Mike Talks (Datacom)

Deprogramming the cargo cult of testing
Mike Talks
Datacom

Copyright © Datacom New Zealand Limited 2013 Wednesday, 9 September 15
Who are we?

•  RealMe developed
as “classic” V-model
•  18 months between
inception and
delivery
•  6 weeks of system
testing alone
A long time ago …

Being a “classic” V-model
System
Test
UAT

As RealMe matured …
DIA needed to
respond more to
their customers’
needs

Rethinking the model
Going agile …
Where does this
leave testing?

Take what
you’ve always
done …
The ultimate temptation

This is the Cargo Cult trap
• Project context
changes
• Use same
procedures
• Expect same
result

Waterfall
l Deliver
EVERYthing
l 12 months from
inception
l 6 weeks for
testing
l 7 testers
In a nutshell
Agile
•  Deliver SOMEthing
•  2 weeks from
inception
•  2 weeks for testing
•  2 testers

As a test
professional …
How do you
begin the
process of
change?

Initiate change
By
requiring
a

change
in
contract

with
your

customer?

Initiate change
By
manda5ng
a

new
set
of
test

processes?

Initiate change
Implemen5ng

change
secretly,

hoping
no-‐one

no5ces
…

How the deprogramming
begins

Looking at the model we had
Requirements
Test
Strategy
Test
Plan
Test
Scripts
Test
Reporting

How can this model go off the
rails?

Derail #3: Reviewing &
Collaboration

Test Strategy
How do we go about
delivering testing?

Test Plan
What are we going
to test?
Who is going to test?
How long is it going
to take?

Test Script
What testing are we
going to do?
What requirement/
feature are we
testing?
What testing have
we done?
How do new testers
learn/ test on the
system?

Test Reporting
What testing is
complete?
What problems have
there been?
[Defects]
What testing have
we done?

That’s a lot of questions …
What testing is
complete?
What problems
have there
been?
[Defects]
What testing
have we done?
What testing are
we going to do?
What
requirement/
feature are we
testing?
What testing
have we done?
How do new
testers learn/ test
on the system?
What are we
going to test?
Who is going to
test?
How long is it
going to take?
How do we go
about delivering
testing?

Looking at it another way
… as the
questions
they answer
The
deliverables
don’t have
as much
value …

To Make Agile Testing Work
…
Four
fundamental
aims

Aim #2
Processes
lightweight but
address needs

Aim #3
Review
processes
each sprint

Aim #4
Encourage
transparency
between
Datacom & DIA

Use Exploratory Testing?
What testing are we
going to do? What testing have
we done?
Common worries …

There’s always that
one person asking …
How will you
know what to test
without your
scripts?

From Jon & James Bach …
•  “We wanted to be
accountable for our
work”
•  “We wanted to give
status reports that
reflected what we
actually did”
Session Based Test
Management

•  The heart of what
we did.
•  But needed some
customisation
Session Based Test
Management

How We Test On RealMe
Warning!
Tailored to fit

Testing Cycle 1: Planning
Testing Tasks
What are we going
to test?

Testing Cycle 2:
Expanding Testing Tasks
(pt1)
Boundaries?
Browsers?
Related
areas?
What testing are we
going to do?

Testing Cycle 2:
Expanding Testing Tasks
(pt2)

Testing Cycle 3: Doing
The Testing (pt1) -
Assignment
What requirement/
feature are we
testing?

The Testing (pt2) -
Recording
What testing have
we done?

The Testing (pt3) –
Problems!
What problems have
there been?
[Defects]

The Testing (pt4) – Peer
review
What testing have
we done?

Testing Cycle 4: Updating
the board
What testing is
complete?
What testing have
we done?

Testing Cycle 5: And right
at the end …

So what’s left?
Who is going to test?
How long is it going
to take?

But what about …
How do new testers
learn/ test on the
system?

Deliverables?
Mind maps = Plan
Recordings =
Proof of testing

Deliverables?
Sprint board =
Progress Report /
Defect Tracking

And how’s it
working out?
More engaged
test team Happy customer
Making testing
visible to whole
team

We’re
replicating the
success

The temptation is still
there

The trap is still there …

We need to remember…
Individuals and
interactions over
processes and
tools

But we’re getting there …

Summary #1
Relationships matter!

Summary #2
Focus on needs, not
deliverables

Summary #3
Can what you do be made
more visible?
Mike Lowery
Agile Coach
Nomad 8

Thanks for listening…
Mike Talks
Datacom

Question – Manual
regression
Use of
“character
cards”
personas

Question – Automated
checking with Selenity
Datacom software
•  Uses Selenium
drivers
•  Part of build
checks
•  Delivers less
buggy code to
test env

Mike Talks (Datacom)

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