WHOSE TECHNIQUE IS IT ANYWAY?
                     Leveraging business analysis deliverables for test
                                         analysis




                                Presented by Joe Newbert
                Testing Interest Group (TIG) Networking Evening in Cape Town
                                       10 November, 2009




10 November, 2009                     www.businesschange.co.za                 1
Plumbers fix leaks,
                                                                    “If they can get away
                      builders make walls,
                                                                  with it, they would prefer
                      architects draw lines,
                                                                  not using any techniques
                     drivers drive, testers do
                                                                  at all!” Leo van der Aalst
                         test case design




                    The brief
                    Matching & prioritising test case design techniques against the business
                    analysis modelling techniques and artefacts produced



10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                          2
Execution
                                                                        • Do
                                                 Tactics
                                                 • Plan

                              Strategy
                              • Think




                    The demonstrable way
                    Are testing techniques the only way to realise the agreed test strategy?




10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                          3
Testing mindset
                    Where’s the balance of your thinking?




10 November, 2009                           www.businesschange.co.za   4
Procedures



                                   People                               Documents



                                                    System


                                  Database                              Hardware



                                                    Software




                    System Elements
                    A regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a
                    unified whole



10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                    5
Test Goals                   Test Risks                    Test Approach
                    • A test goal is a success   • A product risk is the       • Is the distribution of
                      criterion for the test       chance that the               the test effort and test
                      assignment specified in      product fails in relation     intensity over the
                      the customer’s               to the expected               combinations of
                      language.                    damage if it does so.         characteristics and
                                                                                 object parts




                    Strategy
                    Aimed at finding the most important defects as early as possible and at
                    the lowest costs.



10 November, 2009                                www.businesschange.co.za                                   6
Test Basis                Design Techniques          Test Cases
                     • All documents from      • A set of tools that      • A set of conditions or
                       which the                 provide instruction        variables under which
                       requirements of a         how to move from a         a tester will determine
                       component or system       requirement or design      whether a software
                       can be inferred.          artefact to test cases     system is working
                                                                            correctly or not




                    Tactics
                    If an unsuitable technique is selected or no techniques are used, all of
                    the previous steps will have been in vain



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Strategic Analysis        Business Analysis          IT systems analysis
                     • Identify business       • Straddles the gap        • Analysing and
                       transformation          • Investigate situations     specifying IT system
                     • Support strategic       • Recommend actions          requirements
                       analysis                                           • Data, process and
                     • Understanding of                                     function modelling
                       strategy development




                    Business Analysis Range
                    The extent of the Business Analyst’s role and responsibilities




10 November, 2009                             www.businesschange.co.za                             8
Process
                                                  •Are they well defined?
                                                  •Are there workarounds
                                                  •Are there unnecessary
                                                   overheads?




                               Organisational                         People
                               context                                •Do they understand
                               •Is there a good support                their role?
                                structure?                            •Do then have the
                               •Are roles well defined?                required skills?
                               •Is cross-functional                   •How motivated are
                                working effective?                     they?




                    Holistic approach
                    Analyse all aspects of the operational business




10 November, 2009                                www.businesschange.co.za                   9
Elicitation             Analysis
                                     Techniques              Techniques




                                                           Requirements
                                    Deliverables
                                                           Management




                    Business Analysis Techniques
                    The techniques listed hereon are only a subset of the techniques used by
                    practitioners of business analysis.



10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                          10
Document Analysis                  Focus Groups
                           •Document analysis is a means to   •A focus group is a means to elicit
                            elicit requirements by studying    ideas and attitudes about a
                            available documentation.           specific product or service in an
                                                               interactive group setting.




                           Interviews                         Requirements Workshops
                           •A systematic approach designed    •A structured way to scope,
                            to elicit information from a       discover, define, prioritize and
                            person or group of people by       reach closure on requirements
                            talking to an interviewee.         for the target system.




                           Observation                        Survey/Questionnaire
                           •Observation is a means of         •A means of eliciting information
                            eliciting requirements by          from many people, sometimes
                            conducting an assessment of the    anonymously, in a relatively
                            stakeholder’s environment.         short period of time.




                    Elicitation Techniques
                    Work with stakeholders to identify and understand their needs and
                    concerns, and understand the environment in which they work



10 November, 2009                               www.businesschange.co.za                            11
Benchmarking                            Brainstorming
                           •Benchmark studies are                  •The aim of brainstorming is to
                            performed to compare the                produce numerous new creative
                            strengths and weaknesses of an          ideas, and to derive from them
                            organization against its peers          themes for further analysis.
                            and competitors.



