The Iowa Democratic Party used a mobile app to pull results from statewide precincts for the Iowa caucus. But the app was not properly tested or deployed, and it turned into a high-profile tech disaster. When deadlines loom, release testing is often what gets cut, but this situation shows why it's a crucial activity.

Because agile favors lots of short meetings, it may seem like they take up a lot more time. But when you compare it to time spent meeting in the pre-agile days, it's usually actually less. However, this doesn’t mean all meetings you attend are useful. Here are a few tips for deciding if all your meetings are necessary.

When a software defect is identified, best practices usually only pertain to the initial writing of the defect, not the tasks required to close it. Many factors can influence the tester's work. The solution is to add a “Next Steps” section that identifies the work remaining and the person responsible for completing it.