The Role Of Data In Bug Tracking And How An Issue Tracking Solution Can Help
Bug tracking is data intensive. The process generates data at every stage. This wealth of information can be used not just for systemic improvement but can help develop a better, consistent product. But product teams require a strong system in order to capture and effectively leverage this information.
Bug trackers streamline the bug resolution process by helping testers manage all data related to the bug reports and come up with solutions aimed at ensuring that the software meets product goals and the needs of the users.
The Role of Data in Bug Tracking
The entire bug tracking process is highly data-reliant. The best bug tracking solution simplifies the process of managing issue-related data. The following are the various types of data that are generated in the process of resolving issues when products are being developed.
Reported time
When defects are reported in software products, the time of the bug report is important. Software testers and the engineering team need a time reference to know what could be the likely cause of the bug. Say for instance a bug was reported right after a major update was pushed by the production team, using the time data provided, the bug resolution team can narrow down the likely causes of the bug and connect it to the software update. Consequently, resolving the bug is a lot easier.
Issue Severity
The severity of reported bugs refers to the impact of the bug on the software product and end-user experience. In terms of severity, bugs can be low, minor, major, or critical. Since numerous bugs are reported in every software product, having sufficient data to determine the severity of a bug is critical for risk assessment and subsequent bug management.
Bug Priority
Priority considers bugs from a scheduling point of view. It refers to how quickly bugs discovered in your software products need to be fixed. Data about the urgency of the detected issue will help determine the order in which bugs will be resolved.
Assigner and Assignee
A solid bug tracking tool should give visibility to the status of bugs at every point in time. There’s always a need to know who is assigning a bug and who it is being assigned to for resolution. This data is important for monitoring, accountability, and ensuring that nothing slips under the radar.
Process involved
Bug resolution teams need to be abreast of the processes and actions involved in resolving an issue. Knowing what has been done and what needs to be done will ensure that time and resources are not wasted on steps that have been completed before by someone else. This way, issues move along faster in the resolution pipeline.
What Happens When Data is Not in Place
As mentioned, data is at the very core of bug tracking. Without it, tracking and resolving bugs will be an inefficient and wasteful process. Product teams will struggle to deliver functional bug-free products if their bug tracking tool does not have the features needed to handle data effectively.
Here’s what happens when data is not in place:
No organization
When resolving bugs in complex products, multiple teams and individuals have to work together towards a common goal. A high level of organization is needed to keep the process as spot-on accurate as possible. This isn’t possible without abundant data and a system that gives visibility and visualization to the various steps and processes involved in issue resolution.
Longer time to resolution
Time is of the essence when it comes to issuing resolutions. It’s not enough to resolve issues, it has to be done promptly. Using solid bug tracking software will help the product team identify issues early and take action on them based on their severity and priority. Without this, valuable time is wasted and fixes are pushed much later than they should.
No transparency
Without data, teams won’t know the status of a bug at every point in time. When bugs are being resolved, a bug tracking solution should make it easy to see data such as the status of the bug, who is working on it, and what has been done so far towards resolving it. Without this, everyone is left in the dark and no one takes responsibility for issues.
Inability to generate reports
Reports are crucial in bug tracking. A good bug tracking system not only manages bugs but also helps to analyze the actions taken by the product team to resolve issues. Without data, it will be difficult to identify bug trends to gain valuable insights into the bug resolution process.
Conclusion
Managing data is at the very core of bug tracking. A bug tracking solution with the right features will facilitate this. A comprehensive bug tracking software like Kissflow Workflow comes with all the features needed to manage data that not only resolves bugs but goes a long way in building and developing a better product.
What you get is a platform that gives you clear and concise insight into the status of each issue and helps to track it from the start to the finish.
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