, designers, clients, and occasionally even the CEO.

• Write objective bug reports that every employee in the company should be able to understand.
• You can offer actual observations and recommendations for the product’s enhancement from the customer’s viewpoint.

Technical and business considerations are both included in software testing capabilities. Any tester must be able to take charge of the project to manage both. This means that after testing is finished, a tester delivers the project. 

Testers will develop problem-solving skills by learning project management techniques. In this manner, the testers will carry the responsibility and management of the end-to-end testing project and be responsible and answerable for their work to the relevant person. 

The ability to manage projects effectively is crucial for encouraging responsibility. By doing so, the tester can enhance the overall testing procedure and give the client high-quality results.

Problem-solving is a crucial skill for software testers , as it allows them to identify and resolve issues in the software they are testing. To be effective at problem-solving, software testers must deeply understand the software they are testing and the underlying technologies and systems that support it. 

They must also be familiar with industry best practices for testing and quality assurance. By developing this skill, software testers can improve their performance and contribute to the quality and success of the software they are testing.

Planning and documentation are essential skills for any software tester. Effective planning ensures that testing is carried out efficiently and effectively, while thorough documentation allows testers to keep track of their progress and results. 

Planning should include creating a test plan that outlines the scope, objectives, and approach for testing and identifies any risks or potential issues.

Documentation should include detailed records of the tests performed, the results obtained, and any identified defects or problems. These skills are critical for ensuring that software is of high quality and meets users’ needs.

Continuous learning is also one of the crucial skills for software tester . Today, technology is constantly evolving, and to be an effective tester, you should cope with the latest developments and techniques. 

This may involve attending workshops, conferences, or online courses, regularly reading industry publications and staying updated with new tools and software. 

Additionally, being open to feedback and learning from mistakes will help you improve your skills and become a better tester. By continuously learning, you can stay at the forefront of the field and provide valuable insights to your team.

In conclusion, QA testing is an essential step in the complete software development process and requires a specific set of skills to be done effectively. 

Some of the must-have skills for software testers include attention to detail, strong problem-solving abilities, and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. 

Additionally, testers should have a good understanding of the software development process and be able to create and execute comprehensive test plans. 

They should also be familiar with various testing tools and techniques, such as automated and exploratory testing, and adapt to new technologies and methodologies as needed. Ultimately, having a solid foundation in these skills will help ensure that software is high quality and free of defects. To read more on the topics related to software testing and how you can do it with ease, head over to our blog section here.

 Is testing a technical skill?

Testing can be considered a technical skill because it requires a certain level of knowledge and expertise to properly design and execute tests to ensure a product’s or system’s quality. This can involve using specialized tools and techniques and understanding the underlying technology and how it is intended to function.

To improve your software testing skills , you can learn more about software testing principles and how to design practical test cases. You can also practice using various testing tools and techniques and consider taking a course or certification program to gain more in-depth knowledge. Additionally, staying up-to-date with industry best practices and technological advancements can help you improve your skills.

Sanjaykumar Ghinaiya is the driving force behind Testgrid's innovation engine. With expertise and ingenuity, he propels the company forward, crafting a tomorrow where technology knows no bounds.

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Software testing is the process of evaluating and verifying that a software product or application does what it’s supposed to do. The benefits of good testing include preventing bugs and improving performance.

Software testing today is most effective when it is continuous, indicating that testing is started during the design, continues as the software is built out, and even occurs when deployed into production. Continuous testing means that organizations don’t have to wait for all the pieces to be deployed before testing can start. Shift-left, which is moving testing closer to design, and shift-right, where end-users perform validation, are also philosophies of testing that have recently gained traction in the software community. When your test strategy and management plans are understood, automation of all aspects of testing becomes essential to support the speed of delivery that is required.

Strategic application modernization is one key to transformational success that can boost annual revenue and lower maintenance and running costs.

