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Bug Tracker Template

Bug Tracker
Overview

Every development team needs a place to collaboratively track and manage bugs, store screenshots and designs, and report on release status. Use this free spreadsheet template to manage development faster and easier than purpose-built tools.

  • Speed: Create bugs simply by adding rows to a worksheet. Bugs automatically get assigned a unique ID # using an Autonumber field.
  • Convenience: Capture screenshots faster than any other bug system. Attach screenshots from your clipboard into Attachment cells simply by pasting them into a cell with CMD+V (Mac) or CTRL+V (Windows).
  • Accountability: Assign ownership to other users for clear accountability.
  • Organization: Categorize issues and assign them to the appropriate releases.
  • Automation: Quickly and easily create automations to notify QA when an issue has been filed or PM when a fix has been deployed.
  • Flexibility: Customize to match your processes. Allow colleagues to submit bugs from a sharable/embeddable form.
By
Spreadsheet.com
Spreadsheet.com
2
Worksheets

What is Bug Tracking?

Bug tracking is like the Sherlock Holmes of the software development world. It's the process of identifying, logging, and managing bugs or issues that may arise during the development and maintenance of software applications. In other words, it's how development teams channel their inner detectives to solve mysteries and ensure their software runs smoothly.

Unless your team is composed of bug-whisperers, having a centralized and organized system to track and manage these pesky little gremlins is essential. That's where a bug tracking template comes in handy. It provides a comprehensive view of all the reported bugs, their status, severity, and the detectives (team members) assigned to crack the case.

Picture this: you're knee-deep in code when suddenly, a wild bug appears! What do you do? Panic? Cry? No! With the Bug Tracking Template, you can easily log the issue, categorize it, and assign it to the right team member for resolution. It's like your very own crime scene investigation board, but for software bugs.

So, if you're ready to bid adieu to the chaos of scattered sticky notes and random email threads, step into the organized world of bug tracking. Embrace the convenience and efficiency of a template that'll make you and your team feel like software sleuthing superstars. Because let's face it, who doesn't want to channel their inner Sherlock Holmes?

Who Needs a Bug Tracking Template? Spoiler: You Do!

Bug tracking templates have a knack for making friends in the software development world, and for a good reason. These trusty companions are designed to lend a helping hand to a diverse range of professionals, making sure no bug is left unturned. So, who's on the guest list for this bug-busting party?

  • Developers: The code-wielding wizards who bring applications to life. With a bug tracking template, they can swiftly identify, prioritize, and fix issues, ensuring their digital masterpieces run flawlessly.
  • Quality Assurance (QA) Analysts: The vigilant protectors of software quality, using the template to report bugs, confirm fixes, and ensure the software meets the highest standards.
  • Project Managers: The skilled conductors orchestrating the software development symphony. A bug tracking template helps them monitor progress, allocate resources, and keep everyone in harmony.
  • Product Owners: The creative strategists shaping the software's roadmap. With a bug tracking template, they can assess the impact of bugs on product features and make informed decisions on priorities and release schedules.
  • Support Teams: The empathetic heroes assisting users in their time of need. Bug tracking templates empower them to log issues reported by users, track their resolution, and provide timely updates.
  • Designers: The artistic geniuses crafting visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces. A bug tracking template helps them stay informed about bugs that may affect their designs and collaborate with developers to smooth out any rough edges.

Using Spreadsheet.com's Bug Tracking Template

Spreadsheet.com's bug tracking template is designed to make your software development process more efficient and organized. With two main worksheets, one for bugs and another for releases, it provides an easy-to-use interface to track and manage issues effectively. Let's dive into the details of each worksheet and their features:

Bugs Worksheet: This worksheet is where all the magic happens, as it's dedicated to logging and managing the bugs you encounter. It comes with several predefined views to help you quickly navigate and filter the information:

Grouped by Feature: See bugs organized by the application features they affect, such as user profile, marketplace, page editor, etc.

Grouped by Status: View bugs sorted by their current status, making it easy to spot the progress of each issue.

Grouped by Owner: Check who is responsible for fixing each bug, promoting accountability and clear ownership.

Grouped by Priority: Prioritize your bug fixing efforts by looking at bugs grouped by their importance or urgency.

Additionally, the Bug Submission Form allows users to submit bug reports easily. Once a form is submitted, all other views in the bugs worksheet are automatically updated, ensuring that your team has the latest information.

