Tester’s checklist for working on a new testing project – check 4
By now, you should have become somewhat familiar with the project. You understand the product and the solution at high level, you know all the business and function requirements, you follows the testing approach in designing your own tests. This section will look at other areas that also have strong influences.
Check 4: Access
By Access, I didn’t mean the MS database software, but rather, the access to tools, environments, resources, etc. Every project has its own resource repository, which is often made up of tools, network shares, specific web servers, databases. All of these are there to serve the need to deliver the project. This means for every entrant to the project, that person must be setup so the access to these resources becomes possible. I specifically put this as a separate section, because getting access to a particular resource often causes significantly delays that the person unable to be productive and impacts the project progress.
As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry, I personally think it’s better to be early than sorry. So as early as possible, you should get a list of things that you must have access to in order to continue progressing the project. Often won’t know what you need until you start using it, therefore it’s a good idea to set up reverent applications on your workstation and start using them. On my work, I often check this list:
- Install defect tracking tool, if it’s web-based, asking for access to be granted.
- If applicable, install database tool, and trying to access relevant databases.
- If applicable, install the development tool, and access the relevant code repository.
Also, from time to time, a well organised project has its own document management system, like MS Sharepoint, or something that’s based on network share structure. You will also need access to these resources in order to view, and update them. So I would also check:
- If there is Sharepoint-like site used by the project, ask the site admin for access, make sure you ask for correct site privileges.
- If documents are stored on a network share, be sure to ask access to that location too.
Project manager is always the person to ask for access, even if project manager can’t do it, they can point you to the right person.
Last but not least, some large corporate organisation uses specific timesheeting code to track project budget and staff utilisation, this means the time that you spend on the project must be recorded against the project. You always ask project manager for this. If you are working inside small organisation, this doesn’t always apply to you.
