The Essential Features of Defect Tracking System

Project managers are aware that in the fast paced business environment today, software like defect tracking tools are indispensable to help them keep up with the rapidly changing landscape. Millions of dollars and countless amounts of time could be spent on the development of the application, however, if the end result is riddled with bugs, the bottom line of the organization is adversely affected and it could spell disaster for them. This is why the perception of tools like defect tracking systems is shifting, from being considered as an ad hoc, contingency option to a critical part of the software development lifecycle.

Even though there is a school of thought which states that there is little to no use of defect tracking in the software development industry, as the bugs and issues should be resolved as soon as they appear in the system. However, from a managers’ perspective, tracking, triaging, and managing the ever increasing list of defects is pivotal for the quality maintenance and control of the project. From the identification of the source of defects to meticulously monitoring the defect removal process, the fundamental role of defect tracking systems is to accumulate all possible issues and bugs from multiple sources into one platform and resolve them in the order of priority.

Stakeholders including the development team, quality assurance team, managers, customers, and analysts report defects and bugs in the system at different stages in the developmental cycle. Therefore, it is next to impossible to resolve all reported defects as soon as they are reported. In fact, there is a fair possibility that in the time it takes the team to fix a previous defect, a new issue might be identified in the application. This is why it is crucial for the project teams to log in all defects in one database and keep a track of their progress in order to meet the quality standards and deliver on time. In addition to this, with the increased and efficient use of defect tracking tools, the project managers are also able to derive meaningful patterns and defect trends which helps them in reducing overall testing efforts

There are many different variations of defect tracking software floating in the market, and it is up to the project managers to choose one that suits the needs of their projects. Yet, there are still some features which are categorically essential, and a prerequisite, for these tools.

1. Central repository – the determining feature of a good defect tracking system is its ability to provide a single workflow for defect monitoring, defect reporting, and lifecycle traceability. There are a series of steps in a defect tracking and management process, ranging from identification, and categorization, to prioritization, and resolution of bugs. If all of the steps are not followed chronologically and are not catalogued properly, it can cause unnecessary delays in the timeline and confusion for the project teams for tracking the issues. The consolidated format of the central repository allows for better traceability and visibility for the project managers.
2. Integration of software – In order to have a seamless implementation process for the defect tracking system and a smooth collaboration overall, it is important for a proficient software to integrate well the existing modules and software in the system. The ability of the defect tracking solution to merge and sync well with all automated tools and all modules of software application lifecycle determines its performance for the near future. This enables the project managers to accumulate information for different sources into one platform and track the progress from a centralized location.
3. Improved accessibility – in today’s world, bugs and issues that are reported in the system cannot be traced to one single geographical location. Users, and even members of the project teams, are distributed across the globe. This means that the defect tracking and management tool has to have the flexibility to be able to cater to the needs of people in various locations concurrently.

4. Effective collaboration and communication – A defect tracking and monitoring software creates a platform for the organizations that helps them in bridging the communication gaps between the development and testing teams and promotes teamwork and collaboration amongst them. Given that it produces a common language and a shared understanding of the problems, it is ensured that everyone in the team is on the same page. As a result of this, various kinds of delays and bottlenecks caused by the lack of two way communication are mitigated.