Welcome to our guide on the software testing life cycle.
In this guide, we’re going to explain everything you need to know about this concept based on our two decades of experience in the industry.
You’ll learn the different phases of the STLC, why it’s important, some cool tips from the Daxima team, and our opinion on outsourcing the STLC to skilled professionals to save yourself time and money.
Ready to get started?
Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- STLC helps catch bugs early: It’s a step-by-step process that makes sure software works the way it should and saves money by fixing problems before launch.
- Breaks testing into easy steps: From figuring out what to test to closing out the project, STLC keeps things organized and stress-free.
- Cool tools make testing easier: Tools like Selenium, JIRA, and Appium help test websites, apps, and APIs quickly and effectively.
- Outsourcing makes life easier: Hiring experienced testers saves you time and headaches while improving the quality of your software.
- Testing is getting smarter: AI, early testing, and continuous updates are making the whole process faster and more reliable.
What is the STLC?
The Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is a structured process for testing software to make sure it works the way it should.
Companies use it to catch issues early before they turn into costly problems.
Why would they do this? Because fixing bugs in the development phase is a lot cheaper—and easier—than dealing with them after launch.
Imagine this: A retail app goes live with a bug that doubles customers’ orders.
Not only does it frustrate users, but it also creates a customer service nightmare.
If the testing team had used the STLC, it could’ve caught the issue before the app went live and saved time, money, and the company’s reputation.
See the value here?
The STLC breaks testing into clear steps, making it easier to spot potential issues, improve quality, and keep projects on track.
Why the Software Testing Life Cycle is Important
Developing software is complicated, and it’s rare for everything to go smoothly.
Bugs, performance issues, and miscommunications happen all the time.
In fact, fixing errors after launch can cost up to 30 times more than catching them earlier in development.
That’s why the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is so important.
Take the infamous case of Apple Maps in 2012.
When it launched, users found glitches like distorted landmarks, missing towns, and inaccurate directions.
If Apple had followed a thorough testing process like the STLC, testers could have caught these issues during the validation phase.
Fixing them before launch would have saved Apple the embarrassment and public backlash they faced.
STLC breaks testing into small, manageable steps, helping teams catch problems early and deliver software that users can trust.
STLC vs SDLC
Let’s clear up the confusion between STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle) and SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle).
These two terms are related, but they’re not the same.
SDLC is the entire process of creating software, from planning and designing to coding and deployment.
STLC, on the other hand, focuses specifically on testing.
It’s actually a part of the larger SDLC framework, ensuring the software meets quality standards before release.
Key Differences Between STLC and SDLC
- Scope: SDLC covers the full software development process, while STLC focuses only on testing.
- Timing: SDLC starts with planning and ends with deployment. STLC starts when there’s something to test.
- Purpose: SDLC ensures the product is built right; STLC ensures the product works right.
- Steps: SDLC includes design, coding, testing, and deployment. STLC includes only testing-related steps like planning, execution, and reporting.
- Ownership: SDLC involves multiple teams like developers, designers, and testers. STLC mainly involves the QA team.
STLC Phases
The Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) breaks the testing process into clear, manageable steps.
Each phase ensures issues are caught early and that testing stays on track.
Let’s go through each phase with tips and advice to make the process easier to follow.
Requirement Analysis
In the requirements analysis phase, you focus on identifying what needs to be tested and ensuring the team fully understands the project’s goals and expectations.
A few things we might take a look at in this phase are:
- The software’s purpose and functionality
- Key features and how they should work
- Target audience and their needs
- Compatibility with specific platforms or devices
- Any potential risks or challenges to address
The QA team reviews project documents and clarifies any questions with stakeholders.
At Daxima, we emphasize collaboration during this phase.
We make sure requirements are clear by holding workshops with clients and developers to avoid miscommunication.
For an e-commerce app, this might mean confirming that payment methods need to work across all devices.
Test Planning
In this phase, the team decides how testing will be done, what tools to use, and what the timeline looks like.
This is also when you allocate resources to different aspects of the project.
Always account for potential delays in your timeline.
At Daxima, we use test planning to identify risks upfront and build in extra time to handle them.
For a mobile app, the plan might include manual testing on different operating systems and automated testing for repeated actions like login and registration.
Test Case Development
Here, testers create detailed test cases, which are step-by-step instructions to verify if the software works as expected.
We prefer writing reusable test cases.
This saves time for future updates or similar projects.
Using tools like Jira or TestRail keeps everything organized and makes it easier to track what’s been tested.
For a login feature, this might include checking valid credentials, incorrect credentials, and verifying error messages.
Test Environment
The test environment is set up to mimic real-world conditions.