Register for the guide on DaaS

There are many different types of software tests, each with specific objectives and strategies:

• Acceptance testing: Verifying whether the whole system works as intended.
• Code review: Confirming that new and modified software is following an organization’s coding standards and adheres to its best practices.
• Integration testing: Ensuring that software components or functions operate together.
• Unit testing: Validating that each software unit runs as expected. A unit is the smallest testable component of an application.
• Functional testing: Checking functions by emulating business scenarios, based on functional requirements. Black-box testing is a common way to verify functions.
• Performance testing: Testing how the software runs under different workloads. Load testing, for example, is used to evaluate performance under real-life load conditions.
• Regression testing: Checking whether new features break or degrade functionality. Sanity testing can be used to verify menus, functions and commands at the surface level, when there is no time for a full regression test.
• Security testing: Validating that your software is not open to hackers or other malicious types of vulnerabilities that might be exploited to deny access to your services or cause them to perform incorrectly.
• Stress testing: Testing how much strain the system can take before it fails. Stress testing is considered to be a type of non-functional testing.
• Usability testing: Validating how well a customer can use a system or web application to complete a task.

In each case, validating base requirements is a critical assessment. Just as important, exploratory testing helps a tester or testing team uncover hard-to-predict scenarios and situations that can lead to software errors.

Even a simple application can be subject to a large number and variety of tests. A test management plan helps to prioritize which types of testing provide the most value—given available time and resources. Testing effectiveness is optimized by running the fewest number of tests to find the largest number of defects.

Software testing arrived alongside the development of software, which had its beginnings just after World War II. Computer scientist Tom Kilburn is credited with writing the first piece of software, which debuted on 21 June 1948 at the University of Manchester in England. It performed mathematical calculations by using machine code instructions.

Debugging was the main testing method at the time and remained so for the next two decades. By the 1980s, development teams looked beyond isolating and fixing software bugs to testing applications in real-world settings. It set the stage for a broader view of testing, which encompassed a quality assurance process that was part of the software development lifecycle.

Few can argue against the need for quality control when developing software. Late delivery or software defects can damage a brand’s reputation, which leads to frustrated and lost customers. In extreme cases, a bug or defect can degrade interconnected systems or cause serious malfunctions.

Consider Nissan having to recall over 1 million cars due to a software defect in the airbag sensor detectors, or a software bug that caused the failure of a USD 1.2 billion military satellite launch. 1 The numbers speak for themselves. Software failures in the US cost the economy USD 1.1 trillion in assets in 2016. What’s more, they impacted 4.4 billion customers. 2

Though testing itself costs money, companies can save millions per year in development and support if they have a good testing technique and QA processes in place. Early software testing uncovers problems before a product goes to market. The sooner development teams receive test feedback, the sooner they can address issues such as:

• Architectural flaws
• Poor design decisions
• Invalid or incorrect functionality
• Security vulnerabilities
• Scalability issues

When development leaves ample room for testing, it improves software reliability and high-quality applications are delivered with few errors. A system that meets or even exceeds customer expectations leads to potentially more sales and greater market share.

Software testing follows a common process. Tasks or steps include defining the test environment, developing test cases, writing scripts, analyzing test results and submitting defect reports.

Testing can be time-consuming. Manual testing or ad hoc testing might be enough for small builds. However, for larger systems, tools are frequently used to automate tasks. Automated testing helps teams implement different scenarios, test differentiators (such as moving components into a cloud environment), and quickly get feedback on what works and what doesn't.

A good testing approach encompasses the application programming interface (API), user interface and system levels. The more tests that are automated, and run early, the better. Some teams build in-house test automation tools. However, vendor solutions offer features that can streamline key test management tasks such as:

Continuous testing

Project teams test each build as it becomes available. This type of software testing relies on test automation that is integrated with the deployment process. It enables software to be validated in realistic test environments earlier in the process, which improves design and reduces risks.

Configuration management

Organizations centrally maintain test assets and track what software builds to test. Teams gain access to assets such as code, requirements, design documents, models, test scripts and test results. Good systems include user authentication and audit trails to help teams meet compliance requirements with minimal administrative effort.

Service virtualization

Testing environments might not be available, especially early in code development. Service virtualization simulates the services and systems that are missing or not yet completed, enabling teams to reduce dependencies and test sooner. They can reuse, deploy and change a configuration to test different scenarios without having to modify the original environment.

Defect or bug tracking

Monitoring defects is important to both testing and development teams for measuring and improving quality. Automated tools allow teams to track defects, measure their scope and impact, and uncover related issues.

Metrics and reporting

Reporting and analytics enable team members to share status, goals and test results. Advanced tools integrate project metrics and present results in a dashboard. Teams quickly see the overall health of a project and can monitor relationships between test, development and other project elements.