                           Decision Analysis                       Root Cause Analysis
                           •To support decision-making             •The purpose of root cause
                            when dealing with complex,              analysis is to determine the
                            difficult, or uncertain situa-tions.    underlying source of a problem.




                           Prototyping                             Interface Analysis
                           •Prototyping details user               •Identify interfaces between
                            interface requirements and              solutions components and define
                            integrates them with other              requirements that describe how
                            requirements such as use cases,         they will interact.
                            scenarios




                    Analysis Techniques
                    Identify a business need, refine and clarify the definition of that need,
                    and define a solution scope that can feasibly be implemented



10 November, 2009                                   www.businesschange.co.za                          12
Functional            Business Rules          Data Dictionary
                         Decomposition              Analysis              and Glossary



                                                    Process
                        Scope Modelling                                  Data Modelling
                                                   Modelling


                         Non-functional
                                                    Sequence             Scenarios and
                         Requirements
                                                    Diagrams               Use Cases
                           Analysis


                        Metrics and Key
                                                  Organization
                         Performance                                     State Diagrams
                                                   Modelling
                          Indicators


                    Deliverables
                    Is the appropriate output result from a particular business analysis task




10 November, 2009                             www.businesschange.co.za                          13
Acceptance Criteria                  Estimation
                           •To define the requirements that     •Estimating techniques forecast
                            must be met in order for a           the cost and effort involved in
                            solution to be considered            pursuing a course of ac-tion.
                            acceptable.




                           Risk Analysis                        Lessons Learned Process
                           •To identify and manage areas of     •Document successes,
                            uncertainty that can impact an       opportunities for improvement,
                            initiative, solution, or             failures, and recommendations
                            organisation.                        for improving performance




                           Problem Tracking                     Structured Walkthrough
                           •An organized approach to            •Performed to communicate,
                            tracking, management, and            verify and validate requirements.
                            resolution of defects, issues,
                            problems, and risks.




                    Requirements Management
                    How business analysts manage requirements, delivery, conflicts, issues
                    and changes



10 November, 2009                                  www.businesschange.co.za                          14
Organisation

                                                               Process

                                                                  Data

                                                             Behaviour

                                                                 Rules



                    Deliverable Prioritisation
                    Which are the fundamental Business Analysis techniques to deliver?




10 November, 2009                           www.businesschange.co.za                     15
CEO / Board



                                                    Marketing &      Customer
                    Procurement     Fulfilment                                    Finance
                                                      Sales           Services



                                        Inbound                                       Debtors



                                      Manufacture                                     Creditors



                                       Outbound




                     Organisation
                     Functional decomposition of the organisational hierarchy, alluding to the
                     core value chain



10 November, 2009                                www.businesschange.co.za                         16
Process model
                    Representing processes of an enterprise, so that the current process may
                    be analyzed and improved in future.



10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                          17
Data
                    A data model provides the details of information to be stored




10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za               18
Behaviour
                    A state diagram describes the behaviour of systems as a series of events




10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                          19
ID       Definition                                    Type               State         Source
    BR-1     Delivery time windows are 15                  Fact               Static        Delivery
             minutes, beginning on each                                                     Manager
             quarter hour.
    BR-2     All meals in a single order must              Constraint         Static        Corporate
             be paid for using the same                                                     Accounting
             payment method.                                                                Manager
    BR-3     Order price is calculated as the     Computation Dynamic Cafeteria
             sum of each food item price                              policy; state
             times the quantity of that food                          tax code
             item ordered, plus applicable
             sales tax, plus a delivery charge if
             a meal is delivered outside the
             free delivery zone.

                    Business Rules
                    A statement that defines or constrains some aspect of the business to
                    assert structure or to control or influence behaviour



10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                                    20
Test Basis
                                            Test
                                          Strategy



                                                        Test
                                                     Techniques




                                               Test Case

                    Test Case Design
                    The assembling of appropriate data to process through the system to
                    assess functional and quality of service requirements



10 November, 2009                           www.businesschange.co.za                      21
Pairs Wise
                                         Path Flow
                                 Formal                            Exploratory

                     Boundary      Equivalence      Decision      Experience
                                                                               Error
                       Value          Class          Logic            and
                                                                               Model
                      Analysis      Partition        Table         intuition



                    TCD Prioritisation
                    Which Test Case Design technique should I use first?




