Scrum Testing Methodology

High-speed implementation is essential in today's evolving and fast-paced environment. This holds true for all goods and services. Assume you were using an application when you became stranded due to a problem. You naturally expect the team to fix the bug as quickly as possible after reporting it. If not, your next step will be to switch to a different service.

Customers want immediate adjustments and upgrades. Most software organizations are embracing focused and flexible software testing as a result of this. Remember that if you keep your consumers waiting, your competition is only a few keystrokes away!

It is critical to saving time and resources while optimizing the entire software development lifecycle. That is why the majority of businesses prefer to test with an agile team. Let's take a closer look to see what this means.

In this post, I'll show you how switching from a traditional testing environment to an agile one affects the budget, resource usage, and timeliness of your project. You'll learn about scrum testing, the problems that testers confront in an agile setting, and how it all adds up in the end. As a result, you'll learn how to increase your company's output and customer satisfaction.

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a software development approach that focuses on the development of complex software applications. It provides simple ways for completing difficult jobs. Scrum allows the development team to concentrate on all elements of software development, such as quality, performance, and usability. To avoid complexity, it allows transparency, inspection, and adaptation throughout software development.

Scrum is a framework that allows teams to address complicated problems while still delivering goods. Even though the problem is complex, the quality of the delivered product must be high. When a problem is complex, effective team collaboration is required.

Scrum is a simple and easy-to-understand methodology. However, mastering it may be difficult. Scrum is not a method, contrary to popular belief. It's merely a framework.

The following people make up a scrum team −

• The product's owner
• Scrum Master
• A group of developers and testers

The entire scrum philosophy is based on ensuring better flexibility and creativity while also increasing productivity. The groups are multi-functional. This eliminates the need for them to rely on other teams to complete duties. Because the teams are self-organized, they don't require any outside guidance.

Scrum Testing's Goals

The goal of Scrum Testing is to −

• To determine the software's complexity.
• To evaluate the software's quality.
• To evaluate the software's performance.
• To evaluate the software's usability.
• To assist with unit testing.

Difference between Scrum and Agile

Agile is a set of principles that guide you through the iterative software development process. However, in an agile setting, testers must adhere to certain guidelines. Scrum is the name for this set of guidelines. A scrum is a tool that is used as part of an agile framework. Let's take a closer look at both agile and scrum for a better understanding.

Agile Management

Agile management is a set of software development approaches. These methods are iterative and gradual. The rational unified process (RUP), extreme programming (XP), and scrum are all examples of agile management. Agile approaches also result in the evolution of requirements and output. Because of team collaboration, this evolution in the project development approach is achievable.

Agile teams are self-organizing and cross-functional. A new project's analysis, documentation, and development are all intertwined. Every iteration brings us closer to our goal. This method makes it simple to accommodate modifications. It also leads to improved scalability. Operations and processes become more adaptable.

Scrum Ecosystem

The agile ecosystem includes Scrum, which is a subset of it. It's a method for dealing with difficult issues while also delivering high-quality results. If an immediate change is required, the team has the flexibility to make the necessary adjustments. Scrum's effectiveness is dependent on effective teamwork and frequent communication. In addition, each sprint brings new approaches to improve efficiency.

As Scrum is a part of agile testing we should be knowing about agile methodology as well so some important parts of agile testing −

What Makes Agile Testing Different from Traditional Testing?

For speedy implementations of concepts, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) requires a solid approach. Traditional testing was the norm, but when a company switches to agile testing, productivity improves. Let's take a look at how agile testing differs from traditional testing and how it might help your company.

Traditional Testing

Traditional testing seeks to figure out what users want and then build a product to meet their demands. Before the product is released, testers test it and report any issues. The development team then works on them, correcting any flaws with the best solution available. feedback.

The premise behind traditional testing is that processes are repeatable and predictable.

