If you’re going to be using a bug tracking system, you need to answer the question what makes a bug tracking system ineffective?. One of the most important parts of setting it up is choosing the right tool for your needs. Different tools offer different features and solutions to common problems, so it’s important that you take time to learn about what they can do—before committing yourself to one option.
There are so many reasons why you need a bug tracking system. In this post, we’ll cover some of the most common problems faced by teams when maintaining a bug tracking system.
What Makes A Bug Tracking System Ineffective?
1) Poor Bug Reporting, tracking and management
A lot of developers find it difficult to report bugs to their stakeholders. Sometimes this is because there’s a language barrier between stakeholders and developers, but more often than not it’s because of inefficiencies in the bug tracking system that isn’t allowing for the quick reporting, tracking and management of bugs.
2) Lack of information about reported Bugs
Another thing that some users complain about is that the bug tracking system doesn’t provide them with enough information. This is due to being unable to communicate the bug in an efficient manner and also because the reporting tool isn’t designed efficiently.
3) Not being abreast with changes in the software.
Often, developers find it difficult to keep up with changes in their applications, even if they are using a tool that gives them access to those changes. This is because the bugs database which they use doesn’t integrate well enough with other software tools which they used while writing the application and while trying out their fixes.
4) Lack of proper QA testing processes
When processes are not defined, a lot of unnecessary problems can be faced. Defining proper QA testing processes is a must if the applications are to be built on time and on budget.
5) Lack of collaboration on bugs between stakeholders and developers.
The bug tracking software is most effective when it can facilitate effective communication between stakeholders and developers. This is easily possible if the software offers real-time chat, easy to understand dashboards and a streamlined ticket management process.
6) Poor bug reporting tools
Some applications provide a lot of information when reporting a bug but take forever to load due to the size of the application or because the software crashes on certain platforms or because it has poor documentation for QA testing purposes. All of this results in loss of productivity on behalf of the developer, who has to reload or look up things again and again.
7) Lack of proper support for different platforms/devices.
A lot of applications are designed for only certain platforms or devices. The issue with this is that in order for developers to test the software, they have to install it on the platform for which it was designed. This can be both time-consuming and problematic—especially when trying out fixes for reported bugs and trying to integrate them into the application.
8) Poor log management.
When there’s no proper place to keep track of logs, developers lose a lot of valuable information about bugs (such as IP addresses or device names). Also, if there are no logs available, then when it comes time to re-test bugs that were previously fixed, QA testers have to re-test all previous bugs as well.
You might be interested in useful tips and tricks that can help you improve your bug tracking system