Cheaper … faster … smarter—words familiar to modern QA test team leaders everywhere. Although many organizations recognize that a globally-distributed QA model will achieve some of these objectives, it comes with obvious challenges. Lack of immediate communication, not knowing what the other is doing, and even cultural clashes can result in a lack of trust within the team, an absence of team spirit, and high attrition. Elizabeth Wisdom identifies the key to mitigating the risks associated with each challenge. And it’s not a technical solution (like advanced videoconferencing) but rather a management one. Join Elizabeth as she shares proven strategies for how a global QA team can effectively engage and collaborate with each other and with project stakeholders operationally to maximize its effectiveness and efficiency. Learn about setting expectations and avoiding assumptions while operating within a global resource team model. Explore how to build trust within the team and how to create effective communication channels with daily reporting. Take back ideas to help your team act as a cohesive unit without boundaries.

1.
T1
Test
Management
10/6/16
9:45
What
Time
Is
It
Over
There?
Managing
Your
Global
QA
Team
Presented
by:
Elizabeth
Wisdom
Ulta
Beauty
Brought
to
you
by:
350
Corporate
Way,
Suite
400,
Orange
Park,
FL
32073
888-­‐-­‐-­‐268-­‐-­‐-­‐8770
·∙·∙
904-­‐-­‐-­‐278-­‐-­‐-­‐0524
-­‐
info@techwell.com
-­‐
http://www.starwest.techwell.com/

2.
Elizabeth
Wisdom
Elizabeth
Wisdom
has
more
than
thirty
years'
experience
in
IT
software
development
and
delivery,
the
most
recent
nineteen
years
leading
quality
assurance,
performance
testing,
and
user
acceptance
testing
teams.
Elizabeth's
extensive
project
portfolio
covers
the
telecom,
retail,
financial,
manufacturing,
and
insurance
industries.
As
a
QA
enthusiast,
she
has
built
and
managed
several
high
performing
QA,
UAT,
and
performance
test
teams,
both
onshore
and
offshoreÛÓwith
a
passion
for
continuous
improvement,
process
governance,
metrics,
and
best
practices.
Elizabeth
enjoys
speaking
at
conferences
and
welcomes
the
opportunity
to
network
with
others
who
are
equally
as
passionate
about
QA,
UAT,
and
performance
testing.

3. What Time is It Over
There?
Managing Your Global QA Team
Elizabeth Wisdom
October 2016

4. Agenda
• What is a Global QA Organization?
• Challenges & Risks Associated with a Global QA
Organization
• Mitigation Strategies
• Suggested Guidelines for Operational
Effectiveness
• Q&A

5. Objectives for Today
Use leadership strategies to address the
challenges of offshore teams and mitigate risk
Use the best structure for the teams in each
location
Build a repeatable process for operational
effectiveness, communication, trust, and
collaboration without boundaries

6. What is a Global QA Organization?
A Global QA Organization is 2 or more QA work groups
which:
• Are not co-located geographically
• Have core members who interact primarily through
electronic means
• Are engaged in interdependent tasks as part of a
common goal, objective, or project
It differs from a virtual team, which could include
individuals working remotely and perhaps independently
of each other

7. Challenges and Risks
What challenges and risks have you experienced with a
globally distributed team?
1.
2.
3.
4.

8. Key Challenges*
• Lack of face-to-face or immediate
communication
• Lack of trust
• Cultural clashes
• Loss of team spirit

9. Strategies
The key to mitigating the risk associated with each
challenge is not a technical solution (e.g. advanced
videoconferencing), but rather a management one.
With effective leadership, each obstacle can be overcome
with the use of several effective strategies.

10. Strategy #1: EstablishRoles and Responsibilities
QA Manager:
• strategically leads the global QA organization
• defines Test Strategy (process, tools, governance, SDLC, etc.)
• develops resource plan (determines the right resources are
in the right places)
• provides vendor management (may include managing SOWs,
providing vendor feedback)
• defines and communicates QA
roadmap/vision/objectives/priorities
• screens/interviews new QA resources
• has ultimate decision rights
• manages test infrastructure (software, tools, labs, etc.)
• responsible for determining/maintaining QA budget and
resource forecasting

11. Onsite QA Lead:
• tactically leads the set of support activities across all
locations, including the
a. planning,
b. facilitation,
c. training,
d. measurement, and
e. analysis
needed to provide adequate confidence that test coverage
is adequate and on track and that QA processes are
established and continuously improved
• serves as central point of contact

12. Onsite QA Lead, cont.
• specific support activities include:
Reviews (requirements, test case review)
Test Environment Change Control
Defect Tracking – Process, tool management, configuration
Strategic Planning of Test Events (e.g. QAT, UAT, Performance
testing) and Test Plan (scope, risk, dependencies, data,
environment, etc.)
Effort estimation/resource planning (with the QA Manager,
who in turn may work with consultant staffing firms/vendors)
Facilitates training, knowledge transfer and cross training of
employees/consultants/associates
Ensures process governance
Communicates plan/priority on behalf of the project to the
Site Leads/Coordinators
Represents QA deliverables/status of test events for project

13. Quality Control (QC): primary focus is defect detection and
removal.
Specifically, they are responsible for:
• development of the test scenarios, test cases, and test data
• verifying the test environment
• documenting/reporting test results
• logging and retesting defects and reporting defect results
This function is typically outsourced/offshore. The QC team
typically reports to their QA Site Lead/Coordinator.

