Team Setup and Management - Documentation

Overview

Effective team setup is crucial for successful test management collaboration. This guide covers everything from initial team configuration to advanced permission management and collaborative workflows.

Team Structure Concepts

Organization Hierarchy

ConductorQA uses a three-tier structure:

Organization (Company)
├── Projects (Applications/Products)
│   ├── Test Suites (Feature Areas)
│   └── Team Members (Project-specific)
└── Global Team Members (Organization-wide)

Team Roles and Permissions

Organization Level Roles

Organization Owner

Full control over organization settings
Manage billing and subscription
Add/remove organization members
Create and delete projects

Organization Admin

Manage organization members
Create projects and manage settings
Cannot access billing or delete organization

Organization Member

Default role for team members
Access to assigned projects only
Cannot manage organization settings

Project Level Roles

Project Owner

Full project control including deletion
Manage all team members and permissions
Configure project settings and integrations
Access to all project data and analytics

Project Admin

Manage project members and test data
Create and modify test suites and cases
Run tests and view all results
Cannot delete project or change ownership

Project Editor

Create and modify test cases and suites
Execute test runs and add results
Comment on tests and collaborate
View project analytics and reports

Project Viewer

Read-only access to tests and results
View analytics and reports
Add comments to discussions
Cannot modify test data

Initial Team Setup

Step 1: Organization Setup

Create Your Organization

Log in to ConductorQA as the organization owner
Navigate to Settings → Organization
Configure organization details:
- Organization Name: Your company or team name
- Organization URL: Unique identifier (e.g., acme-corp)
- Industry: Select your industry for better defaults
- Team Size: Choose your team size range

Configure Organization Settings

Default Project Permissions: Set default roles for new projects
Invitation Settings: Configure how team invitations work
Data Retention: Set policies for test data and results
Integration Policies: Define allowed integrations and API access

Step 2: Invite Team Members

Add Organization Members

Via Email Invitation:

Go to Settings → Team Members
Click “Invite Team Member”
Enter email address and select default role
Add personal message (optional)
Click “Send Invitation”

Via Bulk Import:

Prepare CSV file with columns: email, role, projects
Go to Team Members → “Bulk Import”
Upload CSV file and review mappings
Confirm import and send invitations

Invitation Process

For Recipients:

Receive invitation email with secure link
Click link to access ConductorQA
Create account or log in with existing account
Accept organization invitation
Get automatically assigned to specified projects

For Admins:

Track invitation status in team dashboard
Resend invitations if needed
Modify permissions before acceptance
Remove pending invitations if necessary

Step 3: Project Team Assignment

Assign Members to Projects

Individual Assignment:

Navigate to project settings
Go to “Team” tab
Click “Add Team Member”
Select from organization members
Choose appropriate project role
Set access start/end dates (optional)

Bulk Assignment:

Select multiple projects in organization dashboard
Choose “Bulk Team Assignment”
Select team members and roles
Apply to selected projects

Project Access Patterns

Feature-Based Teams:

Frontend team: UI/UX projects
Backend team: API and service projects
QA team: All projects with testing focus
DevOps team: Infrastructure and deployment projects

Product-Based Teams:

Product A team: All components of Product A
Product B team: All components of Product B
Shared services team: Common infrastructure projects

Team Management Workflows

Daily Collaboration Patterns

Test Planning Meetings

Project Owners create agenda with test suite priorities
Project Admins review test case coverage and assignments
Project Editors discuss implementation details and timelines
Project Viewers (stakeholders) provide business context

Test Execution Cycles

Editors execute test runs and document results
Admins review results and prioritize failing tests
Viewers monitor progress via dashboards
Owners make decisions on release readiness

Issue Resolution Process

Any team member can report issues or create bugs
Editors investigate and document reproduction steps
Admins prioritize and assign issues
Owners approve fixes and coordinate with development

Permission Management

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Principle of Least Privilege:

Grant minimum required permissions
Review and audit permissions regularly
Use time-limited access for temporary team members
Document permission decisions

Permission Inheritance:

Organization Role → Base Permissions
    ↓
Project Role → Additional Permissions
    ↓
Custom Permissions → Specific Overrides

Advanced Permission Scenarios

Contractor/Vendor Access:

Create separate organization or limited project access
Use Viewer role with specific time limits
Restrict data export and API access
Monitor activity closely

Cross-Team Collaboration:

Create shared projects with mixed team membership
Use tags to organize tests by team responsibility
Set up notification rules for relevant team members
Schedule regular sync meetings

Temporary Access:

Set expiration dates on project memberships
Use role templates for common temporary needs
Automate access removal notifications
Maintain audit trail of access changes

Team Communication Setup

Notification Configuration

Individual Notifications

Each team member can configure:

Test Completion Alerts: When assigned tests complete
Failure Notifications: When tests fail unexpectedly
Assignment Updates: When tests are assigned or reassigned
Comment Mentions: When mentioned in test comments
Daily/Weekly Summaries: Regular progress reports

