This document discusses the need to rethink the role of testers in agile and structured projects. It argues that changes in business demands and development practices are squeezing testers and that many current testing roles and skills may disappear. Specifically, it predicts that half of onshore testing roles will be eliminated in 5 years. It recommends testers focus on more strategic roles like business analysis, requirements management, and assurance rather than traditional testing tasks.
This talk was given at Eurostar 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“Significant forces in the IT industry that mean testing in most organisations is under extreme pressure. Bosses wonder why they need people ‘over here’ to make sure people ‘over there’ do their job properly. Users, analysts, developers and testers may have to redistribute responsibility for testing and checking and by collaborating more effectively.
Testers won’t drive this transition, and they may be caught out if they ignore the winds of change. There's complacency, self-delusion and over capacity in the testing business; there is too little agreement about what testing is, what it’s for or how it should be done. In this talk, Paul will suggest what leadership is required in our industry, the market and our organisations.
Of course, some responsibility will fall on your shoulders. Whether you are a manager or technical specialist, there will be an opportunity for you to lead the change.”
This talk sets out the thinking behind the Gerrard Consulting Business Story Method. The slides present background, an overview of the method and introduces the Testela Business tool that supports Gerrard Consulting services.
This talk was given at Eurostar 2013 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“Significant forces in the IT industry that mean testing in most organisations is under extreme pressure. Bosses wonder why they need people ‘over here’ to make sure people ‘over there’ do their job properly. Users, analysts, developers and testers may have to redistribute responsibility for testing and checking and by collaborating more effectively.
Testers won’t drive this transition, and they may be caught out if they ignore the winds of change. There's complacency, self-delusion and over capacity in the testing business; there is too little agreement about what testing is, what it’s for or how it should be done. In this talk, Paul will suggest what leadership is required in our industry, the market and our organisations.
Of course, some responsibility will fall on your shoulders. Whether you are a manager or technical specialist, there will be an opportunity for you to lead the change.”
This talk sets out the thinking behind the Gerrard Consulting Business Story Method. The slides present background, an overview of the method and introduces the Testela Business tool that supports Gerrard Consulting services.
New Model Testing: A New Test Process and ToolTEST Huddle
In this webinar, Paul described his experiences of building and using a bot for paired testing and also propose a new test process suitable for both high integrity and agile environments. His bot – codenamed System Surveyor – builds a model of the system as you explore and captures test ideas, risks and questions and generates structured test documentation as a by-product.
Tafline Murnane - The Carrot or The Whip-What Motivates Testers? - EuroSTAR 2010TEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2010 presentation on The Carrot or The Whip-What Motivates Testers? by Tafline Murnane. See more at: http://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
Shrini Kulkarni - Software Metrics - So Simple, Yet So Dangerous TEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2009 presentation on Software Metrics - So Simple, Yet So Dangerous by Shrini Kulkarni. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
Eric Jimmink - The Specialized Testers of the FutureTEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2008 presentation on The Specialized Testers of the Future by Eric Jimmink. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
I believe that our existing models of testing are not fit for purpose – they are inconsistent, controversial, partial, proprietary and stuck in the past. They are not going to support us in the rapidly emerging technologies and approaches. The certification schemes that should represent the interests and integrity of our profession don’t, and we are left with schemes that are popular, but have low value, lower esteem and attract harsh criticism. My goal in proposing the New Model is to stimulate new thinking in this area.
eurostarconferences.com
testhuddle.com
This talk suggests how we might make sense of the tools landscape of the near future, where the pressure to modernise processes and automate is greatest, and what a new test process supported by tools might look like.
Takeaways:
- We need to take machine learning in testing seriously, but it won’t be taking our jobs just yet
- We don’t need more test automation tools; today we need tools that capture tester knowledge
- Tools that that learn and think can’t work for testers until we solve the knowledge capture challenge.
