Last Updated on 4. September 2025 by mgm-marketing
Teams talk a lot about risk-based testing, yet practice often stays vague. Doubts creep in: what makes a test case truly critical? In the podcast Software Testing, host Richard Seidl speaks with Richard Hönig, QA Engineer at mgm technology partners, about a clear, data-driven path: multidimensional risk-based testing with the Q12-TMT Test Management Tool. This article shows why the approach works in real projects and how QA teams can upgrade their strategy.
Contents
- Data over gut feeling: Why objective risk assessment matters
- Five dimensions for a data-driven risk profile
- Risk score for test cases: Fibonacci numbers
- Pitfalls and Q12-TMT solutions
- Everyday use: One-click risk-oriented selection
- Outlook: What’s next in multidimensional RBT
- Conclusion: Future-proof testing with system
Data over gut feeling: Why objective risk assessment matters
Many teams still label risk with simple buckets: high, medium, low. People assign those labels by hand and often rely on intuition—especially when planning time runs short. Modern systems outgrow that simplicity.
Richard Hönig puts it clearly: “Risk definitions often stay one-dimensional. In a complex world, that view rarely matches reality.” mgm built a model that views risk from multiple angles and aggregates the signals into one overall score.
The model taps existing assets—requirements, bug reports, and past test results. New team members get instant, objective views of every test case. Experts still add their intuition when it helps.
Five dimensions for a data-driven risk profile
Q12-TMT evaluates risk along five distinct dimensions:
- Business logic: How hard would a defect hit the business?
- Test history: How often has this case failed before?
- Release scope: Does the case cover new or changed requirements?
- Test assignment: Who runs the test, and how experienced is that person?
- Code changes: Did the affected code change recently?
Each dimension adds a useful signal. Together they form a complete, data-driven profile for every test case.
Risk score for test cases: Fibonacci numbers
Q12-TMT converts complex evaluations into a single score with Fibonacci numbers (1, 2, 3, 5, 8 …). The steps widen naturally and separate levels clearly. Hönig explains: “When I average values, a high risk weighs much more than low values.” Critical items stand out and invite swift action.
Pitfalls and Q12-TMT solutions
Teams maintain data with varying rigor. Q12-TMT streamlines the essentials by linking requirements, results, and tickets directly inside the tool.
“Our algorithms estimate test-case complexity,” Hönig says. “They consider key terms, historical failure rates, and relationships between cases.” The system then derives a single risk score from those inputs.
The roadmap adds even more control. Teams will tune the weight of each dimension to fit their projects and releases.
Everyday use: One-click risk-oriented selection
With risk scores in place, selection gets faster and sharper. Q12-TMT lets teams prioritize runs by risk and drop low-value cases automatically if needed. Clear, graphical views guide the choice.
Teams can set a cutoff to include only cases above a chosen score. Inside a run, they sort by risk so the most critical cases come first. Even under pressure, teams make sound calls. Cases left for later usually cover minor risk—an acceptable trade-off.
This workflow sustains high quality when time and resources run tight. It also brings transparency to priority decisions.
Outlook: What’s next in multidimensional RBT
- Custom dimensions such as Security or Seasonality
- Flexible weighting for each dimension
- Stronger coupling to code changes
“We want to give test managers more options to define their own dimensions,” Hönig says. This flexibility tailors analyses to specific projects and industries and increases the meaning of risk scores.
Conclusion: Future-proof testing with system
Multidimensional risk-based testing with Q12-TMT delivers a clear, data-driven basis for decisions. It boosts team transparency, focuses effort where it matters, and strengthens project outcomes. Teams of any size—especially under tight deadlines—gain the most. Choose objective signals over gut feeling, test with precision, and turn quality into a competitive edge.
Listen to the full podcast episode (only in German):