Release Worksheet: The release worksheet helps you manage and track the progress of different releases. It contains release data, status, target date, notes, and associated bug numbers. By clicking on a bug number, a popup appears with all the related information from the bug worksheet.

This worksheet comes with two predefined views:

  • Status: See releases grouped by their current status, such as In Production, Scheduled, In Staging, or Not Started. This view helps you monitor progress and plan accordingly.
  • Calendar: Visualize your releases in a calendar format, allowing you to easily locate and track releases based on days and dates.

The bug tracking template also supports attaching screenshots and relevant documents to make bug fixing and investigation more efficient. Simply attach the necessary files to provide your team with all the information they need to resolve issues.

Spreadsheet.com's bug tracking template is a comprehensive tool that streamlines your bug tracking and release management process. With its intuitive interface and customizable views, your team will spend less time wrestling with unwieldy data and more time squashing bugs and delivering top-notch software.

The Perils of Ignoring Bug Tracking: A Cautionary Tale

Meet Olivia. Olivia is a product manager who's overseeing a major software update set to launch in two months. Her journey takes her through the treacherous waters of software development, where bugs lurk in the depths, waiting to wreak havoc on her precious project.

Scenario 1: The Bug-Infested Jungle

In this world, Olivia forgoes a bug tracking template and relies solely on memory and ad-hoc communication. As her team delves deeper into the jungle of code, they encounter numerous bugs but struggle to keep track of them all. Critical issues slip through the cracks, and when the software update launches, users are met with a buggy mess that taints the reputation of the product.

Scenario 2: The Wild West Showdown

In this dusty frontier town, Olivia arms her team with a basic bug tracking system. It's an improvement, but the lack of structure and organization means that her team spends valuable time wrangling bugs instead of fixing them. The software update launches, but delays and lingering issues leave users with a bitter taste in their mouths.

Scenario 3: The Well-Oiled Machine

In this sleek and efficient world, Olivia adopts Spreadsheet.com's bug tracking template to manage the software update. The template's intuitive interface and powerful features help her team identify, prioritize, and resolve bugs swiftly. The software update launches on schedule, delighting users with a smooth and bug-free experience.

The moral of the story? Don't let your software development project descend into chaos. Equip your team with a robust bug tracking template like the one offered by Spreadsheet.com. Keep your project on track, your team focused, and your users happy by squashing those pesky bugs before they ruin the show.

Why is it Useful to Keep Track of Bugs?

Just like a detective keeps a case file to solve a mystery, keeping track of bugs is essential for maintaining the health and quality of your software. But why, you ask? Here are a few compelling reasons to embrace the art of bug tracking:

Clarity and Organization: Imagine trying to solve a puzzle with pieces scattered all over the place. Not fun, right? Bug tracking brings order to the chaos by providing a clear, organized system for logging and managing issues. With everything in one place, it's easier to spot patterns, prioritize fixes, and allocate resources effectively.

Improved Collaboration: Bugs don't discriminate – they can affect any part of your software and involve multiple team members. Bug tracking fosters collaboration by ensuring everyone is on the same page, allowing for seamless communication and coordination in tackling issues.

Faster Resolution: When you've got a record of bugs, it's easier to identify and fix them. Plus, with a well-organized bug tracking system like the one offered by Spreadsheet.com, you can quickly assign issues to the right team members, reducing the time it takes to squash those pesky bugs.

Enhanced Product Quality: Keeping track of bugs helps ensure that they don't slip through the cracks. By systematically identifying and fixing issues, you'll improve the overall quality and reliability of your software, resulting in happier users and fewer complaints.

Continuous Learning: Bug tracking isn't just about fixing problems – it's also a valuable learning tool. By analyzing and understanding the root causes of issues, your team can gain insights and improve development processes, reducing the likelihood of similar bugs cropping up in the future.

Greater Accountability: With a bug tracking system in place, it's easier to hold team members accountable for their work. Clear ownership of issues promotes responsibility and encourages everyone to do their part in maintaining software quality.

In short, keeping track of bugs is like having a trusty magnifying glass in the world of software development. And with Spreadsheet.com's Bug Tracking Template, you've got the perfect ally for solving software mysteries. It's an indispensable tool that helps you maintain the quality of your software, streamline collaboration, and continuously improve your processes. So, don your deerstalker hat, fire up your Spreadsheet.com template, and get ready to crack the case of software excellence!

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