View On-Demand Webinar: https://youtu.be/EzyUdJFuzlE
Test reporting is something few testers take time to practice. Nevertheless, it's a fundamental skill—vital for your professional credibility and your own self management. Many people think management judges testing by bugs found or test cases executed. Actually, testing is judged by the story it tells. If your story sounds good, you win. A test report is the story of your testing. It begins as the story we tell ourselves, each moment we are testing, about what we are doing and why. We use the test story within our own minds, to guide our work. James Bach explores the skill of test reporting and examines some of the many different forms a test report might take. As in other areas of testing, context drives good reporting. Sometimes we make an oral report; occasionally we need to write it down. Join James for an in-depth look at the art of the reporting.
Michael Bolton - Heuristics: Solving Problems RapidlyTEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2008 presentation on Heuristics: Solving Problems Rapidly by Michael Bolton. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
A Rapid Introduction to Rapid Software TestingTechWell
You're under tight time pressure and have barely enough information to proceed with testing. How do you test quickly and inexpensively, yet still produce informative, credible, and accountable results? Rapid Software Testing, adopted by context-driven testers worldwide, offers a field-proven answer to this all-too-common dilemma. In this one-day sampler of the approach, Paul Holland introduces you to the skills and practice of Rapid Software Testing through stories, discussions, and "minds-on" exercises that simulate important aspects of real testing problems. The rapid approach isn't just testing with speed or a sense of urgency; it's mission-focused testing that eliminates unnecessary work, assures that the most important things get done, and constantly asks how testers can help speed up the successful completion of the project. Join Paul to learn how rapid testing focuses on both the mind set and skill set of the individual tester who uses tight loops of exploration and critical thinking skills to help continuously re-optimize testing to match clients' needs and expectations.
A test strategy is the set of ideas that guides your test design. It's what explains why you test this instead of that, and why you test this way instead of that way. Strategic thinking matters because testers must make quick decisions about what needs testing right now and what can be left alone. You must be able to work through major threads without being overwhelmed by tiny details. James Bach describes how test strategy is organized around risk but is not defined before testing begins. Rather, it evolves alongside testing as we learn more about the product. We start with a vague idea of our strategy, organize it quickly, and document as needed in a concise way. In the end, the strategy can be as formal and detailed as you want it to be. In the beginning, though, we start small. If you want to focus on testing and not paperwork, this approach is for you.
'The Real Agile Testing Quadrants' with Michael BoltonTEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Conferences, with the support of ISA Software Skillnet, Irish Software Innovation Network and SoftTest, were delighted to bring you a half-day software testing masterclass with Michael Bolton
In this session, Michael Bolton (who has extensive experience as a tester, as a programmer, and as a project manager) explained the role of skilled software testers, and why you might not want to think of testing as "quality assurance".
He present ideas about the relationship between management and testers, and about the service that testers really provide: making quality assurance possible by lighting the way of the project. For those of you who who attended this event, we really hope it was of use to you in your testing careers.
www.eurostarconferences.com
Julian Harty - Alternatives To Testing - EuroSTAR 2010TEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2010 presentation on "Presentation Title" by "Speaker Name". See more at: http://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
A Rapid Introduction to Rapid Software TestingTechWell
You're under tight time pressure and have barely enough information to proceed with testing. How do you test quickly and inexpensively, yet still produce informative, credible, and accountable results? Rapid Software Testing, adopted by context-driven testers worldwide, offers a field-proven answer to this all-too-common dilemma. In this one-day sampler of the approach, Michael Bolton introduces you to the skills and practice of Rapid Software Testing through stories, discussions, and "minds-on" exercises that simulate important aspects of real testing problems. The rapid approach isn't just testing with speed or a sense of urgency; it's mission-focused testing that eliminates unnecessary work, assures that the most important things get done, and constantly asks how testers can help speed up the successful completion of the project. Join Michael to see how rapid testing focuses on both the mind set and skill set of the individual tester who uses tight loops of exploration and critical thinking skills to help continuously re-optimize testing to match clients' needs and expectations.
Testaus 2014: Paul Gerrard - The Changing Role of Testers'Tieturi Oy
Testausala on suuressa murroksessa. Muutos heijastuu testaajien työhön siten, että testaajan tulee miettiä entistä luovemmin suhtautumistaan omaan työhönsä. Sen sijaan että kehittäjät ja testaajat rajoittavat työskentelynsä yhteen tuotantotapaan, kuten vaikkapa yhteen tiettyyn Agile-viitekehykseen, heidän tulee itse osoittaa ketteryyttä valitsemalla ja yhdistelemällä luovasti erilaisia tuotantotapoja tilanteen vaatimalla tavalla.
