Most Common Challenges in Bug Tracking

Bug tracking is an important part of the software development lifecycle. The purpose of this process is to find and fix issues in the software. While issues can cause serious problems, finding and fixing them is no less of a challenge itself. In this article, we will discuss the most common problems testers and developers face in bug tracking.

Improper Bug Logging Process

Bugs need to be properly described. This is why bug management tools allow users to fill descriptive fields for every bug logged. Incorrect or missing fields can increase the defect life cycle since it would take more time to understand and hence, fix the bug. Common examples are incorrect bug titles, missing expected results, etc.

Use of Different Bug Tracking Template

The disadvantage of not using a standard bug tracking template is that at later stages, you might have to face discrepancies. Therefore, make sure to use a standard template that could help a lot in report generation.

Improper Defect Triage Process

Bug triage meetings are a very important aspect of the bug tracking process. It requires the participation of developers, managers, and testers who sit and decide to discuss defects and actions that need to be taken. To analyze the defects and make decisions, there needs to be a common understanding of issues among all participants. This meeting is important to understand the reason for blocking test execution.

Bug Management Tools

Recording and keeping track of bugs can be a hassle. With bug management tools, the team can store all the defects in a single, central repository where they can be assigned to any developer, and their real-time progress can be tracked easily. Other features may vary from tool to tool.

Improper Setup of Severity and Priority

Defect severity and priority determine how quickly the defect gets fixed. Severity is the impact a bug has on the development process whereas priority means how fast it needs to be fixed. Both of these factors vary from bug to bug. The problem arises when development and testing teams are not well-educated about these factors, which could significantly hurt your bug tracking process.

No Control on Test Environment

Testers’ lack of awareness and control over the test environment can cause significant problems. Sometimes, developers make informal changes in the test environment bug fixes or additions go unrecorded. With regression testing and retesting, you can ensure that the quality of the software application and the process remains unaffected.

Improper Communication

Using emails and text messages to communicate details about defects is not a good practice as it can cause misunderstandings and a lot of hassle if you have to find these details. Testers should use bug management tools to report and analyze defects and extract valuable insights.

Wrong Bug Status

If the status of the bug is wrong or unupdated, a developer can be misled to waste his time refixing a bug or ignore an untested bug if the status says, “fixed”. This can also provide inaccurate bug reports.