Top 5 Testing Metrics in Agile

Testing Metrics: Their importance and various examples in Agile

The use of testing metrics in agile is gaining momentum day by day and for all the right reasons. The use of Agile is not new for better communication, integration, transparency, and successful running of the project. Agile methodologies are based on the fast-paced development of the software which should ensure the testing of the software is also fast-paced. So, to maintain that quality while delivering the products, testing metrics become very much crucial for the task. Today in this article, we are going to cover some of the significant testing metrics and how they can be implemented in the project. But first, we are going to throw light on the need for testing metrics so that we are clearer while moving ahead.

What Exactly are Testing Metrics in the Agile Environment?

When we are working in the team which is responsible for the software development, the testing of that software and its features becomes more and more crucial. But there are times when the testers are not able to identify what metrics they can use for the tests and this might affect the overall quality of the project. So, testing metrics are the quantifiable metrics that can be used in the project to measure the progress of testing in software development. Using these metrics the stakeholders can get a clear picture of the progress of the software. Now we will learn why we need these metrics on the project level:

Need for These Testing Metrics in the Team:

There are so many advantages that a team is going to have when they are implementing testing metrics in their project. We are going to mention some of the reasons why more and more teams are moving towards these metrics. With PMI-ACP Certification Training, you will also learn about these KPIs and how you can use them on the project level.

1. One of the major advantages of using these testing metrics is to track down the progress of software testing in the project.

2. Using the testing metrics, you will be able to look for the scope of new changes that are needed in the process.

3. With the testing metrics that are being implemented in the team, the stakeholders will be able to make the decisions that are required to make sure that the testing is going in the right way and if some measures are needed to be taken or not.

4. When the right qa metrics in agile are being applied in the project, it will help the project managers to properly manage the cost and schedule of the project and its releases.

5. Moreover, these metrics will give a clear picture of what is needed to be upgraded in the existing technology which is being implemented in the project right now.

6. Along with the scope of increasing the return on investment, the workload can be managed efficiently when these metrics are being leveraged in the team. This is very helpful for the test team as it is going to reduce the test time while increasing the quality of the test results and later the overall quality of the software.

How to get the agile testing right in your project:

One of the most important things that need to be done while testing is to start early and do it very often. This can be done when the testing is being automated. With the automated testing, it can be made sure that the team is up to date with the testing and have quick results for each of the tests.

It is seen that many times the testing team is not clear with the requirements and hence they are not able to have the right scenarios for the testing. The best solution is to get in touch with the business analyst to get the acceptance criteria in the user stories right and work on those test scenarios in an efficient way.

Checking for the complex functionalities becomes very much important and while there are various scenarios to be tested, the testing becomes really very complicated. So the team effort should be used in this and this should not fall on the shoulder of the single team. The tests are more reliant when done on the various levels with team collaboration.

When you are using these testing metrics in your team, you should follow the trends, not just the numbers to find the areas of improvement. This will help to work better for the next sprints and cycles.

Testing metrics

Now that we have covered the best practices for the testing in the agile team, let’s learn more about the various kinds of testing metrics available to us and how to use them in the team:

Burn-down chart

One of the simplest metrics to be used as the testing metric can be the sprint burn-down chart. This is very easy to use as this is the graphical representation of the tasks that are being completed by the team and the tasks which are needed to be completed within the given sprint time. Using various project management tools, you can create your own burn-down chart and use it as one of the major testing metrics in the team. These kinds of agile testing KPIs are easy to use and track.

Defect Cycle time

In the agile team, the cycle for fixing the defect matters a lot. This helps in making sure that the high quality of the software is being released. This can only happen if the defect cycle time is being reduced. So the usage of defect cycle time as a metric can help the team to know how fast they are in fixing the defects that are raised in the given time frame. With the right metrics in hand, the defect leakage in agile can be resolved very quickly.

Cumulative flow

The cumulative flow diagram is very helpful as it shows the overall workflows in the project and since the testing is one of the workflows in the team, it is seen on the chart. This flow helps in determining the tasks that are completed, that are yet to be completed, the bottleneck, and the areas of concern, all in one place. So this metric can be used to see if the testing is becoming a bottleneck in the project.

Velocity

Velocity is the measuring metric that can be used to see how much of an average the team is doing in each cycle. It is one of the major components of agile. This can be used as an agile metric to find out how many estimated hours are needed for the testing in the team after seeing the past performances and keeping other metrics in mind.

Code complexity

One of the measures used here is cyclomatic complexity which is used to see the complexity of the code in the given user story or the requirement. With various metrics, it can be seen how much the code adheres to the industry standards and delivers high-quality software at the end of the cycle. Using these code complexity metrics, the unstable nature of the code can be determined along with the risks involved while testing it.

Also Read: SAFe Metrics

Conclusion

Testing metrics are becoming very relevant in the agile environment and with the fast-paced software development in the team; the need of using the best of the testing metrics is ever increasing. You can choose the right kind of testing metrics that fit your team and start implementing them in the team for all the benefits that you can have. The use of these metrics along with agile practitioner certification will help you a lot in the team and in the successful delivery of the project.

If you wish to learn more about it and want to enroll in the PMI ACP course then you should go to none other than StarAgile. Here you are going to find the best courses curated for you with the help of the professionals in this industry which will give you a real-life experience of the scenarios that you will face in the job. You can learn all about project management, its KPIs, and best practices for the project managers a well. So do not wait anymore and enter the room full of opportunities with StarAgile.

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