Why I don’t use Test Management Tools at all?

Avoid those useless “Test Management tools”. Learn and Practise Test Automation!

This article is one of the “IT Terminology Clarified” series.

You might have heard of some of the following so-called test management tools, such as Quality Center, TestRail, PractiTest, Xray, Testmo, and SpiraTest. Not long ago, I received one LinkedIn message from one of the above to promote its product on my blog. I rejected it by replying, “I don’t use any test management tools, and strongly suggest my clients avoid using one”.

∘ What is Test Management Tool?
∘ Test Management Tool is a legacy of Waterfall
∘ Agile/DevOps Perspective
∘ Test Management Tools are for reporting, not assisting in Test Execution
∘ Why is Test Management Tools totally useless in Test Execution?
∘ How about Regression Testing?
∘ As a test manager, I agree. How can I move away from the test management tool?

What is Test Management Tool?

According to Guru99, “Test management tools are used to store information on how testing is to be done, plan specific testing activities, and report the complete status of quality assurance activities.” I think most IT professionals will concur.

In this article, I will explain why a real Agile/DevOps software project doesn’t need the above test-management activities. Therefore, test management tools become unnecessary.

If your project is doing Waterfall (or publicly acknowledged doing fake Agile), stop reading this article.

Test Management Tool is a legacy of Waterfall

The so-called “test design” phase (plan and write down test steps in a test management tool) is a concept in WaterFall.

So-called “Test Design Phase” in WaterFall mode

When a Waterfall software project starts, what will the testing team do? There is nothing to test, the architects are…