New Model Testing: A New Test Process and ToolTEST Huddle
In this webinar, Paul described his experiences of building and using a bot for paired testing and also propose a new test process suitable for both high integrity and agile environments. His bot – codenamed System Surveyor – builds a model of the system as you explore and captures test ideas, risks and questions and generates structured test documentation as a by-product.
Tafline Murnane - The Carrot or The Whip-What Motivates Testers? - EuroSTAR 2010TEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2010 presentation on The Carrot or The Whip-What Motivates Testers? by Tafline Murnane. See more at: http://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
Shrini Kulkarni - Software Metrics - So Simple, Yet So Dangerous TEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2009 presentation on Software Metrics - So Simple, Yet So Dangerous by Shrini Kulkarni. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
Eric Jimmink - The Specialized Testers of the FutureTEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2008 presentation on The Specialized Testers of the Future by Eric Jimmink. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
I believe that our existing models of testing are not fit for purpose – they are inconsistent, controversial, partial, proprietary and stuck in the past. They are not going to support us in the rapidly emerging technologies and approaches. The certification schemes that should represent the interests and integrity of our profession don’t, and we are left with schemes that are popular, but have low value, lower esteem and attract harsh criticism. My goal in proposing the New Model is to stimulate new thinking in this area.
eurostarconferences.com
testhuddle.com
This talk suggests how we might make sense of the tools landscape of the near future, where the pressure to modernise processes and automate is greatest, and what a new test process supported by tools might look like.
Takeaways:
- We need to take machine learning in testing seriously, but it won’t be taking our jobs just yet
- We don’t need more test automation tools; today we need tools that capture tester knowledge
- Tools that that learn and think can’t work for testers until we solve the knowledge capture challenge.
View On-Demand Webinar: https://youtu.be/EzyUdJFuzlE
Test reporting is something few testers take time to practice. Nevertheless, it's a fundamental skill—vital for your professional credibility and your own self management. Many people think management judges testing by bugs found or test cases executed. Actually, testing is judged by the story it tells. If your story sounds good, you win. A test report is the story of your testing. It begins as the story we tell ourselves, each moment we are testing, about what we are doing and why. We use the test story within our own minds, to guide our work. James Bach explores the skill of test reporting and examines some of the many different forms a test report might take. As in other areas of testing, context drives good reporting. Sometimes we make an oral report; occasionally we need to write it down. Join James for an in-depth look at the art of the reporting.
Michael Bolton - Heuristics: Solving Problems RapidlyTEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2008 presentation on Heuristics: Solving Problems Rapidly by Michael Bolton. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
A Rapid Introduction to Rapid Software TestingTechWell
You're under tight time pressure and have barely enough information to proceed with testing. How do you test quickly and inexpensively, yet still produce informative, credible, and accountable results? Rapid Software Testing, adopted by context-driven testers worldwide, offers a field-proven answer to this all-too-common dilemma. In this one-day sampler of the approach, Paul Holland introduces you to the skills and practice of Rapid Software Testing through stories, discussions, and "minds-on" exercises that simulate important aspects of real testing problems. The rapid approach isn't just testing with speed or a sense of urgency; it's mission-focused testing that eliminates unnecessary work, assures that the most important things get done, and constantly asks how testers can help speed up the successful completion of the project. Join Paul to learn how rapid testing focuses on both the mind set and skill set of the individual tester who uses tight loops of exploration and critical thinking skills to help continuously re-optimize testing to match clients' needs and expectations.
A test strategy is the set of ideas that guides your test design. It's what explains why you test this instead of that, and why you test this way instead of that way. Strategic thinking matters because testers must make quick decisions about what needs testing right now and what can be left alone. You must be able to work through major threads without being overwhelmed by tiny details. James Bach describes how test strategy is organized around risk but is not defined before testing begins. Rather, it evolves alongside testing as we learn more about the product. We start with a vague idea of our strategy, organize it quickly, and document as needed in a concise way. In the end, the strategy can be as formal and detailed as you want it to be. In the beginning, though, we start small. If you want to focus on testing and not paperwork, this approach is for you.
