Changing the 
business of 
testing 
Vasco Duarte 
(cc) https://www.flickr.com/photos/nattu
Vasco Duarte 
@duarte_vasco 
http://bit.ly/vasco_blog 
http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare 
http://NoEstimatesBook.com 
Vasco.Duarte@oikosofy.com
Act I – The problem
~16 000€ / Year 
Average Software Engineer salary in China 
Source: http://bit.ly/china_pay
~5 000€ / Year 
Average Software Engineer salary in Vietnam 
Source: http://bit.ly/vietnam_pay
~18 000€ / Year 
Average Software Engineer salary in Portugal 
Source: http://bit.ly/portugal_pay
~54 000€ / Year 
Average IT salary, TTL ry 2013 data 
Source: hthttp://bit.ly/finland_ttl_pay
Up to 10 times higher!
€ 
Cost Productivity 
€ 
How ?
Problems cannot be solved by 
the same level of thinking that 
created them 
Paraphrasing a quote from Einstein
We need a paradigm shift! 
How can we achieve it?
Act II – Why do we get poor 
results?
Pain
1. Customer need 
2. Product 
managers 
3. Business 
analyst 
…
5. Designers / 
Programmers 
4a. Designers / Architects 
4b. Test designer 
… 
… 
6. Testers 
…
Chronic Pain!
Analytical design - prototype 
Silo 1 Silo 2 Silo 3 
Business Knowledge Execution Knowledge Actual execution
Silo design leads to 
ineffective processes. A 
story…
Trying to 
reduce costs 
with analytical 
mindset 
= 
Drive costs 
up!
You know who tests your 
software, but who tests 
your business decisions?
Act III – The solution: a 
paradigm shift!
1. Create constancy of purpose towards 
improvement 
Replace short-term reaction with long-term planning 
2. Management must adopt the new 
philosophy 
The implication is that management should actually adopt his 
philosophy, rather than merely expect the workforce to do so 
3. Cease dependence on inspection 
The implication is that we must relentlessly remove the root causes for 
defects rather than inspecting them out of the final product 
4. Move towards a single supplier for any one 
item 
Multiple suppliers mean variation in the quality of work as well as lost 
knowledge in hand-over 
5. Improve constantly and forever 
Constantly strive to improve how you work, focusing on the purpose 
rather than short term perspectives only. 
6. Institute training on the job 
If people are not trained properly they will not all work in a consistent 
way. This leads to defects, mis-communication, etc. 
7. Institute Leadership 
Deming makes a distinction between Leadership and mere 
Supervision. “Banish targets, substitute leadership” Deming used to 
say 
8. Drive out fear 
Management by fear is counter-productive because it prevents 
workers from acting the best interest of the organisation 
9. Break down barriers between departments 
Each department servers not the management but the needs from 
other departments that use its outputs. 
10. Eliminate slogans 
It is not the people who make mistakes (in 95% of the cases). It is the 
process. Slogans do not help improve processes and harass the people 
doing the actual work! 
11. Eliminate management by objectives 
Production targets subvert the system. Workers start working for the 
targets instead of working for the purpose of the organization. Metrics: 
yes, targets: no! 
12. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship 
Many of the other problems outlined above reduce worker satisfaction 
and therefore reduce focus on quality 
13. Institute education and self-improvement 
A result of pride of craftsmanship is the desire to learn and improve. 
This, in turn leads to better quality. 
14. The transformation is everyone’s job 
It is manager’s job to lead, but it is everyone’s job to contribute to the 
needed transformation of our business.
3. Cease dependence on inspection 
The implication is that we must relentlessly remove 
the root causes for defects rather than inspecting 
them out of the final product 
9. Break down barriers between 
departments 
Each department servers not the management but 
the needs from other departments that use its 
outputs.
In other words…
1. Customer need 
2. Product 
managers 
Co-operation 
Colaboration … 
2. Business 
analyst and… 
4. Testers
3. Testers 
Co-operation 
Colaboration 
… 
3. Business 
analyst 
3. Test designer and… 
3. Designers / 
Programmers 
4. Testers 
Co-operation 
Colaboration 
4. Designers / 
Programmers 
…
Your 
product 
rockz! 
Happy(!) Customer
Act IV – The action plan
€ 
Cost Productivity 
€ 
Paradigm 
shift!
Organize your process around 
your customer need, not your 
silo-based organization
You can start today by applying 
the following principles
3. Cease dependence on inspection 
The implication is that we must relentlessly remove 
the root causes for defects rather than inspecting 
them out of the final product 
9. Break down barriers between 
departments 
Each department servers not the management but 
the needs from other departments that use its 
outputs.
Later you can apply the other 
12…
Recommended reading 
Interesting links 
Reading 
Deming, Out of the Crisis 
Reinertsen, Flow in product development 
Video on a different paradigm for process 
design: 
Systems thinking intro, http://bit.ly/systems_video 
This presentation: 
www.slideshare.com/duarte_vasco
About the speaker: 
@duarte_vasco 
http://bit.ly/vasco_blog 
http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare 
http://NoEstimatesBook.com 
Vasco.Duarte@oikosofy.com

