Testing jobs will move to cheaper countries unless the role of testing changes. This is a trend that is happening already, we see large teams of testers being moved to other countries, simply because it is cheaper to do bad testing there! Testing is a critical part of the product and software development process, and if we don't change its role it will slowly become obsolete. The fact is, that the traditional view of testing endangers testing jobs: now here, and later also in cheaper countries. I propose a different view of testing. I propose that testing is about enabling business results, not just technical quality. I propose that the tester's job goes far beyond finding issues to track, but also finding users to acquire, finding methods to succeed in the software business. Testing in my view is about making businesses succeed, not about avoid failures in software. In this presentation I'll describe how a very simple change can profoundly transform the role of testing in a way that it directly enables and supports our businesses! Testing is about making our businesses succeed! The road ahead is not easy, and not every tester is ready to embrace this view of testing. But the road ahead is inevitable. And we have to start on that journey now!

1. Changing the
business of
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 10 times higher!

11. €
Cost Productivity
€
How ?

12. Problems cannot be solved by
the same level of thinking that
created them
Paraphrasing a quote from Einstein

13. We need a paradigm shift!
How can we achieve it?

15. Act II – Why do we get poor
results?

17. Pain

18. 1. Customer need
2. Product
managers
3. Business
analyst
…

19. 5. Designers /
Programmers
4a. Designers / Architects
4b. Test designer
…
…
6. Testers
…

20. Chronic Pain!

21. Analytical design - prototype
Silo 1 Silo 2 Silo 3
Business Knowledge Execution Knowledge Actual execution

22. Silo design leads to
ineffective processes. A
story…

23. Trying to
reduce costs
with analytical
mindset
=
Drive costs
up!

24. You know who tests your
software, but who tests
your business decisions?

25. Act III – The solution: a
paradigm shift!

27. 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.

28. 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.

30. In other words…

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 process around
your customer need, not your
silo-based organization

37. You can start today by applying
the following principles

38. 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.

39. Later you can apply the other
12…

40. 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

41. About the speaker:
@duarte_vasco
http://bit.ly/vasco_blog
http://bit.ly/vasco_slideshare
http://NoEstimatesBook.com
Vasco.Duarte@oikosofy.com