Dealing with bugs can be a challenge. And when there’s plenty of them, it’s easy to get lost in them forgetting about the bigger picture. In this article, we’ll lay forward a 6-step plan that will help ensure a seamless process with improved results.
1. Use the least possible words to provide sufficient information when reporting the bug
The first step is to justify the ‘bug’ label by specifying two aspects – the expected behavior and the observed behavior. The observed output can be described with respect to URLs (in case of web-based applications), design-related problems, screenshots (in case of graphics), and error messages, etc. After that, provide details for the environment and setup in which the bug was encountered, to make it reproducible. List down the simplest sequence of steps, include the software version which is being used along with any other context-specific parameter that may vary upon testing, like browsers. In the end, check if the bug has been reported before.
2. Assign a priority to the bug
This step comes in handy when you’re up against a large-sized software with a busy bug log – it enables the problem solver to take a quick decision, one step safer from decision paralysis. A cosmetics flutter in the software is far more tolerable than one that causes a system crash. If priorities are assigned, the majority of resources will be leveraged to resolve the most critical flaws. Other aspects such as long-term necessity and profitability can also be major determinants.
3. Keep requests and bugs separate from each other
A feature request is comparatively a more desirable and engaging task for the programmer. So, keeping them separate from bug reports will produce more productive outcomes. Further, a part of statistics is formed by bug reports that determine the software quality. Counting feature requests along with bugs dilute the metrics.
4. Decide on the collaborators
Bug reports either come in through end-users or the QA team. A priority is assigned to it by the product managers who assign it to designers and developers. It can take a few hits and misses as various parts of the code are scanned to find the source of the bug. It’s crucial to maintain the communication on a one-to-one level and sequentially go about ruling out the suspected sources of error.
5. Resolve
We’re down to the business end of the issue tracking process – resolution. Resolving the bug indicates that the required actions have been taken regarding the bug. The bug should be tested by the QA team in different platforms and environments before marking it as resolved. The bug report should ideally be closed by the one who initiated it.
6. Choosing the right issue tracking tools
The right issue tracking tools are those which fulfill all the requirements regarding the desired accuracy, composition of the team, technology, etc. It’s not about putting all the features in the world. It’s more about the quality since that is what you’re trying to ensure with the help of tools. The right issue tracking tools can help you a great deal in easing up the otherwise demanding process.
