{"id":1235,"date":"2016-04-19T09:43:05","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T09:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gallop.net\/blog\/?p=1235"},"modified":"2018-10-12T15:31:54","modified_gmt":"2018-10-12T10:01:54","slug":"testing-metrics-what-gets-measured-gets-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cigniti.com\/blog\/testing-metrics-what-gets-measured-gets-done\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing Metrics \u2013 What Gets Measured, Gets Done!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhat gets measured gets done. What gets measured and fed back gets done well. What gets rewarded gets repeated.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The above stated pithy statement relates very well to the need and importance of testing metrics. When an organization is able to clearly and explicitly define the testing metrics it requires, and then is properly able to analyze them and use the analysis to fix the existing issues, it will invariably be treading on the right path towards success and growth.<\/p>\n

In normal parlance, most organizations follow the well tread path of plan, do, check, act (- better known as PDCA) when beginning any new venture or project.<\/p>\n

As per WhatIs.com, \u201cPDCA (plan-do-check-act, sometimes seen as plan-do-check-adjust) is a repetitive four-stage model for continuous improvement (CI) in business process management. The PDCA model is also known as the Deming circle\/cycle\/wheel, Shewhart cycle, control circle\/cycle, or plan\u2013do\u2013study\u2013act (PDSA).\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Plan:<\/strong><\/span> In terms of a product\/software development\/testing lifecycle, Planning refers to defining and laying out specific Business Goals and gaining a thorough understanding of the need for the planned application. At a later stage, this also includes testing the product, collecting statistical data, identifying and ascertaining the root causes of the issues being faced, and planning for fixing them.<\/p>\n

Do:<\/strong><\/span> This is the stage where organizations define and decide upon the multiple measurement variables and metrics. These metrics will help understand the effectiveness of the product as also help measure the quality of the product. This stage also involves developing and implementing solutions for the identified issues.<\/p>\n

Check:<\/strong><\/span> This stage is used to analyse the reasons as to why a product is behaving in the way it is, as also to compare the data before-and-after a fix has been made. This stage requires you to document the observations, inform the team about any changes to the process, and also recommend changes that need to be made.<\/p>\n

Act:<\/strong><\/span> As the name implies, this stage involves taking Corrective Actions and fixing the product to come up with a quality product.<\/p>\n

As seen above, one of the most important link between all the 4 activities \u2013 PDCA \u2013 is metrics and its measurement. The question to ask is \u2013 what should we measure, and when should we start measuring?<\/p>\n

What sort of metrics need to be collected and analysed must be decided in the planning phase. A few metrics that matter \u2013 especially when testing a product for quality \u2013 are as follows:<\/p>\n