Severity and Priority of Defects Tutorial

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What are Severity and Priority of Defects?
3. Which defects need to be fixed first?
4. How to Determine Severity and Priority?
5. When to Assign Severity and Priority?
6. The Need for Testing
7. Objective Requirement
8. Advantages of Determining Severity and Priority
9. Disadvantages of Determining Severity and Priority
10. Tools for Managing Severity and Priority
11. Example Execution of Test Cases in Real Scenarios

Introduction

In software development and testing, identifying and managing defects is crucial to ensure the quality of the product. Two important aspects of defect management are severity and priority. Severity represents the impact of a defect on the system, while priority indicates the order in which defects should be addressed. This tutorial will provide an overview of severity and priority, their determination, the need for testing, and examples of executing test cases in real scenarios.

What are Severity and Priority of Defects?

Severity refers to the impact or seriousness of a defect on the functionality or performance of a software system. It helps in categorizing defects based on their potential to cause harm or disrupt normal operations. Severity levels can range from critical (severely impacting core functionality) to minor (affecting non-critical features).

tip

Severity refers to the degree of impact or seriousness of a defect on the software.

• Severity is categorized into different levels, such as critical, major, minor, or cosmetic,
• It helps prioritize and address defects based on their impact on the software product.

Priority signifies the relative importance or urgency assigned to defects for resolution. It aids in prioritizing defect fixing based on factors like business impact, customer requirements, and project timelines. Priority levels can range from high (requiring immediate attention) to low (allowing deferral).

tip

Priority refers to how soon a defect needs to be fixed.

• The three types of priority levels are categorized as high, medium, and low.
• Priority determines the urgency or order in which defects should be fixed.

Which defects need to be fixed first?

The order in which defects should be fixed depends on their severity and priority levels. In general, defects with higher severity and higher priority should be addressed first. These defects have a significant impact on the system's functionality, pose potential risks, and require immediate attention.

Note - Please note that the order of fixing defects may vary depending on specific project requirements and priorities.

How to Determine Severity and Priority?

The determination of severity and priority involves careful evaluation and classification of defects. Here's a step-by-step approach:

1. Severity Determination:

   • Understand the defect's impact on the system's functionality.
   • Assess the business impact.
   • Consider the potential risks associated with the defect.
   • Categorize severity levels based on predefined guidelines (e.g., critical, major, minor, cosmetic).

2. Priority Determination:

   • Determines the order or urgency of the defect.
   • Evaluate customer requirements and satisfaction.
   • Consider project timelines and release schedules.
   • Categorize priority levels based on predefined guidelines (e.g., high, medium, low).

When to Assign Severity and Priority?

Severity and priority should be assigned during the defect identification and reporting process. This occurs after a defect has been detected through various testing activities such as unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing. It is essential to assign severity and priority promptly to ensure appropriate attention and resolution of defects.

The Need for Testing

Testing is a crucial phase in the software development lifecycle. It serves several purposes, including:

1. Defect Detection: Testing helps identify defects or deviations from expected

behavior, ensuring a high-quality product. 2. Quality Assurance: Through testing, software quality is assessed and validated, increasing customer satisfaction. 3. Risk Mitigation: Testing reduces the risk of failures, security vulnerabilities, and financial loss associated with faulty software. 4. Compliance: Testing ensures that software complies with industry standards, regulations, and customer requirements.

Objective Requirement

The objective requirement in determining severity and priority is to establish a systematic and consistent approach to manage defects. The objective requirement should include:

1. Clearly defined severity and priority levels with associated criteria.
2. A well-documented process for assigning severity and priority to defects.
3. Communication channels and escalation procedures for reporting and tracking defects.
4. Regular review and reassessment of severity and priority based on changing project needs.

Advantages of Determining Severity and Priority

Determining severity and priority brings several advantages to defect management:

1. Focus on Critical Issues: Identifying high-severity defects ensures that critical functionalities are fixed promptly, minimizing business impact.
2. Efficient Resource Allocation: Assigning priorities helps allocate resources effectively by addressing important defects first.
3. Effective Communication: Severity and priority levels facilitate clear communication among stakeholders regarding the urgency and impact of defects.
4. Improved Customer Satisfaction: Addressing high-priority defects enhances customer satisfaction by delivering a more stable and reliable software product.

Disadvantages of Determining Severity and Priority

While determining severity and priority is beneficial, there are a few potential disadvantages:

1. Subjectivity: Assigning severity and priority levels involves human judgment, which can introduce subjective interpretations and discrepancies.
2. Limited Context: Determination may lack a complete understanding of the system's complex interactions or interdependencies.
3. Dynamic Nature: Severity and priority levels may change over time due to evolving project requirements or shifting business priorities.
4. Dependency on Resources: Prioritization can be affected by the availability and expertise of resources required to fix defects.

Tools for Managing Severity and Priority

Several tools are available to aid in managing severity and priority of defects, including:

1. Issue Tracking Systems: Tools like Jira, Trello, and Bugzilla help track and manage defects, allowing the assignment of severity and priority levels.
2. Test Management Tools: Tools such as TestRail, qTest, and Zephyr provide features to manage test cases, track defects, and assign severity and priority.
3. Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Confluence and SharePoint enable teams to collaborate on defect management, including severity and priority assignment.

Example Execution of Test Cases in Real Scenarios

To illustrate the execution of test cases in real scenarios, consider the following example:

Scenario: Testing an E-commerce Website Checkout Process

Test Case ID	Test Case Description	Severity	Priority
TC001	Verify successful login with valid credentials	Low	Low
TC002	Verify error message on login with invalid credentials	Medium	Medium
TC003	Verify adding items to the cart functionality	High	High
TC004	Verify applying a discount coupon during checkout	Medium	High
TC005	Verify payment processing through credit card	High	Medium
TC006	Verify payment processing through PayPal	High	Medium
TC007	Verify order confirmation and receipt generation	Low	Low

In this example, severity and priority levels are assigned to each test case based on their impact on the checkout process. This categorization allows the development and testing teams to prioritize and address critical defects first.

Remember, severity and priority levels may vary depending on the project, system, and specific requirements. It's important to establish guidelines and criteria for assigning severity and priority in your organization.

By following the guidelines provided in this tutorial and using appropriate tools, you can effectively manage severity and priority of defects, ensuring a smooth defect resolution process and high-quality software products.