10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                  22
Pairs      Path       BVA        ECP        DLT
                                           Wise       Flow
                    Organisational
                                                                                    
                    Context
                    Business
                                                                                       
                    Process Model
                    Data
                                                                           
                    Model
                    State Chart
                                                                                       
                    Diagram
                    Business Rule
                                                                                     
                    Definitions


                    Business Analysis meets Test Analysis
                    Leveraging business analysis techniques for test analysis and quality
                    assurance?



10 November, 2009                             www.businesschange.co.za                       23
Do TA’s and BA’s
                                                                        collaborate? Would
                                                                        model delivery be
                                                                        more effective
                                                                        together?
                                                                        Do TAs get out
                                                                        enough? Are only
                                                                        PMs, BAs and DEVs
                                                                        allowed to talk to
                                                                        users?

                                                                        Is the TA emerging?
                                                                        The BA has emerged
                                                                        from IT Software
                                                                        stigma,




                    Observations & conversation
                    Where is Testing today, where is it moving to?




10 November, 2009                            www.businesschange.co.za                         24
joe.newbert@businesschange.co.za


                                  joe.newbert


                                  http://za.linkedin.com/in/newbert


                                  www.twitter.com/newbert


                                  www.slideshare.net/newbert


                    Done
                    Here’s how we can connect




10 November, 2009                          www.businesschange.co.za   25

Business Analysis meet Test Analysis

  • 1.
    WHOSE TECHNIQUE ISIT ANYWAY? Leveraging business analysis deliverables for test analysis Presented by Joe Newbert Testing Interest Group (TIG) Networking Evening in Cape Town 10 November, 2009 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 1
  • 2.
    Plumbers fix leaks, “If they can get away builders make walls, with it, they would prefer architects draw lines, not using any techniques drivers drive, testers do at all!” Leo van der Aalst test case design The brief Matching & prioritising test case design techniques against the business analysis modelling techniques and artefacts produced 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 2
  • 3.
    Execution • Do Tactics • Plan Strategy • Think The demonstrable way Are testing techniques the only way to realise the agreed test strategy? 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 3
  • 4.
    Testing mindset Where’s the balance of your thinking? 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 4
  • 5.
    Procedures People Documents System Database Hardware Software System Elements A regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 5
  • 6.
    Test Goals Test Risks Test Approach • A test goal is a success • A product risk is the • Is the distribution of criterion for the test chance that the the test effort and test assignment specified in product fails in relation intensity over the the customer’s to the expected combinations of language. damage if it does so. characteristics and object parts Strategy Aimed at finding the most important defects as early as possible and at the lowest costs. 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 6
  • 7.
    Test Basis Design Techniques Test Cases • All documents from • A set of tools that • A set of conditions or which the provide instruction variables under which requirements of a how to move from a a tester will determine component or system requirement or design whether a software can be inferred. artefact to test cases system is working correctly or not Tactics If an unsuitable technique is selected or no techniques are used, all of the previous steps will have been in vain 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 7
  • 8.
    Strategic Analysis Business Analysis IT systems analysis • Identify business • Straddles the gap • Analysing and transformation • Investigate situations specifying IT system • Support strategic • Recommend actions requirements analysis • Data, process and • Understanding of function modelling strategy development Business Analysis Range The extent of the Business Analyst’s role and responsibilities 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 8
  • 9.
    Process •Are they well defined? •Are there workarounds •Are there unnecessary overheads? Organisational People context •Do they understand •Is there a good support their role? structure? •Do then have the •Are roles well defined? required skills? •Is cross-functional •How motivated are working effective? they? Holistic approach Analyse all aspects of the operational business 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 9
  • 10.
    Elicitation Analysis Techniques Techniques Requirements Deliverables Management Business Analysis Techniques The techniques listed hereon are only a subset of the techniques used by practitioners of business analysis. 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 10
  • 11.
