Saskia Parks

23 July 2024

10 tips for Test Data Management success

The role of effective Test Data Management (TDM) is often underestimated in the software development process, yet it is a cornerstone for ensuring quality, compliance, and efficiency throughout the software development life cycle. 

As Bloor say in their Test Data Management Market Update 2024, “… many enterprises are, to quote one vendor we spoke to, “still in the stone age” when it comes to TDM. Production data is still widely used for testing (by as many as 60% of companies, according to one survey).” 

So what are the challenges to implementing a successful TDM strategy? In our recent webinar ‘Harnessing the Power of Test Data Management: Strategies for Success’, Redgate’s Steve Jones was joined by Hamish Watson (DevOps Consultant, Morph iT Limited) and Daniel Watkins (Director/Principal Consultant, Intesphere) to talk all things TDM and how to implement it efficiently and effectively. 

Here are 10 key tips and takeaways from their conversation:  

1. Start Small

Implementing TDM can be a complex process, so it’s best to start with a single application or area, and preferably one that is relatively low stake. This allows you to learn and understand the nuances of TDM without being overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once.  

For example, you can focus on understanding the integration points of the application, which is a crucial element of the process. Then, as you gain confidence and expertise, you can gradually expand to other areas.

2. Automate

Automation is key to the successful implementation of TDM. You should identify bottlenecks in your process and automate them. Not only does this increase efficiency, but it also reduces the potential for errors. Automating processes like data delivery and test data refreshes will ensure data and processes are reproducible, quick and reliable – saving you significant time and resources.

3. Leverage Existing Frameworks

There are many frameworks available that can assist with tasks like unit testing (see point 4). Leveraging these frameworks can save you the time and effort of building everything from scratch.  

In turn, when introducing new tools or frameworks, choose ones that use languages you and your team are already familiar with to significantly reduce the learning curve.

4. Introduce Unit Testing

Unit testing isn’t just for application code; it’s equally crucial for database objects. Starting conversations around unit testing and introducing your team to frameworks that support it, such as tSQLt, can help improve the quality of your software.  

This form of testing allows you to catch and fix issues early in the development cycle, thereby reducing the risk of data-related issues in production environments, where they’re harder and more costly to fix.

Watch the webinar

5. Promote Testing

Unit testing is just one element of the continuous testing process, which ensures the functionality and performance of a system at every stage of the development cycle. There’s also integration testing and performance testing.  

Whatever the means of testing, it’s important to encourage others in your organization to understand the value of testing overall. Testing not only improves the quality of your applications but also makes everyone’s jobs easier as the testing cycle is optimized. In turn, this increases business value. 

6. Collaborate

Collaboration is crucial in TDM. Working closely with other team members, such as DBAs and application developers, can help improve your processes and code. For example, working closely with your DBAs can ensure efficient and effective TDM best practices, since they have a deep and invaluable understanding of your databases.  

In turn, if your DBAs are hesitant to write tests, involve your application developers in the process. This also fosters a culture of shared responsibility for data quality and security and helps eliminate bottlenecks.

7. Embrace security

Data security is of utmost importance when dealing with test and development data. Data sovereignty and security are significant issues for many users, especially when dealing with sensitive data. Follow well-documented best practices and use an appropriate solution to keep your data safe.

8. Avoid Maintaining a Replica of Production

Maintaining a large-scale replica of your production environment can be resource-intensive and costly due to the storage, infrastructure and ongoing maintenance requirements. There are also complex processes involved, such as data synchronization, failover and monitoring – and this complexity only increases with the size of the replica and the number of integrated systems. 

It’s better to look for alternatives that can provide similar benefits without the high costs and resources required. For example, using subsets of data, synthetic data, or data virtualization, can achieve similar results without the overhead of maintaining a full-scale replica, leading to more efficient and effective data management. 

9. Showcase TDM’s Benefits

There are numerous benefits of utilizing TDM, many of which we’ve already covered, and it’s important to highlight these as a ‘sales pitch’ to convince stakeholders of its value. By demonstrating how TDM can improve efficiency and collaboration across teams, you can make a compelling case for its implementation. Read more about the ROI of TDM here. 

10. Prove Your Worth with TDM

Furthermore, you can show others the value you bring through your TDM initiatives, particularly in terms of understanding TDM guidelines and interpreting results effectively. This not only helps in efficient TDM utilization but also emphasizes your value to the team and organization.  

In addition, demonstrating your worth can help build support for your work in other areas and open up more opportunities for collaboration.

Bonus: Stay Optimistic!

The phrase ‘delusional optimist’ was used by our panelists during the webinar – for good reason! By maintaining a positive attitude, you can help overcome hurdles, foster collaboration, encourage the adoption of new technologies and motivate others to strive for improvement. 

It’s a key factor in successfully implementing TDM and improving software development practices. Remember, the ultimate goal of TDM and testing is to make jobs better, provide business value, and improve the quality of the software being delivered.  

To see the webinar in full, sign up on-demand here. To learn more about Redgate’s Test Data Management offering, visit this page.  

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