'The Real Agile Testing Quadrants' with Michael BoltonTEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Conferences, with the support of ISA Software Skillnet, Irish Software Innovation Network and SoftTest, were delighted to bring you a half-day software testing masterclass with Michael Bolton
In this session, Michael Bolton (who has extensive experience as a tester, as a programmer, and as a project manager) explained the role of skilled software testers, and why you might not want to think of testing as "quality assurance".
He present ideas about the relationship between management and testers, and about the service that testers really provide: making quality assurance possible by lighting the way of the project. For those of you who who attended this event, we really hope it was of use to you in your testing careers.
www.eurostarconferences.com
Julian Harty - Alternatives To Testing - EuroSTAR 2010TEST Huddle
EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2010 presentation on "Presentation Title" by "Speaker Name". See more at: http://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/
A Rapid Introduction to Rapid Software TestingTechWell
You're under tight time pressure and have barely enough information to proceed with testing. How do you test quickly and inexpensively, yet still produce informative, credible, and accountable results? Rapid Software Testing, adopted by context-driven testers worldwide, offers a field-proven answer to this all-too-common dilemma. In this one-day sampler of the approach, Michael Bolton introduces you to the skills and practice of Rapid Software Testing through stories, discussions, and "minds-on" exercises that simulate important aspects of real testing problems. The rapid approach isn't just testing with speed or a sense of urgency; it's mission-focused testing that eliminates unnecessary work, assures that the most important things get done, and constantly asks how testers can help speed up the successful completion of the project. Join Michael to see how rapid testing focuses on both the mind set and skill set of the individual tester who uses tight loops of exploration and critical thinking skills to help continuously re-optimize testing to match clients' needs and expectations.
Testaus 2014: Paul Gerrard - The Changing Role of Testers'Tieturi Oy
Testausala on suuressa murroksessa. Muutos heijastuu testaajien työhön siten, että testaajan tulee miettiä entistä luovemmin suhtautumistaan omaan työhönsä. Sen sijaan että kehittäjät ja testaajat rajoittavat työskentelynsä yhteen tuotantotapaan, kuten vaikkapa yhteen tiettyyn Agile-viitekehykseen, heidän tulee itse osoittaa ketteryyttä valitsemalla ja yhdistelemällä luovasti erilaisia tuotantotapoja tilanteen vaatimalla tavalla.
Testaus 2014 -seminaari: Paul Gerrard. The Changing Role of Testers’.Tieturi Oy
Testausala on suuressa murroksessa. Sen sijaan että kehittäjät ja testaajat käyttävät kaikissa tilanteissa tiettyä tuotantotapaa, kuten vaikkapa Agilea, tulee ammattilaisen itse osoittaa ketteryyttä valitsemalla ja yhdistelemällä luovasti erilaisia tuotantotapoja tilanteen mukaan.
Learn how to establish a greater sense of confidence in your release cycle, along with the practices and processes to create a high-performing engineering culture within your team.
Digital Transformation, Testing and AutomationTEST Huddle
The Digital Transformation is real. It is having a profound effect on how business is done and the nature of the systems required to deliver productive customer experiences and consequent business benefits.
Key Takeaways:
- What is the Digital Transformation and how does it affect testing?
- Some key findings from a recent and an ancient survey
- How to achieve testing and automation success.
To view the webinar, visit - http://testhuddle.com/resource/digital-transformation-testing-and-automation/
These slides quickly illustrate how you can successfully adopt Agile to improve your development efforts. In addition to discussing how and why teams are interested in Agile, it covers some of the challenges of adopting it and suggestions for ensuring success.
The anonymised slides from an old (but hopefully still relevant) talk on the case for placing a strategic focus on design testability. The material covers the technical, process and organisational considerations arising from such a strategy and is predominantly a summary of the ideas presented in Brett Pettichord's 2001 "Design For Testability' paper available here. The presentation makes a case for why a high level of design testability can be seen as a critical success factor in achieving sustained agility.