14. Site Lead/Coordinator(s): single-point-of-contact for the
location and tactically manages the daily tasks and resources
(QC resources) and reports daily status to the Onsite QA Lead
• facilitate the daily handoff of tasks/assignments
between onshore/offshore and represents the site on
daily calls with onshore
• communicates daily accomplishments, upcoming tasks,
issues/roadblocks/needs, and any clarifications/help
needed to progress
• onboards new resources at the site and mentors junior
resources
• identifies cross training opportunities and ensures
knowledge transfer occurs as required

15. Example:

16. Strategy #2: Consolidate
Locations
• If possible, minimize the number of remote locations and
co-locate the cross-functional project teams (e.g. DBAs,
developers, server admins, etc.)
• Communicate and plan around regionally recognized
holidays
• Recognize all teams consistently (builds team spirit)
• Take time to personally visit each site (budget and time
permitting)
• Consolidate/limit the number of vendor partners used
for staff augmentation

17. Strategy #3: Have Agreed Upon
Start/End Times
• Knowing when remote resources are available will help
in the daily handoffs and facilitate communications.
• If there is some overlap in the onshore and offshore
start/end times, you can still hold conference calls when
all resources are available.
• Be cognizant of constraints with remote teams
(transportation, family obligations, etc.) and provide
some flexibility to minimize attrition.

18. Strategy #4: Implement a
Defined Process
• Have a well-defined, repeatable process in place so that
expectations are set and everyone plays by the same
rules
• This will be instrumental in building trust!
The following slides are some recommended guidelines
that have been shown to be effective.

19. Process Guidelines
• The Onsite QA Lead will receive the list of open
issues/questions from offshore Site
Lead/Coordinator(s) daily and will provide follow up by
days’ end. (Bonus if you utilize a template and a shared
repository.)
• There will be a daily call with the onshore and offshore
leads to discuss issues, status and upcoming
activities/tasks.
• All test cases will be maintained in the test
management tool and updated with current status
daily (e.g. draft, under review, approved) and conform
to established test case standards set by the QA
Manager.

20. Process Guidelines, cont.
• Requirements traceability to test cases and defect
traceability to test cases are required.
• All defects assigned to the QA team will be updated
daily in the defect management tool.
• Status provided by remote locations will follow a
particular format/template (bonus: place in shared
repository).
• Knowledge Transfer documentation will be maintained
in a repository that is accessible by all who need it (and
kept current).

21. Process Guidelines, cont.
• There will be cross training initiatives implemented so that
there will be always a minimum of 2 resources that are SMEs
in a particular area.
• Succession plans will be in place.
• Be cognizant of potential cultural clashes - languages and
colloquialisms can cause misunderstanding, so keep written
and verbal communication free of slang, non common
acronyms and (of course) professional. Learn about the local
customs ahead of time and find out the best ways to
communicate.

22. Process Guidelines, cont.
• Have a defined process of onboarding/exiting resources. If working
with a resource vendor, have a good screening process for
candidates (e.g. test case writing exercise, phone screen, etc.) and
knowledge transfer sessions for exiting resources.
• Have a plan for downtimes. Unexpected downtimes are inevitable,
so having a contingency plan is essential. Some suggested activities
can include updating test cases, automating test cases,
adhoc/exploratory testing, preparing test data, review of regression
test sets, building executive dashboards, brainstorming continuous
improvement initiatives, researching new tools, cross
training/knowledge sharing.

23. Operational Guidelines*
• Proactively communicate with short, to-the-point updates.
• Be descriptive as much as possible to reduce ambiguity,
share screens, take screenshots
• Don’t assume people are immediately available
• Be patient
• Keep records (including chat sessions)
• Agile? Try this:
• Co-locate the teams when possible.
• Get a proxy who will be responsible for representing the
business owner.
• Utilize collaboration tools and possibly overlap working
hours.
* Kramer, Hertzfeld, “Making Distributed Teams Work”, Oct 2015

24. In Summary
Having a well-defined team structure, a documented set of
operational procedures, and established standards for daily
communication within a globally located QA team will build
trust, maintain a collaborative environment, and manage
expectations.
As a leader, it is your responsibility to ensure the
operational infrastructure is maintained in order to
maximize its efficiency and provide the sense that the team
is operating as if without boundaries.
But don’t forget to foster the relationships and include
everyone in team celebrations, praise for jobs well done,
and 360 degree feedback.

25. Q&A