Definition (Hover Text)

Measures the percentage of defects leaked from the current testing stage to the subsequent stage
The Defect Seepage Rate measures the percentage of defects that escape from the current testing stage to the next stage. For example, defects found during User Acceptance Testing (UAT) that were not caught during Quality Assurance (QA)

Source Tools

Jira, Azure Boards

Graph type

Line chart

Filters

-

Hover Format on KPI

Sprint Name: <<Percentage Value>>

Escaped Defects: <<Value>>

Total Defects : <<Value>>

Fields on Overlay

• Sprint Name

• Defect ID

• Issue Description

• Escaped Defect

Business Logic

Calculation Formula

No. of  valid defects reported at a stage (e.g. UAT)/ Total no. of defects reported in the current stage and previous stage (UAT & QA)

Imagine your team conducted testing at two stages: Quality Assurance (QA) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

• During the QA stage, 15 defects were found.

• During the UAT stage, 5 additional valid defects were found.

The Defect Seepage Rate would be:

Defect Seepage Rate = 5 / 20 =0.25 or 25%

This means that 25% of the total defects were found during the UAT stage, helping to understand the effectiveness of the testing process at different stages.

Trend

A lower Defect Seepage Rate signifies better quality, as fewer defects progress to later stages

Maturity Levels

Defect Seepage Rate maturity is assessed by averaging data from the last 5 sprints. This helps in understanding the stability and improvement over time.

M1 - >=90% 

M2 - >=75-90%

M3 - >=50-75% , 

M4 >=25-50% , 

M5 <25%   

Instance level thresholds

Target KPI Value denotes the bare minimum a project should maintain for a KPI.

Global Configurations- (Field Mapping)

Processor Fields

Whenever we update the defect mapping and issue type mapping, whether we add or remove any issue type, we must run the processor. This is necessary to show the changes in the KPI.

Defect Mapping :

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Mandatory fields

Project Settings

1. Navigate to Project Settings: Start by going to the Project Settings in your application.

2. Access the Mapping Section: Within Project Settings, find and click on the Mapping option.

3. Mandatory Field: In the Mapping section, you’ll find the Mandatory Field. This is where you’ll configure the necessary global mapping fields.

4. Configure the Fields:

Defect Mapping :

• Issue Type to identify Defect - all the issue type that signify defect

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How to Validate KPI

Suggested ways of working

1. Implement Automated Testing:

   • Use automated testing tools to increase coverage and catch defects early.

2. Define Clear Testing Stages:

   • Establish distinct stages in your testing process (e.g., QA, UAT) to track where defects are found.

Sample JQLs

project in ("XYZ") and component =ABC and type in (Defect) and issueFunction in linkedIssuesOf("type in (Story) AND sprint in(407)") and label ="ClientDefect")

Benefits of KPI

Quality Measurement

The Defect Seepage Rate helps measure the effectiveness of your testing stages. A lower seepage rate indicates that defects are being caught early, which reflects higher code quality.By tracking this metric, teams can continuously improve their testing processes and overall code quality.

Predictability

Understanding the Defect Seepage Rate allows teams to predict the amount of rework needed. If the seepage rate is high, more defects are likely to be found in later stages, requiring additional effort to fix. With better predictability, teams can plan sprints and releases more accurately, allocating appropriate resources for defect resolution.

Cost Reduction

Reducing the Defect Seepage Rate means fewer defects escape to later stages, where fixing them is more costly. Early detection and resolution are generally cheaper. Fewer defects reaching production reduces the costs associated with post-release bug fixes and customer support.

Process Improvement

By analyzing where defects are seeping through, teams can identify weak points in their development and testing processes. Teams can focus on improving specific stages where defects are commonly introduced, enhancing the overall development process.

Best Practices

Automate Testing

Implement automated testing (unit, integration, and end-to-end tests) to catch defects early in the development process.

Pair Programming

Implement pair programming to increase code quality and reduce the likelihood of defects being introduced.

Adopt TDD/BDD

Use Test-Driven Development (TDD) or Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) methodologies to write tests before code, ensuring that functionality is well-defined and tested from the start.

Use Static Analysis Tools

Implement static code analysis tools to automatically check code for potential defects and enforce coding standards.