Are you reeling under the situation of defect fatigue? This is a phenomenon that occurs when members of an organization become numb to defects in a system or process – having seen them over and over again or simply reaching a state where these defects go unreported. This can affect the quality assurance output and promote lack of attention to detail, as people become less motivated to identify and fix defects.
This often happens when a team is under pressure to deliver a project or release a product in a limited amount of time. Defects that are not found or rectified as a result of this condition could result in a loss – revenue and reputation – both. How do you deal with it?
Defect fatigue can also occur when an organization has been dealing with similar types of issues for a long time. In this situation, people can become complacent and lack motivation.
Consider Investigative Testing
Investigative testing is a type of testing that examines the security of a system or application. It involves the use of various tools, techniques, and strategies to determine the effectiveness of the system’s security measures.
Testing conducted as part of an investigation employs a variety of manual and automated testing methods. A valid, high-priority defect must be found before conducting investigative testing, therefore either human or automated scripts are used that are not persistent or saved for repeat use. Similar to exploratory testing, but more in-depth than traditional regression or smoke testing suites, tests are built on the spot and from scratch for each cycle.
Investigative testing can involve the use of penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, security audits, and other techniques. The goal of investigative testing is to identify system weaknesses, measure the risk of exploitation, and recommend measures for mitigating the risks.
How to Get Started with Investigative Testing
Investigative testing is a type of software testing that involves testing the application to identify hidden defects. Here are some tips for detecting hidden defects using investigative testing:
- Analyze the Requirements: Carefully analyze the system requirements to identify potential defects. Identify areas where there may be a lack of clarity or ambiguity that could lead to incorrect implementations.
- Check for Boundary Conditions: Boundary conditions occur when the input or output of a system reaches its defined limits. By testing these conditions, it is possible to identify errors that may otherwise remain hidden.
- Identify Stress Points: Stress points are areas of the application that are likely to produce unexpected results due to the complexity of the code. Investigating such areas can help uncover errors that are not easily visible.
- Test for Patterns: Patterns in the code can indicate potential issues. By testing for patterns, it is possible to uncover errors that are not easily spotted.
- Use Automated Testing Tools: Automated testing tools can help identify hidden defects quickly and efficiently.
- Conduct Exploratory Testing: Exploratory testing involves testing the application in an unstructured manner to uncover hidden issues. This can be effective in uncovering issues that are not easily identified using other methods.
- Run Regression Tests: Regression tests are a type of software testing that helps to identify errors that were previously not detected. By running regression tests, it is possible to uncover defects that may have been previously overlooked.
Summing Up
Investigative testing is a type of software testing that can help organizations uncover hidden defects in their applications. It involves the use of various tools and techniques to uncover potential issues, such as analyzing system requirements, testing boundary conditions, identifying stress points, testing for patterns, using automated testing tools, conducting exploratory testing, and running regression tests. By using investigative testing, organizations can identify potential defects that may otherwise remain hidden, helping them prevent defect fatigue and maintain high levels of quality assurance. Businesses can save a lot of money and time by employing this testing method instead of spending these resources trying to find and correct these hidden defects.
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Written by Infiwave Solutions