Test Requirements Agile Metric v2.5
When is software ready to be released? When is it going to be ready for release? These are two of the main concerns of a software quality team. Some questions must answered first:
- What features and functions have the greatest risk?
- How should functionality and defects be prioritized?
- How much can we expect to accomplish in the time allotted?
The Test Requirements Agile Metric (T.R.A.M. v2.5) is a top-down. risk-based, project management methodology for analyzing Quality Assurance requirements and results to determine whether or not a software product is ready to be released. It is also useful for estimation, risk analysis, and functional and defect prioritization. It addresses these issues by providing a methodology to score test requirements and results in both a positive (Tests Passing Coverage - Verification Points) and a negative (Tests Failing - Defect Points) fashion based upon a unique scoring system. Once the tests have been designed, scored, and executed, they can be compared to release criteria to determine the product’s readiness. As test cases are created, they are assigned Verification Point and Defect Point scores according to the severity and priority of defect that would be caused if verification of the requirement being tested fails. The total verification points for a project are a good metric for determining the overall size of the development effort. Using a form of iterative development, over time, it can be accurately determined how many VPs can be cleared during each iteration. Cleared VPs represent deliverable software. VPs cleared by the team per day, week, iteration, or sprint is a valuable metric that can be used to:
The Test Requirements Agile Metric, including it’s methodology and results criteria, forces software development to be more robust at each release, leading to higher quality, more accurate estimates, decreased development costs, greater profits, and happier, more satisfied customers.
- Show how much effort was required per VP.
- Determine how rapidly a project can be completed.
- Estimate a project’s duration.
The Test Requirements Agile Metric, including it’s methodology and results criteria, forces software development to be more robust at each release, leading to higher quality, more accurate estimates, decreased development costs, greater profits, and happier, more satisfied customers.