Putting Together a Test Plan: Step By Step Advice 

Article Summary

1. A comprehensive test plan begins by clearly defining what the customer is trying to prove.
2. Once objectives are defined, testing methods and validation strategies are built backward from that goal.
3. Required equipment, consumables, sensors, and data logging systems must be identified early.
4. A structured timeline outlines testing order, speed, and customer-driven delivery expectations.
5. Determining what data is needed—and how it will be organized and delivered—is essential to the plan.
6. Prioritizing test cases depends on the customer’s most urgent need, whether regulatory approval or performance validation.
7. Some projects require UN testing for legal shipment, while others focus on catastrophic containment performance.
8. Clear documentation begins with a well-developed test plan and structured report template.
9. Test data should be organized into individual “data packets” for each completed test.
10. Storing results in designated folders ensures efficient report compilation and traceability.
11. Draft reports should be shared with customers for review to confirm objectives were met.
12. Customer feedback helps identify missed objectives or the need for follow-up testing.

Q&A with Raymond James, Principal Engineer

Question #1: What are the essential components that should be included in a comprehensive test plan?

The essential components that should be included in any test plan start with backtracking a little and determining what the customer is trying to prove with the testing. Once you have that, that’s step one. You then need to work backward and determine: How am I going to prove that? This involves identifying the equipment or test equipment required, the consumable materials (such as heaters, thermocouples, etc.), the data logging equipment needed, and the sensors that go with it. From there, you develop a timeline.

This timeline answers: In what order do I need to do this, and how quickly does it need to happen? This step is also based on customer needs. Once you have that, the next consideration is determining which data you need, the order it needs to be in, and when it needs to be delivered. This framework provides the outline and template for conducting tests, collecting data, and preparing a finalized report.

Question #2: How can you effectively prioritize test cases to ensure the most critical aspects of the project are tested first?

The way we prioritize testing cases to ensure the most critical aspects are addressed first is, again, based on customer needs. Do they need these containers to ship immediately, or do they need to prove that the containers can contain some type of thermal event? Once they provide that answer, we can decide. For example, do we need to perform UN testing to assign a proper label for legal shipping of dangerous goods, or does their end user want to ensure that the container can contain its contents in the event of a catastrophe?

Question #3:  What are the best practices for documenting and tracking the progress of a test plan to ensure all objectives are met?

Best practices for documenting a test plan and ensuring all objectives are met include, first, developing a proper test plan, as discussed earlier. Then, you organize the data based on each test in order. This way, when finalizing the report, everything is in its own specific folder. For example, I often take the test plan and create a final report template in advance. From there, I set up folders for each type of test. Once a test is complete, its data is saved in what I call its “data packet,” which is stored in a designated folder on the computer.

When you return later to finalize the report, everything is neatly compartmentalized, making it easy to insert the information directly into the report template. This draft can then be sent to the customer for review before preparing the final version. The customer will always let you know if any objectives were missed or if follow-up testing is required.

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