Changing business of testing - Testing Assembly Helsinki 2014

  • 1.
    Changing the businessof testing Vasco Duarte (cc) https://www.flickr.com/photos/nattu
  • 2.
    Vasco Duarte @duarte_vasco http://bit.ly/vasco_blog http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare http://NoEstimatesBook.com Vasco.Duarte@oikosofy.com
  • 3.
    Act I –The problem
  • 5.
    ~16 000€ /Year Average Software Engineer salary in China Source: http://bit.ly/china_pay
  • 6.
    ~5 000€ /Year Average Software Engineer salary in Vietnam Source: http://bit.ly/vietnam_pay
  • 7.
    ~18 000€ /Year Average Software Engineer salary in Portugal Source: http://bit.ly/portugal_pay
  • 9.
    ~54 000€ /Year Average IT salary, TTL ry 2013 data Source: hthttp://bit.ly/finland_ttl_pay
  • 10.
    Up to 10times higher!
  • 11.
  • 12.
    Problems cannot besolved by the same level of thinking that created them Paraphrasing a quote from Einstein
  • 13.
    We need aparadigm shift! How can we achieve it?
  • 15.
    Act II –Why do we get poor results?
  • 17.
  • 18.
    1. Customer need 2. Product managers 3. Business analyst …
  • 19.
    5. Designers / Programmers 4a. Designers / Architects 4b. Test designer … … 6. Testers …
  • 20.
  • 21.
    Analytical design -prototype Silo 1 Silo 2 Silo 3 Business Knowledge Execution Knowledge Actual execution
  • 22.
    Silo design leadsto ineffective processes. A story…
  • 23.
    Trying to reducecosts with analytical mindset = Drive costs up!
  • 24.
    You know whotests your software, but who tests your business decisions?
  • 25.
    Act III –The solution: a paradigm shift!
  • 27.
    1. Create constancyof purpose towards improvement Replace short-term reaction with long-term planning 2. Management must adopt the new philosophy The implication is that management should actually adopt his philosophy, rather than merely expect the workforce to do so 3. Cease dependence on inspection The implication is that we must relentlessly remove the root causes for defects rather than inspecting them out of the final product 4. Move towards a single supplier for any one item Multiple suppliers mean variation in the quality of work as well as lost knowledge in hand-over 5. Improve constantly and forever Constantly strive to improve how you work, focusing on the purpose rather than short term perspectives only. 6. Institute training on the job If people are not trained properly they will not all work in a consistent way. This leads to defects, mis-communication, etc. 7. Institute Leadership Deming makes a distinction between Leadership and mere Supervision. “Banish targets, substitute leadership” Deming used to say 8. Drive out fear Management by fear is counter-productive because it prevents workers from acting the best interest of the organisation 9. Break down barriers between departments Each department servers not the management but the needs from other departments that use its outputs. 10. Eliminate slogans It is not the people who make mistakes (in 95% of the cases). It is the process. Slogans do not help improve processes and harass the people doing the actual work! 11. Eliminate management by objectives Production targets subvert the system. Workers start working for the targets instead of working for the purpose of the organization. Metrics: yes, targets: no! 12. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship Many of the other problems outlined above reduce worker satisfaction and therefore reduce focus on quality 13. Institute education and self-improvement A result of pride of craftsmanship is the desire to learn and improve. This, in turn leads to better quality. 14. The transformation is everyone’s job It is manager’s job to lead, but it is everyone’s job to contribute to the needed transformation of our business.
  • 28.
    3. Cease dependenceon inspection The implication is that we must relentlessly remove the root causes for defects rather than inspecting them out of the final product 9. Break down barriers between departments Each department servers not the management but the needs from other departments that use its outputs.
  • 30.
  • 31.
    1. Customer need 2. Product managers Co-operation Colaboration … 2. Business analyst and… 4. Testers
  • 32.
    3. Testers Co-operation Colaboration … 3. Business analyst 3. Test designer and… 3. Designers / Programmers 4. Testers Co-operation Colaboration 4. Designers / Programmers …
  • 33.
    Your product rockz! Happy(!) Customer
  • 34.
    Act IV –The action plan
  • 35.
    € Cost Productivity € Paradigm shift!
  • 36.
    Organize your processaround your customer need, not your silo-based organization
  • 37.
    You can starttoday by applying the following principles
  • 38.
    3. Cease dependenceon inspection The implication is that we must relentlessly remove the root causes for defects rather than inspecting them out of the final product 9. Break down barriers between departments Each department servers not the management but the needs from other departments that use its outputs.
  • 39.
    Later you canapply the other 12…
  • 40.
    Recommended reading Interestinglinks Reading Deming, Out of the Crisis Reinertsen, Flow in product development Video on a different paradigm for process design: Systems thinking intro, http://bit.ly/systems_video This presentation: www.slideshare.com/duarte_vasco
  • 41.
    About the speaker: @duarte_vasco http://bit.ly/vasco_blog http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare http://NoEstimatesBook.com Vasco.Duarte@oikosofy.com

Editor's Notes

  • #41  a) cease dependency on inspections b) break down barriers between departments And with these alone you can create a process that will be 10 times more effective!