Question

You are working as a project manager on an in-house banking software project. To prevent rework and excessive find/fix/retest cycles, the following process has been put in place for resolving a defect once it is found in the test lab:

1. The assigned developer finds and fixes the defect, then creates an experimental build
2. A peer developer reviews, unit tests, and confirmation tests the defect fix on his/her desktop
3. A tester - usually the one who found the defect - confirmation tests the defect fix in the development environment
4. Once a day, a new release with all confirmed defect fixes included, is installed in the test environment
5. The same tester from step 3 confirmation tests the defect fix in the test environment
Nevertheless, a large number of defects which the testers confirmed as fixed in the development environment (in step 3) are somehow failing confirmation testing in the test environment, with the resulting rework and cycle time outcomes. You have the highest confidence in your testers and have ruled out mistakes or omissions in step 3.
Which of the following is the MOST likely part of the process to check next?
A. The activity of developers, who may not be adequately testing in step 2
B. The activity of testers, who may be confused about what to test in step 5
C. Configuration management, which may not be maintaining the integrity of the product instep 4
D. The activity of developers, who may not be fixing defects properly in step 1

Answer 1

Next, Configuration management in step 4 should be checked; it is likely not maintaining the integrity of product releases, causing fixed defects to reappear during confirmation testing in the test environment. Careful change tracking and management are crucial during testing, prototyping, and the design process.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given the scenario where defects confirmed as fixed in the development environment are failing during confirmation testing in the test environment, and with high confidence in the testers' activity in step 3, the most likely part of the process to check next is C. Configuration management, which may not be maintaining the integrity of the product in step 4. This stage involves integrating all confirmed defect fixes into a new release, which is then installed in the test environment. If configuration management is not accurately capturing and deploying all changes, this could lead to inconsistencies and defects reappearing during later testing phases. Ensuring that the integration and deployment processes are error-free is essential to maintaining the consistency and reliability of the software across different environments.

In the phases of testing and evaluation, it is critical to track and manage changes meticulously, to prevent any issues from surfacing during prototyping or refinement stages. An efficient configuration management process will ensure that each iteration of the design adheres to the requirements and includes all intended fixes, reducing the likelihood of rework and ensuring steady progress towards a finalized design. Furthermore, it aligns with the self-correcting nature of science, where repeated experimentation and validation are crucial.