Case studies

IBM Engineering Workflow Management acts as the critical link between required and delivered work by enabling teams to manage plans, tasks and project status.

IBM Engineering Test Management is a collaborative, quality management solution that offers end-to-end test planning and test asset management, from requirements to defects.

A comprehensive testing and virtualization platform to help ensure application quality throughout the software lifecycle.

IBM DevOps Test Workbench provides software testing tools to support API testing, functional UI testing, performance testing and service virtualization.

IBM DevOps Test Virtualization enables early and frequent testing in the development lifecycle.

IBM DevOps Automation helps improve productivity, reduce business risk and deliver applications faster using generative AI and automation.

IBM DevOps Deploy is an application-release solution that infuses automation into the continuous delivery and continuous deployment process and provides robust visibility, traceability and auditing capabilities.

Velocity automates processes in your release lifecycle and gathers insights into your DevOps processes.

Continuous testing plays a crucial role in accelerating software development, improving code quality, and avoiding costly bottlenecks.

Software development refers to a set of computer science activities dedicated to the process of creating, designing, deploying and supporting software.

This ebook explores why testing earlier and more often is critical for achieving the IBM DevOps goal of faster software delivery.

Developer-centric, deeper dive resources to help improve your software lifecycle experience.

A platform where you can stay informed through webinars, blogs, and other great content. Discuss software testing and DevOps with your peers from around the world.

Are you ready for DevOps? To deliver software and services at the speed the market demands, teams have to iterate and experiment rapidly, deploy new versions frequently, and be driven by feedback and data. The most successful cloud development teams adopt modern DevOps culture and practices, embrace cloud-native architectures and assemble toolchains from best-in-class tools to unleash their productivity.

1 " What is Software Testing? " (link resides outside ibm.com), Thomas Hamilton, guru99.com, updated 3 January 2024

2 " The glitch economy: Counting the cost of software failures " (link resides outside ibm.com), Dalibor Siroky, 30 October 2017

Problem-Solving Skills for Software Developers: Why & How to Improve

Problem-solving skills go hand-in-hand with software development. Learn some great problem-solving techniques and tips for improvement here!

Software developer jobs today require that you possess excellent problem-solving skills , and for good reason. Unfortunately, there seems to be a sort of talent gap when it comes to this one skill required of all software developers.

Troubleshooting and problem resolution are both informally and formally taught, but you mostly find that software developers have to learn problem-solving skills on their own. This is true for self-taught developers , obviously, but also even for those with software engineering degrees or who’ve graduated from coding boot camps.

This is why it’s necessary to acquaint yourself with the problem-solving process, whether you are a newbie or an experienced developer. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about problem-solving so you can 10x your software development career.

What are Problem-Solving Skills?

As a developer, what do we mean by problem-solving? Let’s attempt a simple definition.

In software development, problem-solving is the process of using theories and research to find solutions to a problem domain, while testing different ideas and applying best practices to achieve a desired result. Problem-solving also has to do with utilizing creativity and logical thought processes to identify problems and resolve them with software.

Becoming a great software developer hinges more on learning algorithms than programming languages or frameworks . And algorithms are simply step-by-step instructions to solve a given problem.

Read More : How to Build a Software Engineer Portfolio (With Examples & Tips)

Why are impeccable problem-solving skills crucial?

Making good use of a computer language can be likened to being a skilled writer. An effective writer must know how to construct sentences and use grammar appropriately. There’s more to writing than just knowing all the words in the dictionary, and that’s how it works for developers, too.

You have different tasks to work on as a software developer, including perhaps designing, coding, and troubleshooting. Much of your time will be spent on identifying problems, spotting and correcting bugs, and making sense of codebases from before you started working there. Being ingenious at problem-solving is essential in creating incredible solutions to issues that arise throughout software development.

To demonstrate ingenuity, let’s consider Google’s autocomplete tool as an example.

The autocomplete tool is built to suggest related terms in the search bar as you type. The idea behind the tool is to reduce more than 200 years of time spent typing daily and to help users save time by up to 25% while typing.