Team-Level Notifications

Project admins can set up:

Team Channels: Integration with Slack, Teams, or Discord
Email Distribution Lists: For project-wide announcements
Dashboard Alerts: Real-time status updates
Escalation Rules: Automatic notifications for critical failures

Notification Best Practices

Avoid Notification Fatigue: Limit unnecessary alerts
Context-Aware Alerts: Include relevant test and project information
Actionable Notifications: Ensure recipients can act on alerts
Respect Time Zones: Consider global team member locations

Test Documentation Standards

Test Case Documentation: Clear steps and expected outcomes
Suite Documentation: Purpose, scope, and execution notes
Project Documentation: Goals, architecture, and team contacts
Process Documentation: Standard workflows and procedures

Knowledge Base Management

FAQ Section: Common questions and answers
Best Practices Guide: Team-specific recommendations
Troubleshooting Guides: Common issues and solutions
Tool Documentation: Custom integrations and configurations

Advanced Team Configurations

Multi-Project Teams

Cross-Project Collaboration

Scenario: Teams working on multiple related projects

Setup: Create project groups with shared team members
Permissions: Consistent roles across related projects
Reporting: Aggregate dashboards across projects
Communication: Shared channels for cross-project updates

Matrix Organization Support

Scenario: Team members report to both functional and project managers

Setup: Multiple role assignments with clear responsibilities
Permissions: Layered access based on functional and project needs
Reporting: Dual reporting structure in analytics
Management: Clear escalation paths for conflicts

Scaling Team Structure

Growing Teams (5-15 members)

Introduce Team Leads: Project Admins for major feature areas
Specialization: Dedicated roles for API, UI, Performance testing
Process Formalization: Documented workflows and standards
Tool Integration: Connect with development and CI/CD tools

Large Teams (15+ members)

Hierarchical Structure: Multiple levels of admins and leads
Departmentalization: Separate teams by product or function
Governance: Formal review and approval processes
Enterprise Features: SSO, advanced reporting, compliance tools

Global and Distributed Teams

Time Zone Management

24-Hour Coverage: Organize teams across time zones
Handoff Processes: Clear procedures for work transitions
Asynchronous Communication: Document-first collaboration
Scheduled Overlap: Regular sync points for global coordination

Cultural Considerations

Communication Styles: Adapt to different cultural norms
Language Support: Multilingual documentation when needed
Holiday Schedules: Plan around different national holidays
Local Compliance: Address regional data protection requirements

Monitoring Team Performance

Team Analytics

Productivity Metrics

Test Execution Rates: Tests completed per team member
Quality Metrics: Pass/fail rates by team and individual
Cycle Time: Time from test creation to completion
Collaboration Metrics: Comments, reviews, and knowledge sharing

Team Health Indicators

Workload Distribution: Balanced assignment across team members
Skill Development: Growth in testing capabilities and coverage
Team Satisfaction: Regular surveys and feedback collection
Knowledge Retention: Documentation quality and accessibility

Performance Optimization

Identifying Bottlenecks

Resource Constraints: Overloaded team members or projects
Process Issues: Inefficient workflows or unclear procedures
Tool Limitations: Missing features or integration gaps
Communication Problems: Information silos or unclear responsibilities

Improvement Strategies

Load Balancing: Redistribute work based on capacity and skills
Process Refinement: Streamline workflows and reduce overhead
Training Programs: Develop team skills and capabilities
Tool Optimization: Improve configurations and integrations

Troubleshooting Team Issues

Common Team Setup Problems

Access and Permission Issues

Problem: Team members cannot access projects or perform expected actions Solutions:

Verify organization membership is active
Check project-level role assignments
Review permission inheritance
Confirm account activation completion

Communication Breakdowns

Problem: Team members miss important updates or notifications Solutions:

Review notification settings and preferences
Check integration configurations (Slack, email)
Verify contact information is current
Establish backup communication channels

Workflow Conflicts

Problem: Team members have conflicting approaches to test management Solutions:

Document standard processes and workflows
Provide training on agreed-upon procedures
Establish clear roles and responsibilities
Create escalation procedures for conflicts

Getting Help

Self-Service Resources

Documentation: Comprehensive guides and tutorials
Video Training: Step-by-step setup and configuration
Community Forum: Peer support and best practices
Knowledge Base: Searchable answers to common questions

Support Options

In-App Help: Context-sensitive guidance and tips
Email Support: Detailed technical assistance
Live Chat: Real-time help for urgent issues
Professional Services: Custom setup and training

Next Steps

After completing your team setup:

Configure Test Automation - Set up automated testing workflows
Explore Team Collaboration Features - Advanced collaboration tools
Set Up Analytics and Reporting - Monitor team performance
Review Best Practices - Optimize your team workflows

Need help with team setup? Contact your organization administrator or refer to the troubleshooting guide for additional assistance.