Test in parallel with debugging and fixing

While it's inspired by something Ross Collard once said to me, this tip came home for me this week while talking with a fellow test manager who was struggling to find enough time to test. Don't forget that while developers are fixing bugs for the next build, you can likely keep testing. Major blocking bugs aside, if you've still got the code there's likely something you can keep moving forward on. Just because you're turned around enough issues for them to work a new build, doesn't mean you have to stop.

Even if your process states you shouldn't be submitting bugs against a known bad build, you can continue to:

• learn about the product;


• develop test ideas;


• execute tests for areas you believe to be stable;


• develop test assets (like automation, or performance tests);


• etc...

All of those require some version of the product, even if it's not the final version of the product.