Activities Performed during Defect Triage Process

Bug/Defect Triage Meeting Process, as name specifies, is a project meeting usually done for a purpose of triage process i.e. to sort out priority of open defects, when it is needed to be fixed or resolved, ways to fix or resolve it, and efforts and difficulty in retesting. In simple words, we can define defect triage as a process to identify or find out defect’s priority on basis of their severity to impact functionality and working of software.

Activities performed in Defect Triage Process :
Basically, whole defect triage meeting is divided into three phases. Test lead sends a defect report to all members of meeting so they have some idea about latest defects before meeting starts. Three phases are given below :

1. Pre-meeting :
   In pre-meeting phase, testers are important and play a very essential role. They have several responsibilities and main responsibility is to make all participants have basic understanding and knowledge about defects or bugs. They provide information about defect to participants or triage team. Other responsibilities are :
   • Giving enough information and understanding about defects in full description.
   • Characterize and divide defects into different categories on the basis of their severity and priority.
   • Ensure and verify severity and priority that was assigned to each and every defect.
2. During meeting :
   In this, triage team members or participants firstly do discussion on all pending issues that were not resolved due to any reason in previous defect triage meeting. They also discuss progress of previous issues.

   Further, discussion is done on new issues. Triage team members evaluate and review defect report that is being sent by team lead. They firstly check description of defect and ensure severity and priority of defect. If it’s not correct then description of defect is updated.

   Discussion is also done regarding resolving defects. They firstly evaluate defects and risks that are caused due to defects. Then they collectively make a decision and divide defects into three categories :

   • (i). Resolve Now –
     Defect needed to resolved immediately on basis of risk caused and resources required.
   • (ii). Resolve Later –
     Defect not needed to fixed immediately and can resolve later on basis of risk caused and resources required.
   • (ii). Never Resolve –
     Defect not needed to resolved at all on basis of risk caused and resources required.

   After this, defect list is updated and is assigned to respective teams. Test lead quickly sums up meeting and discuss particular tasks needed to be performed by respective teams.

3. Post-meeting :
   In this, Test lead shares Minute of meeting (MOM) i.e. written record of each and everything that happened during a meeting. It contains total attendees of meetings, issues, related responses, and final decision that was taken to resolve the issues. It also contains record regarding what tasks have been assigned to whom.