The idea is that the team may gain control of the procedures during the SDLC. At different levels, a hierarchy maintains stability. It standardizes procedures by assigning different jobs to different persons based on their abilities. However, while the standard paradigm appears to be straightforward, it lacks flexibility. The technique takes a long time since the team must accomplish tasks in a specific order.

Agile Testing

Traditional testing is stiff, while agile testing aims to fix that. It's a team-based method, but it's interactive and dynamic, unlike traditional testing. As a result, the time it takes for a product to arrive is reduced. The project is separated into sprints, which are timed tasks. Every sprint has a specific time limit. We're talking about procedures that aren't predictable. In addition, the processes may appear to be a little tough to grasp at first. The reason for this is that the tasks are not clearly defined.

However, the process's high level of adaptation and flexibility makes it worthwhile. The agile testing approach adapts quickly to changes as soon as users want them. Iterative cycles create adjustments in response to regular client communication and feedback.

What a Tester Should Know Before Making the Switch to Agile Testing

Adapting to the agile environment is a major transition for someone who is used to the waterfall model. Before shifting to agile testing, there are a few things a tester should be aware of.

Automation Tool Expertise

It's a waste of time to conduct repetitive testing for each sprint. Regression testing must be speeded up by testers. They must also be familiar with automation tools in order to speed up testing. Selenium WebDriver, HP UFT, and Appium are examples of these tools. Some BDD and unit testing tools to master before moving into Agile testing include JUnit, Cucumber, Pytest, JBehave, and others.

Project Management Tool Knowledge

There was a period when testers tracked bugs and reported them using HP Quality Center. Slack, JIRA, and Mantis are examples of tools that can be used for several purposes. They help with efficient cooperation and project management in addition to discovering issues.

Scrum Methodology's Key Features

Scrum's Key Characteristics are as follows −

• To accommodate quickly changing development needs, Scrum uses a short fixed schedule of release cycles with changeable scope known as sprints. There could be several sprints with each release. There could be numerous Release Cycles for each Scrum Project.

• A series of meetings, events, and milestones that repeat themselves.

• A method of testing and implementing new requirements, referred to as stories, in order to ensure that some work is published ready at the end of each sprint.

Scrum is made up of three key components.

Roles −

• Product Owner
• Scrum master
• Team

Artifacts −

• Product backlog
• Sprint backlog
• Burn Down Charts

Ceremonies −

• Sprint Planning
• Sprint review
• Sprint Retrospective
• Daily Scrum meeting

Let's take a look at each one separately.

Scrum's Roles

Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team are the three main responsibilities in Scrum Testing. Let's take a closer look at them.

Product Owner

• He or she defines the product's features.

• The Product Owner determines the release date and associated features.

• They rank the attributes according to the product's market value and profitability.

• He or she is in charge of the product's profitability.

• He or she has the option of accepting or rejecting the work item's outcome.

Scrum Master:

• He/she is in charge of the team's production and management.

• He/she keeps track of the development roadblocks and removes them.

• He or she is in charge of coordinating all responsibilities and functions.

• He/she protects the unit from outside influences.

• require to attend daily scrums, sprint reviews, and planning meetings.

Development Team:

• Typically, the team consists of 5 to 9 people.

• It contains programmers, designers, and, on occasion, testers, among others.

• The group arranges and schedules their own work.

• Has the authority to do whatever is within the scope of the project to achieve the sprint target.

• Participate actively in daily ceremonies

Scrum Artifacts

Product Backlog −

• 1. Release backlog (release 1) - 1. Sprint Backlog (Sprint 1)- Sprint Planning – Daily Scrum work (Daily Scrum meeting) - Sprint Retrospective

• 2. Sprint Backlog (Sprint 2)

• 2. Release backlog – release 2

A scrum process contains the following steps −

• User accounts − They are a concise summary of the system's functionality under test. "Premiums can be paid utilizing the online system," as an example for an insurance provider.

