How to Track Testing

One of the hot topics lately is how do you account for QA within the framework of Scrum. In my experience we have tried 2 methods the "task" method and the "state" method. Since every team is different I think it is worth mentioning both.

The first is the state method which borrows slightly from Kanban. In the simplest terms you add a column to your SCRUM board to represent the "IN TEST" state. Once the developer is done with a task it moves from the "IN PROGRESS" state into the "IN TEST" state. Once the task has passed all of the needed tests it moves to the "COMPLETE" state.

Next is the task method which falls into your traditional SCRUM. All of the QA tasks (Write test cases, build automated tests, test, etc.) are added to the task list and they flow through the standard SCRUM board states.

I have had the most luck with the "task" method because it allows you to see the various QA tasks with as much clarity as the programming tasks. This also alerts you to any bottle necks that could pop up.