Here’s what had to be done:

• To activate real-time completion of suggestions, the UI experience and JavaScript had to be implemented.
• Next, since users could type just about anything, the autocomplete suggestions had to be compiled into a sensible list dependent on user input.
• Then, Google had to create a back-end sustainability system for this function. Doing this meant massively increasing its infrastructure to accommodate all forms of data query and HTTP requests.
• Finally, the user interface had to be refined by software engineers in order to make sure that every user enjoyed a worthwhile experience. So they employed Google Trends to power the auto-completion tool while using algorithms to take out explicit or offensive predictions in line with Google’s auto-completion policy.

This is just one of Google’s innumerable problem-solving examples, but it’s clear to see that solving problems involves more than just telling a computer to do stuff. It’s about your ability to come up with parameters rightly tailored to target users so they can meet their goals.

So why must developers focus on problem-solving at work?

Software developers work with a wide range of people and departments, and it’s common to discover that some clients and teams find it difficult to define what they want. As a problem solver, it’s up to you to help them identify their needs and communicate their thoughts in an effective way.

Of course, you’ll need time and practice to develop your problem resolution ability. That’s because it’s less about solving problems faster but more about coming up with the best solution . And then you’ll need to deploy that solution.

Read More : Common Interview Questions for Software Developer Jobs (Non-Technical)

Types of problem-solving skills

Now let’s talk about four types of problem-solving skills for developers:

1.  Parallel thinking

As a software developer, parallel thinking is a crucial skill necessary to perform optimally. This makes it possible for you to carry out two tasks that complement each other at the same time (like an optimized form of multitasking skills). Being able to reorder tasks to boost parallel execution can help to improve your output and save valuable time .

2. Dissecting broad and/or complex goals

When it comes to building software, you will need to effectively outline the steps and tasks necessary to achieve your goal. Developers must learn to break large and complex tasks into smaller assignments because this is an important skill that will help you create results with precision.

3. Reimplementing existing solutions

You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel. Part of being an effective software developer comes with being able to use already existing tools before even thinking of creating new solutions. Developing problem-solving skills is very much connected to finding solutions that already exist and reusing them.

4. Abstraction

Keep in mind that goals tend to evolve. So if your client comes up with new ideas, that will mean changing your design goals and reordering your tasks. A good programmer must learn to create solutions in such a way that does not require a complete redesign from scratch.

You also have to become adept at abstracting problems so that your solutions can get them resolved so long as they aren’t entirely different from the original issue. You don’t necessarily have to abstract every aspect to avoid more complications being created. This calls for balance by abstracting only where necessary without making narrow decisions.

Read More : Learn 8 Great Benefits of Working From Home

4 Important Tips & Strategies for Improving Problem-Solving Skills

To keep your problem-solving skills and techniques from growing weaker over time, you need to exercise them non-stop. As they say: practice makes perfect!

To train the problem-solving side of your brain, these four tips and strategies can help you improve your abilities:

1. Make problem-solving a part of your life

Never restrict yourself to working on problems only during work hours. Don’t make it a chore, but, instead, do things that make problem-solving look fun. The game of chess, solving puzzles, and playing video games that compel you to think critically will help strengthen your problem-solving skills, and you can tell your significant other you are advancing your career! 🙂

When you come to a complex problem in your life, whether it’s budgeting for a home or renovating the downstairs bathroom, approach it both creatively and critically. Ask yourself: What would a great software engineer do in this situation?

2. Use different platforms to solve problems

Proffer solutions to a set of problems without restricting yourself to one platform. Using different platforms and tools regularly helps make sure you become flexible as a problem-solver. And it makes sense, because there really is no universal solution for the different problems that pop up in your line of work. Trying out different platforms to solve different problems helps you to keep an open mind and enables you to test out different techniques when looking to find solutions.

Read More : 12 Common Mistakes Keeping You From Landing Your First Developer Job

3. Be open to assistance from external sources

Part of being a good software developer comes with being able to ask for help and also accept all forms of feedback. You might need a different opinion or a new set of eyes to help find the most fitting solution to some problems. It makes sense to view building problem-solving skills as more of a team effort rather than a personal journey.

Have an open mind and heart to function not only as an individual but also as a collective. It’s a utopian working environment where everyone supports each other to become better versions of themselves. So if you come across an issue that keeps you stuck, get help! You may find someone who has a more refined framework or method you never knew existed or would have thought of using. You could then learn from them and add their solution to your toolkit.