• Product Backlog − A scrum product's backlog is a collection of user stories gathered. The product backlog is prepared and maintained by the product owner. The product owner prioritizes it, and anyone can add to it with the product owner's permission.

• Release Backlog − A release is a period of time during which a certain number of iterations are completed. The product owner and scrum master collaborate to determine which stories should be prioritized for release.

• The stories in the release backlog are scheduled to be finished in a specific release.

• Sprints − A sprint is a predetermined amount of time for the product owner and programming team to accomplish the user stories, usually 2-4 weeks.

• Sprint Backlog − A sprint backlog is a collection of user stories that must be fulfilled in a single sprint. Work is never assigned during sprint backlog, and the team signs up for tasks on their own. The team owns and manages it, and the projected work remaining is updated on a daily basis. It is a list of tasks that must be completed throughout Sprint.

• Block List − The scrum master's block list, which is updated daily, is a list of unmade decisions and blockages.

• Burndown chart − Throughout the process, a burndown chart depicts the overall progress of work in progress and works finished. It depicts the unfinished stories and characteristics in a graph format.

Ceremonies (Processes) in Scrum

• Sprint Planning − The team imports stories from the release backlog into the sprint backlog, which is hosted by the scrum master. The testers estimate the time it will take to test each story in the Sprint Backlog.

• Daily Scrum − It lasts roughly 15 minutes and is hosted by the scrum master. Members will discuss work accomplished the previous day, planned work for the next day, and issues encountered during a sprint during Daily Scrum. The team's progress is tracked during the daily stand-up meeting.

• Sprint Review/ Retrospective − Hosted by the scrum master, this meeting lasts roughly 2-4 hours and discusses what the team accomplished in the previous sprint as well as any lessons learned.

What Does Scrum Testing Look Like?

When I first learned about scrum, the fact that the entire testing approach is separated into four quadrants astounded me. Let's take a closer look.

First quadrant

The first step is to inspect the code for quality. The testers provide instant feedback. The developers then proceed with their work based on the input. Unit testing and component architecture testing are examples of these jobs. The former refers to developers checking a coding unit to verify if it meets the requirement. The latter is to ensure that when the bits of code are combined, they work.

Second quadrant

The need is understood by both the testers and the developers. Both carry out their responsibilities while keeping the company's goals in mind. This includes putting several scenarios to the test. Prototype and wireframe testing must be done while keeping the user experience in mind.

Third quadrant

Automation testing assesses how well a product is used. Despite the fact that the product development is yet incomplete, tests are carried out. The scheduled demos verify that development is progressing in accordance with the company's objectives. The third quadrant covers the following five stages −

• Collaboration during testing
• Acceptance testing for users
• Observational research
• Testing for usability
• Testing in pairs

Fourth quadrant

Performance, data migration, infrastructure, stress, and load are all tested by testers. Other considerations include authentication security. The product should have anti-hacking and anti-attack features. Another consideration for testers is scalability.

What Does Scrum Mean for a Tester?

Instead of waiting until the end of the process to test, like in a standard test environment, a tester must test throughout the process. In addition to testing, testers can learn new skills including as development or business analysis. The workplace culture changes. Let's look at some of the things a tester encounters when working in scrum testing.

A Better Understanding of Business Logic

Testers are given extensive training on how domain apps work. They must collaborate with the development team closely. It allows them to come up with new and effective business case scenarios. Architectural diagrams and development terms become more familiar. Testers require clear business logic so that they may discuss application specifications with business analysts and developers.

Automate your testing to save time.

Selenium, Appium, UFT, GitLab, Codeship, Jenkins, and other tools are among the tools that testers should become acquainted with. To keep ahead of the competition, they must embrace change.

Automation is required for quick testing. Even though a tester must deal with some significant changes during automation, it is an opportunity to hone their skills. Aside from that, automation lowers the risks associated with regression testing.

