Introduction

Managing software testing can become challenging when test cases, test results, defects, and documentation are spread across different tools. For our team, limited user licenses made this even more difficult. To address these challenges, we explored the possibility of building our own test management platform. We researched the needs of our testers, designed and developed a proof of concept, and explored how it could make test management more accessible, structured, and efficient.

In this blog post, we share why we started this project, how we approached the development, what the proof of concept can do, and what we learned along the way.

The Challenge

The existing process had several limitations that impacted on our daily workflow:

• Expensive User Licenses: We only had 10 licenses available for a team of approximately 40 users who needed regular access.

• Constant License Switching: We had to switch licenses continuously between team members who were releasing software, leading to administrative frustration and lost time.

• Fragmented Documentation: Test cases, results, defects, and evidence were spread across various tools, making tracking, auditability, and overall management difficult.

Our goal was to explore whether we could create a cost-effective, custom solution that would make testing structured, transparent, and easier to manage for everyone involved.

Our Approach

We started by researching the needs of the testers in our team. Through structured interviews and interactive sessions, we gathered insights into our daily workflows and pain points.

Based on this research, we identified key features needed for a streamlined testing experience:

1. Test Case Management: Easily creating, editing, and organizing test cases within a centralized repository.

2. Reusable Test Steps: Standardizing common test steps to save time and reduce manual duplicate work during test creation.

3. Test Planning and Execution: Organizing tests into clear execution cycles and executing them smoothly step-by-step.

4. Defect Tracking: Linking defects directly to specific test steps and execution results for complete traceability.

5. Reporting and Dashboards: Providing clear visual metrics on release progress and quality metrics.

We then designed user flows and low-fidelity prototypes for key tasks to validate our ideas with the team before writing code.

The Platform: Our Proof of Concept

To evaluate technical and functional feasibility, we built a functional Proof of Concept (PoC) focusing on essential daily test management tasks.

What the PoC currently offers:

• Centralized Repository: A single hub to create, structure, and maintain test cases with modular, reusable step blocks.

• Execution Workflow: Testers can execute test runs step-by-step, mark statuses (Pass/Fail/Blocked), and attach screenshot evidence directly to execution logs.

• Integrated Defect Logging: Defect reporting is embedded straight into the test execution view, allowing testers to log issues immediately when a step fails.

• Barrier-Free Access: Removing the 10-license limitation entirely, allowing the entire team—including developers, product owners, and release managers—to participate without friction.

Key Findings

During the validation phases with our team, we gained valuable insights:

• License Barriers Severely Hurt Collaboration: Removing user limits significantly improved team engagement and made release readiness transparent to everyone.

• Centralization is Crucial: Having one place for test cases, executions, defects, and proof of execution saves significant time during releases.

• Simplicity Drives Adoption: Keeping the interface clean and intuitive was essential for team members who are not dedicated full-time QA testers.

What We Learned

Building our own proof of concept showed that a custom platform is technically feasible and can address our specific workflow bottlenecks without reliance on expensive third-party licensing models. Crucially, we learned that a test management tool must do more than store test steps—it needs to foster seamless collaboration across the entire release pipeline.

Conclusion & Next Steps

This project successfully demonstrated that building a custom test management platform can solve our license limitations while improving workflow speed and evidence quality. The proof of concept provides a solid foundation.

The project will now be handed over to the primary development team to continue refining the codebase, hardening security, and preparing the platform for wider adoption across the organization.