Ambiguity and Gap Analysis in Testing process
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What is the need for Ambiguity and Gap Analysis in testing process. How these analysis plays significant role?. What is the impact if your your testing process does not not include these analysis.
What is Ambiguity?
Ambiguity is the possibility of being understood in more than one way. This would create more speculations from each individual of a team.
For example, Requirement might have provided as follow, “Data processing should complete in reasonable amount of time“.
Here in this sentence Reasonable would cause ambiguity.
When user is writing requirements it is difficult for them to identify ambiguities , they have a particular context in mind. The ambiguity is only visible to somebody who does not have / know this context.
What is Gap?
Gap is gap, it defines the gap or missing part in the requirement. Ambiguities may also lead to a Gap.
For an Instance, Requirement states Select terms and conditions check box and then click submit, should process data. Document might have missed to provide what to happen when user does not select T&C check box.
It would not be wrong to say Ambiguity can lead to a Gap, as both are inter related. In above case there are both ambiguity and gap. W.r.t Ambiguity there can be 2 speculations. Either just process data or display and ask user to select check box to process. W.r.t Gap, what to happen when user does not select Check box.
Need for Ambiguity and Gap Analysis & when
Why we need such analysis, if we don’t identify gaps and ambiguities then it might lead to delivery of faulty product. Ambiguity and Gap Analysis will help you to analyze all ambiguities and gaps in the BRD’s / SRS’s / Designs provided.
This would not lead to tremendous rise in cost of project but delivery timelines. As redevelopment and testing needed to fix all the gaps.
At what point we need to incorporate Ambiguity and gap analysis, I say it should be at requirement gathering and design phases.
If you can identify ambiguities and gaps are early stages of requirements and design, would reduce no of defects at later on phases of SDLC. Which in turn help not just to reduce the cost involved and also delivery of quality product in time agreed.
I would say as a standard you need to consider Ambiguity and Gap analysis as a Testing Type and mention the same as part of Test Plan and Test Strategy.