Agile and CMMI: Yes, They Can Work TogetherTechWell
There is a common misconception that agile and CMMI cannot work together. CMMI is viewed as a documentation heavy, slow, process-driven model—the polar opposite of agile principles. The cost of documentation for an appraisal is viewed as another drawback. Join Ed Weller to see why a large organization chose to use the practices in the CMMI to complement agile, and a formal appraisal to improve and evaluate their performance. When mixing approaches that seem contradictory, the first step is to understand the benefits, drawbacks, and cost of each approach and then identify complementary additions. This includes myth busting the misperceptions about both agile and CMMI. The second step, using a formal CMMI appraisal to evaluate organizational performance, requires an understanding of the CMMI model that goes beyond a “checklist approach” requiring extensive documentation. Using lean principles, the appraisal team minimized “appraisal documentation” by using the day-to-day team output. Ed shows that agile and CMMI can be complementary due to executive leadership, lean implementation, and organization training, as demonstrated by a formal appraisal and business results.
I believe that our existing models of testing are not fit for purpose – they are inconsistent, controversial, partial, proprietary and stuck in the past. They are not going to support us in the rapidly emerging technologies and approaches. The certification schemes that should represent the interests and integrity of our profession don’t, and we are left with schemes that are popular, but have low value, lower esteem and attract harsh criticism. My goal in proposing the New Model is to stimulate new thinking in this area.
eurostarconferences.com
testhuddle.com
Testing for agile teams . What's the difference between this and other testing ? What are the goals for such testing ?
Is agile testing needed at all ? Why ?
You will find some answers inside and mist likely will be directed to the right way.
[Webinar] Visa's Journey to a Culture of ExperimentationOptimizely
Join us as we hear Ramkumar Ravichandran, the Director of A/B Testing at Visa Checkout, explain how he created a high impact experimentation program. Ram will take us through the growth of Visa’s program: from selling the value, to laying down the vision, the roadmap and success criteria, to creating the right team and driving engagement with the program.
Attend this webinar to learn:
-How an experimentation program drives business impact.
-A model to drive continuous stakeholder engagement with the program.
-How to build a roadmap that goes above and beyond simple UX optimization.
In the Adani-Hindenburg case, what is SEBI investigating.pptxAdani case
Adani SEBI investigation revealed that the latter had sought information from five foreign jurisdictions concerning the holdings of the firm’s foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in relation to the alleged violations of the MPS Regulations. Nevertheless, the economic interest of the twelve FPIs based in tax haven jurisdictions still needs to be determined. The Adani Group firms classed these FPIs as public shareholders. According to Hindenburg, FPIs were used to get around regulatory standards.
Discover the innovative and creative projects that highlight my journey throu...dylandmeas
Discover the innovative and creative projects that highlight my journey through Full Sail University. Below, you’ll find a collection of my work showcasing my skills and expertise in digital marketing, event planning, and media production.
Top mailing list providers in the USA.pptxJeremyPeirce1
Discover the top mailing list providers in the USA, offering targeted lists, segmentation, and analytics to optimize your marketing campaigns and drive engagement.
The world of search engine optimization (SEO) is buzzing with discussions after Google confirmed that around 2,500 leaked internal documents related to its Search feature are indeed authentic. The revelation has sparked significant concerns within the SEO community. The leaked documents were initially reported by SEO experts Rand Fishkin and Mike King, igniting widespread analysis and discourse. For More Info:- https://news.arihantwebtech.com/search-disrupted-googles-leaked-documents-rock-the-seo-world/
LA HUG - Video Testimonials with Chynna Morgan - June 2024Lital Barkan
Have you ever heard that user-generated content or video testimonials can take your brand to the next level? We will explore how you can effectively use video testimonials to leverage and boost your sales, content strategy, and increase your CRM data.🤯
We will dig deeper into:
1. How to capture video testimonials that convert from your audience 🎥
2. How to leverage your testimonials to boost your sales 💲
3. How you can capture more CRM data to understand your audience better through video testimonials. 📊
Company Valuation webinar series - Tuesday, 4 June 2024FelixPerez547899
This session provided an update as to the latest valuation data in the UK and then delved into a discussion on the upcoming election and the impacts on valuation. We finished, as always with a Q&A
3.0 Project 2_ Developing My Brand Identity Kit.pptxtanyjahb
A personal brand exploration presentation summarizes an individual's unique qualities and goals, covering strengths, values, passions, and target audience. It helps individuals understand what makes them stand out, their desired image, and how they aim to achieve it.
