Old-style software test management: why you are falling behind
First things first – letās check whether your software testing efforts are already keeping your team down or not (or whether you are going in that trajectory). Before you deny it, letās skim through these bullet points and see if it is familiar:Ā
š Your test cases are all over Excel. Your team starts a new feature and writes test cases in Excel. At first, it seems organisedāeach tester has their own sheet, and you can track the results manually.Ā
But a week later, someone updates a test step, another tester adds a new test case in a separate version, and a third person forgets to update execution results. Now, you have multiple versions floating around.Ā
The result? Nobody knows which version is correct, and reporting test progress is a huge manual effort of merging chaotic, unreliable, scattered data.
Sooner or later, you lose the progress of:
- The execution status of test cases (how many passed, failed, or are blocked).
- The update history of test cases (which tests were changed, when, and by whom).
- Overall testing cycle progress (what percentage of tests have been executed, and how far along testing is in the sprint).
āļø Your automation results are stuck in Jenkins. Your team runs automated regression tests every night in Jenkins. But when a test fails, you have to:Ā
- Log into Jenkins
- Manually search logsĀ
- Filter through irrelevant errors
- Piece together what went wrong
Even worse, thereās no direct link between automation results and test cases, so you waste even more time investigating which test cases were affected. Meanwhile, the sprint is moving forward, and the delays in investigation slow down your testing massively.
The problem in relying solely on Jenkins for automation results:
- No direct mapping between automated tests and manual test cases.
- Disorganised reportingātest automation results being in Jenkins and manual test cases floating around in Excel (additionally, bugs being in Jira) create data silos.
- Time wasted debuggingāinstead of instantly seeing which tests failed and why, testers must manually go through logs.
š Your team logs bugs manually in Jira. A tester finds a bug and manually types details into Jira. Nothing problematic in the beginning, a careful tester can easily deal with that.Ā
But letās take a scenario where the tester needs to do it for 10,20, or even 100 test cases. Eventually, if they forget to attach logs, screenshots, or exact steps, the developer seeing the report will ask for more information.Ā
Now, the tester has to reproduce the bug again, but itās impossible to recall the exact data. After two days of (might be more, might be less, you get the point) back-and-forth, the bug finally has enough details to be fixed.Ā
Meanwhile, the sprint deadline is approaching, and development is already behind – fuel for chaos and finger-pointing about what went wrong and who is responsible.Ā
The problem here is:
- Wrong or inconsistent detailsāTesters are human and they can forget to include screenshots, logs, or environment details.
- Lost time in back-and-forthāDevelopers waste time asking for clarification instead of fixing the bug.
- Test data loss risksāIf test data isn’t saved or linked properly, reproducing bugs becomes difficult.
ā You donāt have real-time visibility into the testing process. Your team is preparing for a major release, and management asks:
- How much of the software has been tested?
- How many critical test cases are failing?
- Are we ready to ship?
With no centralised dashboard, you have toĀ
- Manually collect execution results from Excel
- Check Jira for bug reports
- Ask testers for status updates
By the time you put together a report, your data is already outdated. In this case, critical failures will go unnoticed until late in the release cycle and will eventually lead to rushed fixes and panic decisions.
š You still write test cases manually. Although this is not a scalability issue like the other problems, it will still become a major inefficiency as your test suite grows. Testers create every test case from scratch, copy it across documents, and update it manually.Ā
Instead of focusing on high-value testing activities, your team spends excessive time maintaining test cases. You can save this time by using an AI-powered solution that automates the generation of test cases and delivers reusable test libraries.
In fact, an AI-powered, centralised test management system (TMS) will help you beyond this problem – it will get you out of the scalability and management chaos too. What you need is a solution that does the repetitive part for you in a few clicks and leaves only the strategic part in your responsibility.Ā
Aqua cloud eliminates all these roadblocks by centralising your test management and providing real-time insights. Time to say goodbye to chaotic Excel sheetsāaqua keeps all your test cases, execution history, and updates in one place with 100% traceability. No more hunting through Jenkins logsā with aqua, test results are directly linked to test cases and defects, saving you hours of debugging. Bug reporting is even more effortlessāusing aquaās one-click bug-recording integration Capture, testers can catch and log issues with full details, including screenshots and logs, directly into Jira. And when management asks for test coverage reports? Aqua delivers real-time dashboards that give you full visibility at every stage. AI-powered test case and test data generation saves you 98% of the time and removes the guesswork. Aqua does not just manage your QA – it accelerates it. Make the switch today.
Automate 200% of your efforts at every testing stage with AI
Why should you switch to test management tools?
We guided you through the issues of old-fashioned test management and the undesired results it brings. So whatās the alternative? As we already mentioned above, a centralised TMS can help you massively. Youāve probably heard the saying āGrass is not greener on the other sideā. This does not apply to QA if you choose the right solution to streamline your efforts.Ā
So, why should you go for a test management solution? Letās look at some key insights:
š ļø The right AI-powered solution makes all the difference in efficiency. We will cover how you choose the perfect solution later in this guide, but for now, you need to know this: 78% of QA teams reported test management tools help them do their job better. It is not a marketing fluff, it is what real testers say. And if 8 out of 10 see tools as game-changers, then it is worth at least paying attention.Ā
š¤ Most teams are still stuck with outdated methodsāthis is your chance to get ahead. 70% of teams still manage test cases in Excel and do not prefer test management solutions. But the industry is shifting, with more teams adopting AI-powered test management tools. By upgrading now, you can transform your testing: gain efficiency, better test coverage, and a competitive edgeāwhile others play catch-up.
