Testers and developers. The antagonism divides them, but the same business goals bring them –inevitably- close together. As devices are increasingly more complex, the need for smarter communication methods is a necessity for the common good of the organization. Making the software product strong and unbeatable is the reason why these two must get on the same page and find a way to interact clearly and effectively.
Better a team and not an individual or tools or code, is enough to make a product successful.
So how can testers build successful relationships with developers and manage team work?
Use simplifying tools
Summarize what the problem is in a few words. Clearly laying out on your bug the risks and the level of seriousness of issues and keep in mind that cautiousness is a big asset. Tools that capture, log and store every interaction are highly recommended in case you are not fond of complicating things with no reason.It’s how you sell it
Make sure not to point out a developer’s mistakes. On the opposite, praise his work as a sign of recognition on how hard his job is. And it is! A deluge of errors which are always expected as a natural part of the process doesn’t help correcting the problem.If the developer still can’t be convinced on the defect you found, you have to convince him that finding new bugs is healthy and important for making the product work properly. A touch of friendliness can work miracles and make the developer say “I do” on fixing the code according to your bug report.
Detailed Reporting
Some testers tend to make their bug reports very rigid and as a result difficult for developers to fix a bug or implement a feature. However, developers need readable, comprehensive, structured and executable reports that include step timing, actions performed and response data for all interactions. Reports that make the task orders of magnitude faster are a go-to.Multiple teams do it better
More frequent communication leads to generating more ideas on each side. A mixed team created by both developers and testers ensures the everyday interaction makes everyone be more productive and gives a win-win situation. Developers are able to suggest how to test a module better and testers how to correct defects.
Nothing is impossible. Following the previous steps, you will create a stable technique which erases the previous bad history and enables an easier and improved communication between developers and testers. An overall improved QA efficiency and the effectiveness of the debugging process is a double win that helps providing efficient product development cycles and faster time to market.
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