What is test management?
You’ve probably seen this before: testing is happening, but no one really has a clear picture of what’s going on. One colleague works in Excel, another just does some random testing before the release, and afterward, it’s impossible to figure out exactly what was tested and what wasn’t.
Test management is the structured planning, preparation, execution, and monitoring of all software-related testing activities, from the first test case to the last defect. It is not about the testing itself, but about the structure surrounding it: who tests what, when, based on what, and how to demonstrate that.
Why is test management important?
Software is becoming increasingly intertwined with critical business processes. Without test management, you face real risks:
- No clear picture: no one knows for sure what has and hasn't been tested
- No traceability: In the event of an audit or incident, you cannot demonstrate how a change was tested
- Duplicate work: test cases are lost or have to be reinvented over and over again
- Late detection: errors aren't discovered until production, rather than beforehand
Test Management vs. Test Automation: The Difference
Test automation is a technique: software that automatically runs a test without manual intervention.
Test management is the overarching process: what you’re going to test, why, who is responsible, and how you document it—regardless of whether the test is ultimately performed manually or automatically.
Automation without test management to guide it often results in a disjointed effort. First, get your test management in order; only then should you automate where it adds value.
The Test Base: The Foundation of Effective Testing
Before you can start testing, you need a test basis: the body of documentation on which you base your test cases. This includes requirements, user stories, workflows, or functional designs. The test basis describes what the system is supposed to do.
In practice, a good test basis is often missing or outdated. Because the test object is delivered so quickly, there’s no time left to create the test basis after the fact.
One of the first steps in professional test management is therefore to ensure that there is an explicit, up-to-date test basis for every component you test. In Testersuite , you can define requirements and link them to the test objects they pertain to.
Experience for yourself how easy it is to define and use a solid test basis in Testersuite .
FAT, GAT, and UAT: The Most Important Types of Testing
FAT (Functional Acceptance Test) verifies whether the system functions as agreed. GAT (User Acceptance Test) verifies whether the system aligns with the end user’s actual workflow. UAT (User Acceptance Test) is the international term for the same principle as GAT.
Confused about these and other testing terms? Learn how to distinguish between test cases, test scenarios, and test runs. In addition, regression testing is a crucial part of test management: retesting to verify that existing functionality still works after a change elsewhere in the system.
See for yourself how Testersuite clearly supports these types of tests.
Test Management According to TMap
Anyone who delves into test management will quickly come across TMap (Test Management Approach): the testing approach introduced by Sogeti (a Capgemini company) in 1995, which has since evolved into the TMap Suite, with TMap HD (Human Driven) as a recent addition for adaptive testing within Agile and DevOps environments.
TMap revolves around a risk-driven approach and a structured testing process; it is not a competitor to test management software, but rather a framework supported by a tool such as Testersuite . Read more about testing according to TMap
The Testing Process, Step by Step
Although every organization structures the testing process slightly differently, most test cycles boil down to the same four phases:
- Preparation: Gather test data, assess risks
- Specifying: Creating test cases based on the test basis
- Execute: Run the tests and register defects
- Closing and Reporting: Recording Results and Providing Accountability
Each phase produces output that the next phase needs. See how this works in practice on our features page
Test management software: From Excel to a dedicated tool
Many organizations start by testing in Excel. This makes sense, since everyone is familiar with it and it’s readily available. However, as the number of test cases and releases grows, Excel falls short: there’s no version control and no overview of who tested what. There are also limitations when tests are developed in Excel.
A test management tool brings together the test foundation, test cases, test execution, and defects into a single, centralized, and organized environment.
That’s exactly what Testersuite is built for: not a test automation tool, but software that provides control and structure to the entire test management process.
This allows you to link test cases directly to the test objects or requirements they belong to, and keeps attachments and screenshots organized alongside the defect.
Want to know more about what a test management tool actually entails? Read about exactly what a test management tool is.
How do you choose the right test management tool?
Not every organization has the same needs. Does the tool align with your situation? Does it fit into an existing testing process, or does it actually help you establish a missing or weak process properly? Is the tool suitable for both testers and test managers? And is the vendor certified for information security (e.g., ISO 27001, and for the healthcare sector, NEN 7510)?
Would you like to go through this step by step? Check out our selection of test management tools, or download the free checklist for choosing a test management tool
. Curious to see how this works in practice? We’d be happy to show you.
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"Testersuite provides structure, creates insight, portability and control over the testing process."
"The approachability and ease of use of Testersuite is the way to bring non-IT people into the testing process."
"Our test-automation tool was not ideally set up. We rectified that by starting with Testersuite, among other things."
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