Plan QA Schedule for Release

I am documenting all the following points on the basis of my experience, if you find any ambiguity; please provide me your valuable feedback comment so that I can make the corrections. Before you plan any QA Schedule for the release, consider the following points to take: Name of Release List of various tasks Expected duration for particular task Expected start of particular task Expected finish of particular task Resources to be involved in particular task Actual start of particular task Actual finish of particular task Predecessors List of high level tasks in the Release Planning Analysis Design Execution Reporting Closure Activities Tasks activities in planning phase Get Dev Schedule to build QA Schedule (Dependency) Get Environment Information Finalize Test Schedule Create Scope Doc Tasks activities in Analysis phase Analyze BRS & Mockups and Send Questions/Findings RAA session to answer questions Review and Analyze RAA Answers and prepare list of changes to TCs Tasks activities in Design phase Develop positive and negative Test Scenarios Review Scenarios Develop positive and negative Test Cases Peer Review of Test Cases + Fixing Findings Create RTM Copy TCs to Other Test Beds Folders (after Review and Before Execution) Create Test Data (if needed) MILESTONE: Test cases are finalized - Execution can begin Tasks activities in Execution phase Smoke Test Select Smoke Test Cases to be executed Execute Smoke Test Cases Evaluate Build (Functional Test GO/No GO) Functional Cycle Execute test Cases Retesting fixed bugs Regression Cycle Select Test Cases to be executed Start Code Freeze & Execute Regression test Cases Defect Management Buffer/Contingency- Unexpected delay from Dev/QA, Unexpected failures, bugs not fixed from first time, bad deployments, …etc UAT Cycle (release day) Execute test Cases Give feedback (Production GO/ No GO) Tasks activities in Reporting phase Give TCs Development Report Give Execution Report Give Defect Report Tasks activities in Closure Activities phase Fill in lessons learned sheet Consolidate & Give Lessons Learned sheet Get Sign off Abbreviations RAA – Requirement Ambiguity Analysis RTM – Requirement Traceability Matrix UAT – User Acceptance Testing TC – Test Case QA – Quality Assurance