Get feedback often, as well. This could be the catalyst to making improvements to your processes and evolving them into something truly refined.

4. Tackle new problems using lessons from past solutions

As you practice and finesse your ability to identify problems and find solutions, you’ll begin to notice patterns. It’s more like developing your toolbox armed with a wide range of solutions that have proved useful in the past. So when problems emerge, you will notice how easy it is to take some of those old solutions and apply them to the new problem.

The more you attempt to apply creativity in solving problems, the more you grow your skills. In the long run, that will help you find the right solutions faster and apply them to a wide range of problems more naturally. It’s all about improving the effectiveness and efficiency with which you tackle new problems while applying only the best possible solutions.

Read More : How to Stay Motivated at Work

3 Complementary Skills to Improve to Become a Good Problem Solver

Developing software is mostly about problem-solving at the very core before even writing your first lines of code. You have to identify problems that can be solved using software. Then you have to go on to understand how people try to solve such problems in real life.

It’s up to you to come up with a framework that allows you to take both the problem and the solution and convert them into computer code. And you have to do this in such a way that makes the software even more efficient and effective than a human.

While going through this process, developers also have to handle other problems such as deadline deliveries, checking for bugs and fixing them, and collaborate across teams. So, supporting skills must not be overlooked.

Software developers must build interpersonal skills and collaboration skills . Being able to empathize, accept feedback, handle criticism, listen intently, and show respect for others are all important characteristics and abilities necessary for teamwork, and, thus, necessary for solving problems on the job.

Read More : 5 Ways to Stand Out & Get Noticed in Your Current Development Job

Communication

No one is an island, and that’s true when you consider how software engineers work. Building software requires keeping up with clients and teammates and other departments. You can’t afford to be a Lone Ranger, at least not 100% of the time, and that’s why employers always look for good communication skills.

Being a good software developer also involves how well you can break down very complex concepts to laypeople. You want to be the kind of person who fixes a problem and is able to explain how you were able to do it. It’s all about your ability to be clear and articulate about every aspect of your work. And you want to be able to communicate not just verbally but also in written form.

To build your communication skills as a developer, you can learn from more experienced people and observe how they interact with their clients. And, don’t forget, with more and more companies becoming global enterprises and going remote, it’s important to brush up on your intercultural communication skills , as well.

Logical thinking

The difference between elite software developers and average ones is often said to be logical thinking. The ability to process thoughts logically is important, because you’ll often spend most of your time finding and fixing bugs rather than writing code.

Problems can show up from just about anywhere, even from what seems to be the most insignificant errors. So, your ability to detect software issues and solve these problems using deductive thought processes is a vital ingredient to your success as a software developer.

Read More : Questions to Ask at Interviews for Software Engineering Jobs

Problem-Solving Stages & Practices

There are countless problem-solving processes and various schools of thought regarding the best way to approach problems whenever they arise. To solve that problem, we’ve pooled some of these frameworks together to come up with a comprehensive approach to problem-solving.

Step 1 – Define the problem

You have to first start with problem identification. Knowing what you are dealing with is important, because you don’t want to risk spending valuable time applying wrong solutions. Avoid making automatic assumptions. Even when the symptoms look familiar, you want to investigate properly because such signs could be pointing to something else entirely.

Problems in software development come in different sizes and scopes. You could be having trouble getting some aspects of the product to respond in the desired way. Or maybe you’re having issues trying to decipher a codebase section where you can no longer communicate with the original developers. Sometimes, the problem could come in the form of an unfamiliar error message and you’re at loss.

Once you’re able to define the problem, make sure to document it.

Step 2 – Analyze the problem

Now it’s time to carry out problem analysis . Before deciding what problem resolution methods to adopt, it’s necessary to find out all there is to the issue, which builds on our first step. This will make it easier to come up with ideas and solutions later on.

Problem analysis isn’t always a walk in the park. There are times when the problem involves a very small mistake such as failing to import a package correctly or a small syntax error. Other times, however, it could be such a huge error, like the entire program acting differently than what you want. There might be no alarms or blinking red lights to tell you what the exact problem is.

If you encounter such situations, you can find answers by articulating the problem. Document what you intend to do, what you’ve done, the original intention for the program, and where you currently are. Communication comes in handy here, of course, not just in your documentation, but also in how you relay it to your teammates.