An introduction to the cryptocurrency investment platform Binance Savings.Any kyc Account
Learn how to use Binance Savings to expand your bitcoin holdings. Discover how to maximize your earnings on one of the most reliable cryptocurrency exchange platforms, as well as how to earn interest on your cryptocurrency holdings and the various savings choices available.
Understanding User Needs and Satisfying ThemAggregage
https://www.productmanagementtoday.com/frs/26903918/understanding-user-needs-and-satisfying-them
We know we want to create products which our customers find to be valuable. Whether we label it as customer-centric or product-led depends on how long we've been doing product management. There are three challenges we face when doing this. The obvious challenge is figuring out what our users need; the non-obvious challenges are in creating a shared understanding of those needs and in sensing if what we're doing is meeting those needs.
In this webinar, we won't focus on the research methods for discovering user-needs. We will focus on synthesis of the needs we discover, communication and alignment tools, and how we operationalize addressing those needs.
Industry expert Scott Sehlhorst will:
• Introduce a taxonomy for user goals with real world examples
• Present the Onion Diagram, a tool for contextualizing task-level goals
• Illustrate how customer journey maps capture activity-level and task-level goals
• Demonstrate the best approach to selection and prioritization of user-goals to address
• Highlight the crucial benchmarks, observable changes, in ensuring fulfillment of customer needs
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Implicitly or explicitly all competing businesses employ a strategy to select a mix
of marketing resources. Formulating such competitive strategies fundamentally
involves recognizing relationships between elements of the marketing mix (e.g.,
price and product quality), as well as assessing competitive and market conditions
(i.e., industry structure in the language of economics).
1. Rethinking the Role of Testers in Agile
and Structured Projects
Paul Gerrard
paul@gerrardconsulting.com
Twitter: @paul_gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 1
2. Theme:
Changes in our business
demand a re-think of
where testing fits in
systems projects
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 2
3. Health Warning!
I‟m going to generalise quite a lot because I‟m
talking about the market in general.
YOU may be an exception; these trends are
happening outside testing
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 3
4. (Why) is a re-think
required?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 4
7. gerrardconsulting.com - some stats
• Even after 15 years, the IEEE 829 „sample test
plan‟ is the most popular download on our site
(1434 per month)
• Was it such a good paper or are people stuck in
the 70s/80s?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 7
Assurance
8. Old style formality hasn‟t advanced
• Countless books available
• 150,000+ certified testers
• Conferences, gatherings, forums, SIGs all over the
world
• But certification seems to have more critics than
supporters these days
– Beginners are put on courses to get the tick-in-box
– Experienced folk don‟t usually have a good thing to say
about certification
– Its an easy target.
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 8
Assurance
9. The new testing squeeze
• Developers are beginning to take test-first,
unit-testing, continuous integration very
seriously (at last)
• Better testing up-front (what we‟ve always
wanted)
– More stable software sooner
– Functional/structural coverage „upstream‟
• But do better developer practices reduce the
demand for system testers?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 9
Assurance
10. The new testing squeeze 2
• Larger/structured projects treat testing as a
factory process (to be offshored mostly)
• Promoting standards and the certified way is
consistent with factory processes
• But the same old, bad old attitudes prevail:
– Anyone can test, so do it on the cheap
• Offshoring leaves certified, unskilled testers
without a role – maybe its for the best?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 10
Assurance
11. The new testing squeeze 3
• Some Agile projects squeeze testers out
completely – the developers and product
owners can test, can‟t they?
• More often, testers are coerced into being
eyes/ears of the stakeholder
• This is a good thing but…
– Is it testing? Can our testers, test managers cope?
– Agile testing = Test Assurance in the small?