It's a good idea to use services like Testim. It provides artificial intelligence-assisted automated functional testing. During automated testing, it also speeds up execution, authoring, and maintenance.

Following the SDLC from the beginning

Testers used to wait behind before the testing started in the waterfall methodology. However, in scrum testing, a tester must follow the SDLC from the beginning.

With this method, the test windows expand and collaboration improves. In this approach, testers obtain a thorough understanding of the procedure. As a result, no test phases are skipped.

Standup Meetings on a Regular Basis

In an agile setting, testers are required to attend regular standup sessions. These meetings normally last 15 to 30 minutes and take place at the start of the day. This is when the manager or scrum master questions each team member on their previous day's activities. They also acquire information on the current day's tasks and potential impediments.

Having testers present at daily standup meetings helps to avoid roadblocks in the early phases of a project. The entire crew is aware of what is going on, including the testers. It guarantees that certain duties are completed.

Scrum's Tester's Role

In the Scrum Process, the Tester has no active role. Testing is usually done by a developer using Unit Test. During each sprint, the product owner is also heavily involved in the testing process. Dedicated test teams are used in some Scrum projects, depending on the type and complexity of the project.

So, is there any role of tester or not? This question is answered in the following para with the work of the tester

Scrum Testing Activities

During the various stages of Scrum, testers do the following tasks.

Planning for a Sprint

• A tester should choose a user story from the product backlog to test during sprint preparation.

• As a tester, you must determine how many hours (Effort Estimation) it will take to complete testing for each of the user stories you've chosen.

• As a tester, he or she must be aware of the sprint goals.

• Contribute to the prioritization process as a tester.

Sprint

• Unit testing assistance for developers

• When the user story is finished, put it to the test. Test execution takes place in a lab where both the tester and the developer work together.

• Defects are tracked on a daily basis using the Defect Management application. During the scrum meeting, defects can be discussed and analyzed. Defects are retested and deployed for testing as soon as they are addressed.

• He/she attends all daily standup meetings as a tester to speak out.

• As a tester, he or she can bring any backlog item to the next sprint that cannot be finished in the current sprint.

• The automation scripts are written by the tester. He uses the Continuous Integration (CI) system to plan automation testing. Because of the tight delivery schedules, automation is becoming increasingly important.

• Test automation can be achieved using a variety of free and commercial products available on the market. This method works well for ensuring that everything that needs to be tested has been done. With close communication with the team, sufficient test coverage can be obtained.

• Review the results of the CI automation and provide reports to the stakeholders.

• Performing non-functional testing on user stories that have been authorized

• Define acceptance criteria for Acceptance Tests in collaboration with the client and product owner.

• In some cases, at the end of the sprint, the tester does acceptance

Retrospective on the Sprint

• He'll figure out what went wrong and what went right in the current sprint as a tester.

• He identifies lessons learned and best practices as a tester. testing (UAT) and validates that the current sprint's testing is complete.

Benefits of Scrum Testing

Scrum testing has the following benefits −

• It aids in determining the software's quality.

• It is beneficial to unit testing.

• It aids in the development of complex software.

Report of Test

Scrum Test metrics reporting gives stakeholders with transparency and visibility into the project. The metrics reported enabling a team to assess their success and plan a future strategy for product improvement. When it comes to reporting, there are two metrics that are typically employed.

Burndown chart − Scrum Master notes the expected remaining work for the sprint on a burn down chart each day. The Burn Down Chart is exactly that. It is updated on a daily basis.

A burndown chart provides a fast summary of project progress; it includes data such as the overall amount of work in the project that needs to be completed, the quantity of work performed during each sprint, and so on.

Velocity history graph − The velocity history graph forecasts the team's velocity in each sprint. It's a bar graph that shows how the output of the team has evolved over time.

Schedule burn, budget burn, theme percent complete, stories have done vs. stories remaining, and other indicators may be valuable.

Vineet Nanda

Updated on: 19-Aug-2021

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