Read More : Got a Busy Developer Schedule? Here’s How to Keep Learning & Make Time

Step 3 – Brainstorm

This step has to do with generating ideas, and you can benefit from discussing the problem with a team and then coming up with ways to get it fixed. Keep in mind that problem-solving at work involves interacting with a diverse group of people where the individuals have unique skill sets and experiences.

Many developers tend to neglect the previous steps and rush straight into brainstorming. That’s definitely not a good way to go about problem-solving. The idea is not to skip the important steps in the process.

Once you get to the point where ideas need to be generated, do not discard any, because this step relies on a wide range of ideas. Only after gathering as many perspectives as possible should you then begin reviewing and narrowing down to the best possible solution.

Step 4 – Make a decision

At this point, all viable solutions have to be analyzed before selecting the most appropriate one to implement. Picking the best possible solution depends on its ability to meet certain criteria. It must be suitable, feasible, and then acceptable.

What it means is that the solution must be able to get the problem solved. It should also be easy to see how such a solution fits into the equation. And then every member of the team involved in the brainstorming process has to unanimously accept the solution.

Read More : How to Network as a Software Engineer

Step 5 – Implement

After identifying and choosing the solution, the next logical step is to plan out the implementation process and then execute it. Coming up with a detailed plan is crucial if the solution is to be a success.

Now this plan must detail all the necessary steps required to implement the solution. It will also explain the length of time and stages of work required. Once all of that is put in place, you can then move forward with the execution. The idea is not just to execute a solution but to do it the right way.

Implementation using automated tests can help to keep unexpected issues from arising in the future. Some other problem-solving practices or approaches begin the process with this step. So, whenever any changes are made to the project, tests asserting that the changes will perform as required will be written first before the changes are then made.

Step 6 – Evaluate

No problem-solving process can be deemed comprehensive enough if there is no room for evaluation. Whatever the solution may be, it has to undergo strict evaluation in order to see how it performs. That will also help determine whether the problem still exists and the extent to which such an issue keeps recurring.

In the event that the problem persists despite the implementation of a detailed plan, then the developer and team may even have to restart the problem-solving process. However discouraging that may sound, at least you’ll have caught it early enough. And, this also proves the process worked.

Read More : How to Become a Software Engineer: Education, Steps & Tips for Success

Final Thoughts

Developing problem-solving skills is quite necessary for software developers. To be a successful problem solver, you will need lots of years down the line to practice what you study.

Always remember that you are a problem solver first before anything else. There is more to building software than just understanding the tech behind it and writing lines of code. It’s all about improving your ability to identify problems and find solutions, and that will need lots of experience on your part.

Never shy away from problems, but learn to think critically and logically in any situation. By applying the six-step strategy for problem-solving at work discussed in this piece, you will be more equipped to come up with the most effective and efficient solutions.

We hope you enjoyed reading our guide on how to solve a problem as a software developer and ways to improve skills as a problem solver! If you have any questions, feedback, or other great problem-solving techniques or methods, let us know in the comments below 🙂

The Arc team publishes insightful articles and thought leadership pieces related to software engineering careers and remote work. From helping entry-level developers land their first junior role to assisting remote workers struggling with working from home to guiding mid-level programmers as they seek a leadership position, Arc covers it all and more!

Further reading

Ready to Take On a Senior Role or Leadership Position as a Developer?

Here Are 43 of the Best Online Developer Communities to Join in 2024

Here’s When You Can TRULY Call Yourself a “Senior” Software Developer

Time Management Skills for Developers: Best Tips, Tools, and Strategies

Software Engineer Degree: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

Key Analytical Skills for Developers (& How to Continually Improve Them)

16 Software Testing Challenges: How to Handle Them

Software testing is a process that helps identify the defects in software application. It is an important step in software development life cycle .

However, software testing can be challenging at times.

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the common software testing challenges and how to handle them.

List of Software Testing Challenges

#1. communication issues.

One of the challenges in software testing is communication issues.

Communication problems can occur between the development team and the testing team. There might be a misunderstanding about the requirements or about the features that need to be tested. It is important to have clear communication between the two teams to avoid these issues.

Another type of communication issue can occur within the testing team itself. The members of the testing team might not be on the same page when it comes to the approach or the process of software testing. It is important to have a clear and concise communication within the team to avoid these issues.

