EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2008 presentation on Software Testing - A Users Guide by Erkki Poyhonen. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/

1. Copyright2008TietoEnatorCorporation
EuroSTAR 2008, W16
Software Testing - a User's Guide
Getting better results by improved understanding
about each other and the big picture
2008-11-12
Erkki Pöyhönen
QA Business Development Manager
TietoEnator Corporation
Quality Assurance Competence Center
erkki.poyhonen@tietoenator.com

2. 2
Background
• I have worked long time in software development, especially in
telecom industry
• Consulting for software processes and quality assurance
• Problem solving and coaching for testing improvement
• Many process assessments (CMM & TPI)
• Learned many ways a project can fail
• Training for several customers and both internal and public
courses
• Met huge amount of people in the industry & learned about their
concerns
• Started FAST (Finnish Association for Software Testing),
EuroSTAR 2004 programme chair, 1st
ISTQB vice president,
“Tester of the year 2008” in Finland 

3. 3
Typical testing issues in the projects, collected from several
assessments and discussions
• Lots of changes in project
scope
• Lack of customer and
management interest or co-
operation
• Testing reports irrelevant to
project
• Testing not appreciated
• Development late, squeezing
the testing schedule
• …
• How about your own?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

4. 4
A real mismatch exists between the management needs
and the existing testing culture
• Assumed and real testing paradigm
• Rubber stamping
• Testing as a one-shot activity
• Not discussion about "goodness of testing"
• Typical assumption is that SW is almost perfect
• Testing is needed because of the process or whiny customers
• Testing is responsible for quality
• No real commitment for quality in the development
• Testing typically feels underwhelmed by the lack of interest for
quality
• A common mistake of testing is to hijack concern for quality in
the organisation

5. 5
Symptoms of culture mismatch
or lack of open communication
• Illusion of control
• Managing by metrics
• Managing via writing plans
• Low availability of big picture
• Project objectives, constraints and focus unclear or conflicting
• Should be known to all project
• Coordination of quality assurance activities
• Role of requirements
• Illusion of correct requirements
• "By the book" ?
• “Requirements are just guidelines, ask for details" ?
• Is information about changes available to all relevant parties during
all stages of project and all stages of a change life-cycle

6. 6
Coaching
• This model is used in both personal and organisational coaching
• Source: Tim Gallwey, Tennis coach 1970
• Wondered:
• Why does tennis take so long time to learn?
• Why do athletes seldom perform up to their potential?
• Found out about two games taking place simultaneously
• Outer game
• The behaviour you can see on the field
• Inner game
• The game you play in your mind
• Lots of artificial constraints, limiting beliefs
• Persons with great potential had big problems to perform
according to their level of competence
• Similar rules apply to people organisations and projects

7. 7
Model of potential and performance
• Inner potential
• Inherent constraint to possible
performance right now
• Inner game
• Interferences
• Internal resistance
• Limiting beliefs
• These all are limiting the
performance
• Outer game
• Less than the potential
• Similar model works for both
individuals and organisations
IntentIntent
ActualActual
PerformancePerformance
Outer GameOuter Game
Inner GameInner Game
PotentialPotential
• Good personnel
• Processes
• Tools
• Plans
• Requirements
• Project
organisation
• Project realities
• Deliverables
• Personnel
satisfcation
• Project results
• Experienced
quality
• Schedule, Cost
• Communication
problems
• Conflicting forces

8. 8
Getting more from testing is possible after identifying
the need and options
• Know what you need and then ask how it could be possible
• There exist several methods and organizing models for testing to choose from
• Ask for a rubber stamp and you will get it
• Understand the context and needs of the project
• Rex Black in his book "Critical testing processes“ had "Plan", the first group of
testing processes cover these processes:
• Understand the operational (system, project, and process) and the
organizational context of the testing to be performed
• Define and prioritize the risks to system quality, and obtain stakeholder
consensus on the extent of testing to mitigate these risks
• Estimate and obtain management support for time, resources, and budget
required to perform the testing agreed upon
• Develop a plan for the actions, participants, and dependencies required to
perform the testing, and obtain stakeholder support for this plan
• Very similar is in the start of the planning life-cycle of the TMap model

9. 9
There exist several options of more productive testing
paradigm and improved communication
• Growing together
• Organisational visibility to the status of the organisational project
machinery
• Openness and reality check
• Organisational learning
• Several models of learning organisation exist
• All are based on good and honest communication
• Solution orientation instead of problems
• Do SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis
• Be aware of the weaknesses, but focus on the strengths
• Weaknesses stick (look trends in past lessons learned!)
• Focus on weaknesses can bring you to basic level
• Focus on strengths and opportunities will help organisation to reach
their potential, even excellence

10. 10
From problems to solutions
• Problem-focused thinking easily leads to blaming or wading in
the problem
• Causing inward cycle
• Solution-focused thinking helps to be creative and free the
person and team from the failures in the history
• Outward move
• Not a quick-fix thing!
• You can not coach a person who thinks that someone else has to
change first
• The culture of blame, the "X factor"
• Should ask: even if we have this X, what can we do?
• "Be proactive" is the 1st habit of 7 habits & 1st step in 12-step
programs is to admit that "I have a problem"

11. Copyright2008TietoEnatorCorporation
Thank you.
Erkki Pöyhönen
QA Business Development Manager
TietoEnator Corporation
Quality Assurance Competence Center
erkki.poyhonen@tietoenator.com
References
• Rex Black: Critical Testing Processes
• Kaj Hellbom: The Coaching Mindset
• Cem Kaner, James Bach, Bret Pettichord: Lessons Learned in
Software Testing - A Context-driven Approach
• Tim Koomen, Martin Pol: Testing Process Improvement (TPI)
• Tim Koomen, et al: TMap Next for results-driven testing
• Steven J. Stowell, Stephanie S. Mead: Team Approach