teams

Testing in software development is changing incredibly quickly. Test effort varies across projects, teams, and organizations, each having its unique identity in delivering a quality product. However, certain core testing practices never change and continue to drive successful test efforts. Mukesh Sharma details some that he sees standing the test of time.

Testers commonly face challenges around one-dimensional thinking, limited ideas, and communication issues. Sometimes, all you need to break out of a comfort zone or come up with better approaches is a fresh perspective. Putting on a different “thinking cap” can help you innovate solutions in a whole new way.

When it came to security testing, Sylvia Killinen noted that her company's most frequent difficulty wasn't the testing itself. Instead, it was the communication that provided problems, in part because of the words used to explain what would be performed. If you take care with how you describe your process, you may get more support while executing tests and repairing systems.

As much as you might want to multitask, there is a limit to how much work in progress can be handled at once. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed—whether due to your own commitments or because management keeps piling on more projects—assess the situation and see what you can do to improve your condition without letting your work suffer.