#2. Lack of Resources

Another challenge that can be faced during software testing is the lack of resources or limited resources.

This can include both human resources and software resources.

The software might need to be tested on different platforms.

There might not be enough testers available to test the software. Or, there might not be enough software licenses available for the testing tools.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with these kinds of resource constraints. This plan should include things like using automation tools .

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with limited resources during software testing.

#3. Dealing with Changes

Another challenge that is faced during software testing is dealing with changes.

The software might be constantly changing, and the testers need to keep up with these changes. They also need to ensure that the test cases are still valid and that they cover all the new features.

It is important to have a process in place to deal with changes. This process should be followed by both the development team and the testing team.

#4. Time Constraints

One of the biggest challenges in software testing is time constraints.

There might not be enough time to thoroughly test the software before it needs to be released. Or, there might be a tight deadline that needs to be met.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with time constraints. This plan should include things like automation testing and parallel testing .

#5. Missing Documentation

One of the challenges in software testing is incomplete or missing documentation.

This can make it difficult to understand the requirements or to know what needs to be tested. It is important to have complete and up-to-date documentation for the software under test. This documentation should be easily accessible by the testing team.

Another challenge related to documentation is outdated documentation. The software might have changed since the documentation was written. This can make it difficult to know what is currently working and what needs to be updated in the documentation. It is important to keep the documentation up-to-date with the software changes.

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with documentation during software testing.

Must Read: What is Documentation Testing in Software Testing

#6. Inadequate Testing

Inadequate testing is one of the challenges in software testing.

This can happen when the software is not tested thoroughly enough before it is released. This can lead to software bugs and defects that could have been avoided if more time was spent on testing.

It is important to make sure that the software is sufficiently tested before it is released. This can help to avoid software defects and improve the quality of the software .

#7. Unstable Environment

Unstable environment is another challenge in software testing.

An unstable environment can also refer to the hardware or software being used for testing. The software might be installed on a server that is constantly changing. Or, the hardware might be updated frequently. This can make it difficult to keep up with the changes and to ensure that the test environment is stable.

It is important to have a process in place to deal with an unstable environment. This process should be followed by both the development team and the testing team.

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with an unstable environment during software testing.

#8. Compatibility Issues

One of the major challenges in software testing is compatibility issues.

The software might need to be compatible with different operating systems, browsers, or devices. This can make it difficult to test the software thoroughly. It is important to have a plan like performing compatibility testing to deal with compatibility issues. This plan should include things like using emulators and simulators .

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with compatibility issues during software testing.

#9. Not Knowing When To Stop Testing

Not knowing when to stop testing is also another challenge in software testing especially for inexperienced teams.

The software might need to be tested for different scenarios. This can make it difficult to know when all the test cases have been covered.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with this challenge. This plan should include things like creating a checklist of all the things that need to be tested.

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when not knowing when to stop the testing during software testing.

Must read: Types of Test Cases To Be Automated and Types of Test Cases Not To Be Automated

#10. Which tests to execute first

One of the challenges in software testing is deciding which tests to execute first.

The software might need to be tested for different scenarios. This can make it difficult to know which test cases are the most important.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with this challenge. This plan should include things like creating a priority list of all the test cases .

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when deciding which tests to execute first during software testing.

#11. Regression Testing

Major challneges we face while performing regression testing is to create and maintain regression tests. Creating and maintaining regression test cases take up time and resources.

The software might need to be tested after every change. This can make it difficult to ensure that all the test cases are still valid.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with regression testing. This plan should include things like regression testing tools to overcome the challenges and make regression testing cost-effective, accurate, and especially faster.

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with regression testing during software testing.

#12. Defect Management

To make software testing run smoothly and avoid the pitfalls we need to overcome another challenge that is defect management.

The software might need to be tested for different types of defects . This can make it difficult to track all the defects.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with defect management. This plan should include things like using a bug tracking system .

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with defect management during software testing.

#13. Test Environment Duplication

Test environment duplication is another software testing challenge.

The software might need to be tested in different environments. This can make it difficult to duplicate the test environment.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with this challenge. This plan should include things like using virtual machines .

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with test environment duplication during software testing.

#14. Test Data Management

One of the challenges in software testing is test data management.