    Document Analysis Focus Groups •Document analysis is a means to •A focus group is a means to elicit elicit requirements by studying ideas and attitudes about a available documentation. specific product or service in an interactive group setting. Interviews Requirements Workshops •A systematic approach designed •A structured way to scope, to elicit information from a discover, define, prioritize and person or group of people by reach closure on requirements talking to an interviewee. for the target system. Observation Survey/Questionnaire •Observation is a means of •A means of eliciting information eliciting requirements by from many people, sometimes conducting an assessment of the anonymously, in a relatively stakeholder’s environment. short period of time. Elicitation Techniques Work with stakeholders to identify and understand their needs and concerns, and understand the environment in which they work 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 11
  • 12.
    Benchmarking Brainstorming •Benchmark studies are •The aim of brainstorming is to performed to compare the produce numerous new creative strengths and weaknesses of an ideas, and to derive from them organization against its peers themes for further analysis. and competitors. Decision Analysis Root Cause Analysis •To support decision-making •The purpose of root cause when dealing with complex, analysis is to determine the difficult, or uncertain situa-tions. underlying source of a problem. Prototyping Interface Analysis •Prototyping details user •Identify interfaces between interface requirements and solutions components and define integrates them with other requirements that describe how requirements such as use cases, they will interact. scenarios Analysis Techniques Identify a business need, refine and clarify the definition of that need, and define a solution scope that can feasibly be implemented 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 12
  • 13.
    Functional Business Rules Data Dictionary Decomposition Analysis and Glossary Process Scope Modelling Data Modelling Modelling Non-functional Sequence Scenarios and Requirements Diagrams Use Cases Analysis Metrics and Key Organization Performance State Diagrams Modelling Indicators Deliverables Is the appropriate output result from a particular business analysis task 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 13
  • 14.
    Acceptance Criteria Estimation •To define the requirements that •Estimating techniques forecast must be met in order for a the cost and effort involved in solution to be considered pursuing a course of ac-tion. acceptable. Risk Analysis Lessons Learned Process •To identify and manage areas of •Document successes, uncertainty that can impact an opportunities for improvement, initiative, solution, or failures, and recommendations organisation. for improving performance Problem Tracking Structured Walkthrough •An organized approach to •Performed to communicate, tracking, management, and verify and validate requirements. resolution of defects, issues, problems, and risks. Requirements Management How business analysts manage requirements, delivery, conflicts, issues and changes 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 14
  • 15.
    Organisation Process Data Behaviour Rules Deliverable Prioritisation Which are the fundamental Business Analysis techniques to deliver? 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 15
  • 16.
    CEO / Board Marketing & Customer Procurement Fulfilment Finance Sales Services Inbound Debtors Manufacture Creditors Outbound Organisation Functional decomposition of the organisational hierarchy, alluding to the core value chain 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 16
  • 17.
    Process model Representing processes of an enterprise, so that the current process may be analyzed and improved in future. 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 17
  • 18.
    Data A data model provides the details of information to be stored 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 18
  • 19.
    Behaviour A state diagram describes the behaviour of systems as a series of events 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 19
  • 20.
    ID Definition Type State Source BR-1 Delivery time windows are 15 Fact Static Delivery minutes, beginning on each Manager quarter hour. BR-2 All meals in a single order must Constraint Static Corporate be paid for using the same Accounting payment method. Manager BR-3 Order price is calculated as the Computation Dynamic Cafeteria sum of each food item price policy; state times the quantity of that food tax code item ordered, plus applicable sales tax, plus a delivery charge if a meal is delivered outside the free delivery zone. Business Rules A statement that defines or constrains some aspect of the business to assert structure or to control or influence behaviour 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 20
  • 21.
    Test Basis Test Strategy Test Techniques Test Case Test Case Design The assembling of appropriate data to process through the system to assess functional and quality of service requirements 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 21
  • 22.
    Pairs Wise Path Flow Formal Exploratory Boundary Equivalence Decision Experience Error Value Class Logic and Model Analysis Partition Table intuition TCD Prioritisation Which Test Case Design technique should I use first? 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 22
  • 23.
    Pairs Path BVA ECP DLT Wise Flow Organisational      Context Business   Process Model Data    Model State Chart   Diagram Business Rule     Definitions Business Analysis meets Test Analysis Leveraging business analysis techniques for test analysis and quality assurance? 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 23
  • 24.
    Do TA’s andBA’s collaborate? Would model delivery be more effective together? Do TAs get out enough? Are only PMs, BAs and DEVs allowed to talk to users? Is the TA emerging? The BA has emerged from IT Software stigma, Observations & conversation Where is Testing today, where is it moving to? 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 24
  • 25.
    joe.newbert@businesschange.co.za joe.newbert http://za.linkedin.com/in/newbert www.twitter.com/newbert www.slideshare.net/newbert Done Here’s how we can connect 10 November, 2009 www.businesschange.co.za 25