This helps identify issues users might face before the software is launched, ensuring a smoother experience.
Trust us, you want to do this!
By the way, this includes hardware, software, and network configurations.
Make sure your environment matches what users will experience.
Daxima ensures environments are tested for compatibility, especially when working with cloud-based software.
If your product will run on both iOS and Android, environments should reflect both platforms to catch unique issues.
Test Execution
This is where the real action happens. In the execution phase, testers run the test cases and document any bugs or issues.
Pro tip…prioritize critical features first.
We often start with high-risk areas, like security or payment systems, before moving on to less critical parts of the product.
A bug in the checkout process would need to be addressed before moving on to more minor functions.
Test Closure
In the final phase, the QA team evaluates the overall testing process, creates reports, and shares findings with stakeholders.
This is also the time to document lessons learned for future projects.
At Daxima, we make test closure actionable.
Our reports include recommendations for improving future development and testing cycles.
If bugs repeatedly stem from unclear requirements, the closure report might suggest earlier stakeholder involvement in the next project.
Testing Techniques
Testing techniques are the methods QA teams use to evaluate software.
The two main approaches are black-box and white-box testing, and each serves a unique purpose.
Let’s break them down.
Black-Box Techniques
Black-box testing focuses on what the software does without looking at the internal code.
Testers evaluate inputs and outputs to ensure the system behaves as expected.
Pro Tip: At Daxima, we recommend black-box testing for user-facing features like login screens, forms, or navigation menus. This approach helps uncover functionality issues users might face, such as incorrect error messages or broken links.
For example, when testing an e-commerce app’s search function, testers input various keywords to check if the correct products appear.
This ensures the feature works as expected without digging into the code behind it.
White-Box Techniques
White-box testing dives into the internal workings of the software.
Testers examine the code to ensure it’s functioning as intended, looking for logical errors, vulnerabilities, or inefficiencies.
This technique is ideal for critical back-end functions, like data processing or API integrations.
At Daxima, we use white-box testing to uncover deeper issues, such as unoptimized code that slows down performance or security gaps.
For example, when testing a payment gateway, testers review the code to ensure transactions are processed securely and efficiently, confirming data is encrypted and handled correctly behind the scenes.
Popular Software Testing Tools
We want to share some of Daxima’s favorite software testing tools and explain how they help us deliver reliable results.
Here’s our go-to tech stack, along with why we recommend each one:
- Selenium: This is perfect for automating web application testing. We use it to ensure websites work seamlessly across different browsers. It’s great for projects with lots of interactive features.
- JIRA: For managing test cases and tracking issues, JIRA helps keep everything organized and easy to follow. It’s ideal for keeping developers and testers on the same page.
- Postman: This is the tool we trust for API testing. It allows us to verify that backend services work as expected and provide accurate data to the front end.
- Appium: For mobile app testing, Appium is one of our top picks. It works for both iOS and Android, making it easy to catch platform-specific issues.
- TestRail: Managing test cases is simpler with TestRail. It’s great for tracking testing progress and creating detailed reports to share with clients or team members.
Outsourcing Software Testing
Outsourcing software testing is a smart way to save time, cut costs, and improve product quality.
It reduces the stress of managing an in-house team, the need for constant training, and the risks of missed deadlines.
By bringing in experienced testers, you can catch issues early and focus on development.
At Daxima, we work as an extension of your team, whether you need full-cycle testing, help with specific phases, or just extra hands during crunch time.
Our flexible approach ensures we fit into your workflow seamlessly, so you can deliver reliable, user-friendly software on time.
Future Trends and the STLC
The Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is evolving alongside technology, with exciting trends reshaping how we approach testing.
- AI-Powered Testing: Tools are now using artificial intelligence to predict bugs and automate repetitive tasks, making testing faster and more accurate. This is especially helpful for large-scale projects.
- Shift-Left Testing: Testing is moving earlier in the development cycle to catch issues sooner. By integrating testing into the coding phase, teams save time and reduce costs.
- Continuous Testing: With DevOps on the rise, testing happens continuously as part of the CI/CD pipeline, ensuring updates are reliable and frequent.
These exciting trends are pushing STLC toward faster, more efficient testing processes, helping teams deliver high-quality software faster.
And we are proud to be right on the forefront of it.
Conclusion
That’s a wrap!
Hope you liked our guide on the software testing life cycle, and you can see why testing is such an integral part of producing high-quality pieces of software.
You’re welcome to try testing it yourself, but if you find that it’s taking too much time, money, and resources, feel free to reach out to us for a free consultation.
We’ve been building apps for more than two decades now, so there’s nothing that we can’t handle.