The software might need to be tested with different data sets. This can make it difficult to manage all the test data.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with this challenge. This plan should include things like using a test data management tool .

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with test data management during software testing.

#15. Undefined Quality Standards

Undefined quality standards is another challenge in software testing.

The software might need to be tested against different software testing standards . This can make it difficult to know which quality standards to use.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with this challenge. This plan should include things like using a software development process that defines the quality standards.

These are some of the challenges that can be faced when dealing with undefined quality standards during software testing.

#16. Lack of Traceability between requirements and test cases

Another challenge in software testing is lack of traceability between requirements and test cases.

The software might need to be tested against different requirements. This can make it difficult to track all the requirements.

It is important to have a plan in place to deal with this challenge. This plan should include things like using a requirements management tool .

These are some of the common software testing challenges that can be faced during the software development process.

By following these tips, you can overcome software testing challenges and ensure a successful software development project.

What are some of the challenges that you have faced with software testing? How did you overcome them? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

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Rajkumar SM is a founder of SoftwareTestingMaterial. He is a certified Software Test Engineer by profession and a blogger & a YouTuber by a choice. He has extensive experience in the field of Software Testing. Furthermore, he loves to be with his wife and a cute little kid 'Freedom'.

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Understanding Problem Solving in Software Testing: An Exploration of Tester Routines and Behavior Paper in proceeding, 2023

Software Testing

Test Design

Problem Solving

Eduard Enoiu

Mälardalens högskola

Gregory Gay

University of Gothenburg

Chalmers, Computer Science and Engineering (Chalmers), Interaction Design and Software Engineering

Jameel Esber

Robert feldt.

Chalmers, Computer Science and Engineering (Chalmers), Software Engineering (Chalmers)

Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

03029743 (ISSN) 16113349 (eISSN)

Subject Categories

Software Engineering

Computer Science

Computer Systems

10.1007/978-3-031-43240-8_10

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5 Main Software Testing Issues and Methods to Resolve Them

October 31st, 2017.

• Inadequate schedule of testing:

Testing is a time consuming affair. It has to be so since it is done to bring out the defects or inadequacies of the system under different conditions and not to show that it works. Testing needs to go hand in hand with development . This will make sure that inadequacies or errors in a particular functionality of the system is brought to the notice of the development team and sorted out sooner than later. However, more often than not what happens is that managers keep on postponing testing until late in the development process. This leaves very little time for final testing which results in inadequate schedule of the process.

• The managers must emphasize the need for testing as a follow up and they have to make sure that development and testing of different functionalities of a system goes side by side. This will give the testing team enough time to look at the systemic inadequacies and vulnerabilities comprehensively.
• Insufficient testing environment and tools:

Tools and environments are backbones of proper software testing. However, testing is often carried out in inadequate testing environment. An over reliance on manual testing or COTS testing tools is another aspect. Moreover,  some of the environmental components themselves suffer from defects. What is commonly seen is that test environment, test data and test software are not under adequate configuration control.

• Team managers must ensure that actual or close enough hardware and software requirements are met in a testing environment. This will make sure that testing brings out the flaws that would actually evolve during operations by the end user
• Team managers must also deploy automated testing tools if the testing process is complex, as involving more human testers is not possible. This will make sure that testing is carried out fast, with limited resource and repeatedly and can bring out more flaws in the system
• Wrong testing mindset

Often the mindset of the software testing team revolves around finding out functionality of the system rather than finding defects in it. This itself prohibits the team from finding out flaws in the software.

• It is the duty of team lead to inculcate the notion that testing is done to find fault with the system or software under different conditions and not to prove that it works
• Testing lessons are often ignored

It is often seen that same type of problems are repeated in systems,projects after projects.

• This is purely a management related problem. Management must ensure that team leads are careful enough to document each and every lesson learnt in previous projects and implement them in projects thereafter.
• Poor integration of testing and engineering processes

• Testing team must ensure that components and subsystems are tested when they are mature enough to be tested on all parameters. This can only happen if the testing and engineering team works are well coordinated.

Conclusion For letting us conclude, it is best said that unlike a single person, being a team is smarter. So, the best advice is to get together and fly high. Large enterprise and customers should not spend too much time accounting for errors which come up. Following a good and systematic practice for your QA needs will certainly provide quality to your team.

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