Top Disadvantages of Using Issue Tracking Tools

Issue tracking is one of the most important parts of a software development lifecycle that cannot be skipped or omitted. While organizations emphasize on increasing their software testing efforts to improve quality and ensure faster releases, their dependency on tools increases too. We have known multiple factors as to why issue tracking tools are important for QA teams and organizations that are working to speed up their delivery process. Due to this, we have failed to see its downside. There are a few common problems that may lead to improper tracking of issues in a software development lifecycle. 

Following are a few top common problems that teams face while they try to maintain transparency in the reported bugs:

Improper Issue Tracking Process 

One of the basic rules in issue tracking is that testers should describe the bugs properly and they should be self explainable. While using an issue tracking system, they need to fill in all the required fields that help in communicating the bugs with developers. If a bug is not reported properly and there are a few missing required fields like incorrect defect title, error from the log file, etc. this can disrupt the defect life cycle process. 

Using Different Issue Tracking Templates

 When all QA team members use different issue tracking templates to report issues in an application, it may lead to discrepancies at the later stages. This is a major reason why a standard bug tracking template should be used, which helps in report generation for the stakeholders to be on the same page. 

Improper Defect Triage Process 

A bug triage process allows team members to discuss the defects and take necessary actions. The participants of these meetings involve developers, managers, and testers. These stakeholders connect together in a virtual or physical meeting in order to analyze all defects in the app and taking important decisions. There should be a common understanding amongst the team members regarding these defects. Without doing so, it becomes difficult to understand the reason for roadblocks in the test execution. 

Improper Process to Mark Bug Severity and Priority 

Defect priority shows how important and urgent it is to fix a defect. In other words, priority means how quickly a bug needs to be fixed and defect severity means the degree of impact that a defect has on the development of a system. Defect severity and priority may vary from defect to defect, and the time required to fix these defects does not remain the same all the time. Fixing a bug is totally dependent on its priority. Testing and developments are usually not well-educated on the severity and priority of defects which could also affect the issue tracking process in the defect life cycle. 

Issue Tracking Tools

There is a wide range of bug tracking tools available in the market. Some organizations afford to buy commercial software apps. However, the defect management process varies from tool to tool. Even if there are an open-source tool and the process is not well-defined or tester is not aware of how the tool operates then they may have to face many challenges while handling defects. 

No Control on Test Environment 

Often, testers do not have any control on their test environment and they are not aware of what is deployed in the current build. In addition, development teams make informal changes in the test environment which fixes or adds new issues in the test environment about which testers are unaware. Since they do not have complete control of the test environment, it causes retesting and regression testing that ultimately affects the quality of a software application. 

Bad Practices 

If teams do not have a proper bug tracking system to communicate the defects to the developers and they use mediums like email or phone, it can have a bad impact on the entire bug tracking process. Testers should have proper tools to communicate the defects and they should help to understand how stable an application is. These statistics help in managing the quality of software releases. 

Similarly, if QA teams fail at maintaining proper defect statuses, it can cause a disruption in the bug management process. This can have a direct impact on product quality and can also cause a delay in the release. Thus, it is really important to use issue tracking systems and tools in the best interest of a business, by overlooking all of its disadvantages.