Criteria for selecting ALM software
Below, I describe the criteria I used to select the best ALM tools on the market so you can easily compare tools based on the critical features I believe any good ALM software should provide. Here are the features and functions that the best ALM software offers to support the entire application development lifecycle:
Requirements management:
- Open requirements and user stories, then break down into detailed resource tracking tasks
- Prioritize and schedule requirements for each edition / iteration
- Assign requirements, tasks and incidents using the Agile planning board
You can also test requirements management tools if this is your main reason for looking at ALM tools.
Tests and quality tests:
- Create, edit and run test cases
- Create and assign test kits to manage test performance
- Mapping tests for coverage monitoring requirements
- Manual and automated testing management
Bug monitoring:
- Record bugs linked to test stages for full monitoring for testing
- Keep track of bugs, enhancements, risks, and issues related to changes to your source code repository
You can also look at debugging tools if this is your main reason for checking ALM software.
Project management + reporting
- Custom dashboards and customizable reporting
- Complete audit history of all changes made to the system
- Customizable graphs and reports in multiple formats (HTML, MS-Office and Adobe Acrobat)
You can also check project management software and project dashboards.
Collaboration:
- Ability to attach documents, screenshots and URLs to all objects
- Notifications, alerts, reviews and approvals
You can also test tools that specialize in collaboration.
Combination:
- With other tools – integrations with software development tools (SW development tools), deployment environments, servers, reporting tools, etc.
How to choose the best ALM tool
More than most other tools, implementing an ALM software package can be a huge investment of time and effort. There is a lot of pressure to choose the right tool because virtually everyone within and around your organization will use it to some degree.
Below, I simplify the process by providing a list of the important questions to ask during the selection process in order to select the appropriate ALM software for your use case.
I encourage you to try to answer as many of these questions as possible. Next, use them to create a list of requirements you have in the ALM tool, and rate them in terms of importance. When you start looking at tools, it will bring a lot more definition to your decision making process.
Do you merge assets?
If you have been merged (or multiple mergers), you face the challenge of consolidating different legacy systems and diverse approaches to ALM. You are primarily concerned with unifying your existing ALM processes and establishing a common framework for collaboration. In this scenario, tools with strong collaboration and integration capabilities should be at the top of your list. Look for heavy industry professionals with solutions designed for CLM (Collaborative Lifecycle Management) like IBM Rational, Rally Project Management, Microsoft and HP ALM.
Are you a startup?
Small organizations that anticipate or experience rapid growth require a different type of ALM definition than a veteran organization. Your ALM tool should provide a quickly redefined environment – which can contain new levels of management and new departments.
You are probably also very focused on Agile and / or continuous integration, so you will need a tool designed to expand agile and supportive Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) organization. In this usage case, Collabnet VersionOne, Targetprocess, Micro Focus and Atlassian are all strong competitors.
Do you need ALM software because you are subject to regulation?
For organizations subject to regulatory authorities such as critical critical establishments or medical establishments, compliance with standards is a key point to consider when choosing between ALM tools. In this case, you will want to prioritize tools with powerful QMS (quality management systems) such as Hurricane. Also, look for tools with many documentation management, FEMA risk assessment and tracking capabilities that allow you to track audit trajectories across projects.
Where are your most serious bottlenecks in the current process?
What are your licensing, hosting and budget limits?
To answer this critical question, it comes down to knowing the demographics of your organization. What is your company size, location, technical infrastructure, geographical distribution, security policy, firewalls?
Some comments on hosting:
Most vendors offer a SaaS version (hosted in the cloud) in addition to an authorized version. Knowing your technical infrastructure will tell you if you can host a local version. On top of that, it will notify you of any decision to invest in a new server to host in place (you will need to consider the server and hardware upgrades as part of the total cost of your ALM, of course).
Some notes on licensing:
Your ALM tool will only be effective if there are enough licenses for your users, if the type of license available is appropriate for your use case. For example, some vendors offer reputable licenses (for a dedicated user), floating licenses (several people can use at different times), or both. Also, keep in mind that some ALM software providers charge different amounts for land-based licenses compared to offshore licenses.
Unfortunately, licensing and pricing for most ALM tools are not straightforward because most of them are designed as separate module packages – and some modules or features may have different licensing and permissions from others.
The exceptions to this rule are Tuleap, Targetprocess, Inflectra SpiraTeam and Azure DevOps, which have adopted more transparent pricing than most other vendors.
Some vendors also offer a type of hybrid option, where you pay annually to rent an annual license. This annual fee usually includes all upgrades and support as well. It can be argued that it carries less risk than purchasing a permanent license and is locked into a separate payment for support and upgrades each year.
Have you already invested heavily in other tools?
In most cases, if you’re looking for ALM, your teams have been using a handful of tools in the industry for quite some time. Determine if you are so invested in a service provider (SAP, Oracle, etc.) that you should give priority to ALM tools that offer pre-built integrations with these services.
What methodologies are you following?
Most of the ALM tools on this list can fit Waterfall, Agile, and hybrid methodologies – but some are specialized.
Here are some examples:
- ALM tools for agile teams: Check out Jira, CA Agile Central, Azure DevOps
- ALM tool for waterfall methodology: Check out Perforce Helix ALM, Orcanos
- ALM tools that support hybrid methodologies: Collabnet VersionOne, Micro Focus, Inflectra SpiraTeam, Tuleap
How soon do you need it? (Known as the application and learning curve)
Some factors contribute to how easy it is to learn and implement a solution. Application managers should consider:
Cloud based or local?
Most ALM tools offer both options, but keep in mind that SaaS is faster to implement than a local solution. If you are installing a local solution, check to see if the vendor helps speed up the process by consulting the site during launch.
Intuitiveness?
Some ALM products are more intuitive than others. CA Agile Central, Targetprocess and Orcanos have often been described as the most intuitive and easy to learn, while Perforce Helix ALM reportedly takes a little longer.
Availability of training and support?
If you expect your teams to require more in-depth support, look for software from Orcanos, Inflectra, Collabnet VersionOne, CA Agile Central and Tuleap, all of which have been praised for above-average training and support. Not to mention, you need to browse the resources that each provider offers – the application must go faster with live training, tutorials, online seminars and a healthy resource library for your teams.
Pre-built integrations?
Especially if you already use a dozen different tools, ALM software with the largest number of existing combinations will speed up your application.
Look for solutions like Azure DevOps, Jira, Targetprocess, Collabnet VersionOne and Inflectra SpiraTeam, which offer the most pre-built integrations.
What do you think?
What software did you use to manage the application development lifecycle? Share your insight with our community below.
For more information on application lifecycle management, I will contact you The QA Lead– This is an online community for QA people, software engineers and testing professionals. It’s cool Podcast Interviewing leaders in the field of QA, DevOps and software development, plus many articles and tutorials on the QA profession.