Traceability between the test basis and test work products means that there is a clear and documented relationship between the requirements, design, and other sources of test conditions, and the test cases, test procedures, and test results that are derived from them. This helps to ensure that the test work products are consistent, complete, and relevant to the test basis. One of the direct benefits of maintaining traceability is the ability to analyse the impact of changes in the test basis on the test work products, and vice versa. For example, if a requirement is changed, added, or deleted, traceability can help to identify which test cases, test procedures, and test results need to be updated, executed, or removed accordingly. Similarly, if a test result reveals a defect in the test basis, traceability can help to locate the source of the defect and determine the scope of the correction. Traceability also supports other benefits, such as measuring test coverage, reporting test progress, and evaluating test quality, but these are not direct benefits of maintaining traceability, rather they are outcomes of using traceability information for various purposes. References: ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus v4.0, Chapter 3.1.2, p. 23-24 1; ISTQB Glossary v4.0, p. 67 2