– A different set of skills are required.
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 11
Assurance
12. Agile is here to stay
• Many people are still waiting for Agile to just „go
away‟ – it won‟t
• A certified generation of testers rely on:
– Having time to do „a good job‟ whatever that is
– Specifications, requirements (available and stable)
– Tabulated test cases, test procedures
– Test design techniques that rely on perfect specs.
– Test management tools that support practices dating
back to the 60s
• But Agile is getting all the attention and it simply
doesn‟t work this way.
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 12
Assurance
13. A methodological shift…
• There seems to be a methodological shift from
staged to iterative and now „continuous‟
• Just as companies seem to be coming to terms
with Agile…
• They are now being invited to consider
continuous „Specification by Example‟ approaches
• Specification by example promotes a continual
process of specification, exampling, test-first, and
continuous integration
• Where does the tester fit here?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 13
Assurance
14. Specification by example
• SBE promises much:
– Consistent requirements, stories/examples tests and
code for the lifetime of a product
– Extremely rapid end-to-end turnaround – 24hours
– CI is the heartbeat, life-support and early warning
system
• Of course, workflow, user experience and end-
to-end testing are required
• But these can be managed by business analysts,
UX experts and the stakeholder community.
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 14
Assurance
15. The testing „crunch‟
• Testing is being squeezed:
– From the „low-value‟ norm of unskilled teams…
– To upstream, business-savvy, workflow-oriented,
UX-aware testing experts, with new tools
• BAs who can test… or testers who can BA
• How many of the current generation of
testers and test managers will cope with this
change?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 15
Assurance
16. „The purpose of testing is to locate
defects‟ ?
• This stood us in good stead in the 80sand 90s
• But stakeholders (all of them) know that avoiding
defects is better than finding them
– Standard test approaches are good at providing the
documentation (sort of) but are an inefficient way of
detecting defects
– Exploration is effective but happens at the end
• “Let‟s take requirements more seriously, let‟s get
the devs to test, let‟s offshore the paperwork”
• Testers need to understand they are in the
information business.
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and
Slide 16
Assurance
18. #1
Half of the current
onshore testing
community will see
their job disappear in
the next five years.
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 18
19. #2
Business test planning
will become part of up-
front analysis and design
(where it should be)
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 19
20. #3
Functional unit testing
driven by stories
(mostly)
Structural testing
defined by developers
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 20
21. #4
Requirements and
business models will
become „executable‟
through stories and
examples
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 21
22. #5
Some system tests and
most acceptance tests
will be model-driven
(models created by
analysts)
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 22
23. #6
Business models plus
stories and examples
will increasingly be
„contractual‟
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 23
24. #7
System Test detailing –
the creation of
executable manual tests
will be outsourced
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 24
25. #8
Manual system test
execution will be
outsourced (and in the
cloud)
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 25
26. #9
Maybe half of all
acceptance tests will be
automated in CI…
…forever
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 26
27. #10
New tools will emerge
that manage
requirements, stories,
scenarios, workflows,
prototyping and testing
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 27
28. Recommendation
Take a long, hard look at where your
future lies
Which of the following suits you?
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 28
29. #1
Upstream with
stakeholders and
analysis – providing
testing and assurance
skills to business
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 29
30. #2
Managing the Business
Requirements
knowledge base;
analysing business
impact of change
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 30
31. #3
Providing an assurance
function to teams,
projects, and business
stakeholders
(“testmaster”)
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 31
32. #4
Managing the
information flows
to/from development
teams and the CI
process
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 32
35. Business Story
Method™
The Method, to be published in
booklet form in early December,
supports this vision
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 35
36. Our Story Platform
implements the Business
Story Method
Maelscrum for Agile
Business Story Manager for Structured
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 36
37. Want to evaluate
Business Story Manager or
Maelscrum?
Visit…
maelscrum.com
businessstorymanager.com
Thanks once again
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 37
38. Rethinking the Role of Testers in Agile
and Structured Projects
Paul Gerrard
paul@gerrardconsulting.com
Twitter: @paul_gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com
Intelligent Testing, Improvement and Assurance Slide 38