š Better coverage, faster releases, fewer headaches. With a modern, AI-powered TMS, you cut manual work, easily integrate automation, and always know what is covered. Higher test coverage (alongside test stability) is the biggest barrier for testing teams, as 1 out of every 5 teams struggles with it. An all-around test management solution provides you highest test coverage, traceability and automation features.
A modern, AI-powered solution like aqua cloud does all these above and beyond. You get 100% test coverage, traceability, and visibility. You can automate the entire test planning stage through AI-powered requirements, test cases, and test data generation with 3 clicks, saving 98% of your time. Actionable reports help you make advanced data-driven decisions and automation integrations easily connect with your CI/CD pipeline. With aqua, you can easily integrate with Jira, Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Ranorex and other tools for instant analysis. One-click bug-tracking integration Capture helps you generate visual bug reports instantly and eliminates all the communication barriers between testers and developers. It is time to step into the effortless world of AI-powered TMS in 2025.
Automate 200% of your efforts at every testing stage with AI
How to choose a game-changer test management tool in 2025
Choosing a test management solution and eliminating manual is not the end of the journey. Not all testing tools are equal, so we will help you differentiate a robust solution from a mediocre one based on concrete criteria.Ā
So how do you know if your test management solution will be modern and efficient in 2025? Letās look at the key categories. These categories are not limited to scalability and test management issues, because choosing a TMS, you should look for much more than that:
š 100% traceability: do you always know whatās being covered? With an all-around test management solution, you should have full visibility into every requirement, test case, execution and defect. If something fails, you should be able to trace it back in seconds, not hours.
š§ AI-powered testing: how much time do you save? A real game-changer eliminates redundant work before the testing cycle even beginsāstarting from the requirements. With AI-powered automation, you should be able to generate test cases, test data, and even requirements effortlessly. If you’re still writing tests manually after investing in a TMS, you’re not maximising its potential.Ā
ā” Deep automation integrations: can a TMS handle modern workflows? A mediocre tool forces you to manually upload automation results. A top-tier solution pulls in results instantly from Jenkins, Cypress, or Playwright, logs detailed bug reports in Jira, and helps you analyse failures instantly.Ā
š Scalable reporting: valuable insights or just numbers? Reports shouldnāt just show numbersāthey should drive decisions. Can you filter insights at any levelātest case, project, or release? Can you customise reports to match your teamās priorities? If not, youāre flying blind.Ā
š ļø Flexibility: does your TMS fit your workflow, or vice versa? Your team has its own mix of tools, workflows, and methodologies. A solid TMS adapts to you whether youāre using Agile, DevOps, or something custom. If this solution forces you to work its way, then it is time to let it go.
Aqua cloud checks all these boxesāand more. With AI-powered test creation, deep automation integrations, and 100% traceability, you get a seamless, future-proof testing workflow. No more chaos or, wasted timeājust fast, efficient, and reliable QA. If your test management solution isnāt delivering this, maybe itās time for an upgrade.
Move from a mediocre TMS to a 100% AI-powered, all-in-one solution in 2025
There are already established solutions in the market with some popularity. A simple Google search will give you these opinions on some popular TMSs:
TestRail has gone massively downhill. Not sure if they've made any improvements beyond deleting their user forum to avoid more public complaints...The reporting is not flexible; I didn't find their built-in reports useful at all.
Don't ever, ever use Katalon. 2 weeks and you will start regretting it. Not worth. Too much tech debt.
Seems like some people regret going with the hype and ending up choosing mediocre solutions. But what solutions are not mediocre?
Best software test management tools in 2025
Here is the list of test management solutions you should go for in 2025:Ā
š 1. Aqua cloud ā aqua revolutionises your QA by eliminating up to 98% of manual effort on requirements, test cases and test data generation and delivers 100% coverage and traceability. It also seamlessly integrates with your automation frameworks – Jenkins, Selenium, and Playwright. Customisable reporting at all levels leads to fully data-driven decisions and a centralised hub for both manual and automated tests turns your test tracking into a breeze. With AI-driven insights, aqua keeps your testing centralised, efficient, and ahead of the curve.
Step into an AI era of software testing and save 10 hours every week
2. Practitest is praised for its simplicity and strong integrations, with easy onboarding for teams. Users appreciate its clear documentation and historical tracking. However, some find the UI unintuitive, and issues like filters resetting when cloning reports can slow down workflows. While customer support is responsive, thereās room for improvement in usability.
3. Xray stands out for its seamless Jira integration which makes it a go-to for teams in the Atlassian ecosystem. It supports both manual and automated tests with strong traceability, linking requirements, tests, and defects efficiently. However, there are performance slowdowns with large test sets, a steep learning curve, and reporting limitations that donāt always cover advanced KPIs. The UI feels clunky but Xray still remains a solid choice.
4. Testmo is praised for its intuitive interface and strong integrations with Jira, GitHub, and GitLab. It supports manual, exploratory, and automated testing in one place, which many QA teams find convenient. However, there are performance slowdowns with large test suites, a steep learning curve, and occasional glitches that disrupt workflows. While it offers modern features, some people think it still needs refinement to provide a smoother experience.
Conclusion
So now you know why traditional testing is keeping you down. You also know every TMS should not be trusted – there are levels in this industry. Based on the criteria and the list of solutions we provided, you are ready to transform your test management efforts from a headache into a side problem that solves itself. The question is, are you ready for this revolutionary change? If yes, just contact us and let us take the pain away from your testing.
