Managing an Effective Test Process Introduction Amadori Course

Introduction Before discussing how to manage one, we need to take a step back

What Areas should an effective Test Process address ? • To be effective a

Test Scripting Test Execution Requirements Analysis Defect Management Reports and Metrics Amadori Course: Delivering

5 Which are the most important elements? • Requirements Analysis • Reports and Metrics

• Sounds counter-intuitive? • You can execute tests and raise defects with little

What you need to test Why Requirements Analysis is so important It informs all

Why Effective Reporting also matters Testing is an overhead • There is always a

So how do YOU effectively manage this process? • Remember that all the elements

In an ideal world • One phase of testing completes and you move on

In the real world • Projects have multiple test phases which often end up

To be Effective in these circumstances the Test Manager must • Understand the relative

Test Management can feel like an impossible job… • Lots of factors are outside

• As the next few sessions will demonstrate there are But… • Processes

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Managing an Effective Test Process (Introduction) Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 1

Introduction Before discussing how to manage one, we need to take a step back and agree what an Effective Test Process actually looks like…. We will then review ways of keeping control of the process as a whole before moving on to deal with each element of the process in detail Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 2

What Areas should an effective Test Process address ? • To be effective a test process needs to cover ALL of the following 5 areas 1. Requirements Analysis 2. Test Scripting 3. Test Execution 4. Defect Management 5. Reports and Metrics • All are essential and all must work together if the process is to be effective Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 3

Test Scripting Test Execution Requirements Analysis Defect Management Reports and Metrics Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 4

5 Which are the most important elements? • Requirements Analysis • Reports and Metrics Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management

• Sounds counter-intuitive? • You can execute tests and raise defects with little if any prior analysis • But you can’t be truly EFFECTIVE that way Why? • Equally, if you don’t effectively communicate the results of your testing its value is considerably reduced • No matter how well you have tested…. . Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management

What you need to test Why Requirements Analysis is so important It informs all of the later activities How you need to test It tells you Which tests to miss out if time is short Which defects will prevent go-live What information you need to provide to stake-holders Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 7

Why Effective Reporting also matters Testing is an overhead • There is always a tension between wanting to test properly and finishing testing as quickly as possible • Effective reporting explains to non testers the true value of what we do • It allows stakeholders to make informed decisions • It highlights issues which can be applied to future phases of delivery Effective reporting buys you the time and space to test effectively Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management

So how do YOU effectively manage this process? • Remember that all the elements are interdependent • Don’t devote all your time and resource to one element at the expense of all others • Understand the future benefit which accrues from activities such as requirements analysis and script writing • Allocate time and resource accordingly Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 9

In an ideal world • One phase of testing completes and you move on to the next Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 10

In the real world • Projects have multiple test phases which often end up overlapping • Test Teams are asked to work on multiple projects which usually leads to date and resource conflicts • And the Test Manager is expected to juggle their time and resource across all of the many activities competing for their limited time and resources • Whilst delivering high quality testing within deadlines each and every time…. Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 11

In an ideal world • One phase of testing completes and you move on to the next Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 12

To be Effective in these circumstances the Test Manager must • Understand the relative criticality of different test phases and projects • Be comfortable juggling multiple projects and streams of activity • Be willing to change focus at short notice when circumstances demand • Be aware at all times exactly where testing stands in each area • Understand the impact of spending time on activity X rather than Y • Be able to explain to stakeholders in business terms the reasons for their choices and actions • Where a task is not possible given current resource and date constraints, to have the courage to raise this issue AND suggest an alternative approach Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 13

Test Management can feel like an impossible job… • Lots of factors are outside of the direct control of the Test Manager • It can feel as if they are merely reacting to events • And nothing they do will ever make a positive difference Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 14

• As the next few sessions will demonstrate there are But… • Processes • Techniques • Reports & Metrics • Which, when used sensibly can • give back a degree of control to Test Managers • Allow them to identify potential issues and address them BEFORE they get too serious • Allow issues and bottlenecks elsewhere in the process to be identified and addressed Amadori Course: Delivering Effective Test Management 15