Test Strategies and Test Plans Introduction Amadori Courses

Test Strategies and Test Plans Introduction Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 1

This session explains the key difference between Test Strategies and Test Plans Introduction Defines the different purpose to which document type should be put And explains why in practice these documents so often end up having less impact than planned Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 2

Context “Test managers can be divided into two groups. Those who believe Test Strategies and Plans are a waste of time in theory And those who discover they are a waste of time in practice” Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 3

Context “Test managers can be divided into two groups. Those who believe Test Strategies and Plans are a waste of time in theory And those who discover they are a waste of time in practice” Are such comments fair? Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 4

The Underlying Problem In the main the problem lies not with documents themselves Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management But at the use (or lack of use) to which they are put 5

The Underlying Problem • They only add value when their contents help deliver more effective testing • No matter how good the plan or strategy • If it sits on the Shelf unread • Then the time you have spent writing it has been wasted Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 6

2 Broad Schools of Thought 1. These documents won’t be read so it doesn’t really matter what I put in them 2. The more time I spend on finalising the Test Strategy/Test Plan the more likely it is to be listened to Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 7

Neither are Right • And sometimes we end up with the worst of both worlds • Lots of time and energy is spent creating, reviewing and amending test strategies and Plans • Which are then put on the shelf and ignored once the “real business” gets underway Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 8

So Why Bother? • Einstein once said “insanity is the process of doing exactly the same thing over and expecting different results. ” • If the effort put into test strategies and plans is so often a wasted one. • Why should we keep on trying to produce them? Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management

Because… • Used properly these documents are a powerful tool in the Test Manager’s armoury • They explain to the project as a whole WHAT Testing is trying to achieve and WHY • They make clear what Testing needs to deliver effectively • They include criteria against which progress can be objectively assessed • They make assessing the health of a project a relatively simple task • THAT’s WHY Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management

Test Strategy vs Test Plan The session which follow will address these issues and suggest ways in which they can be mitigated. Before doing so however we need to take a step back and ask… What IS the difference between a test strategy and a test plan? What should be the purpose of each? Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 11

12 A Test Strategy sets out the objectives of Testing Test Strategy vs Test Plan A Test Plan sets out the methods by which these objectives will be achieved Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management

13 Strategy I will visit Rome this summer Strategy vs Plan I will take a flight from London Rome on the 23 rd June and return 2 weeks later Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management

14 Strategy I will lose weight Strategy vs Plan I will exercise more, eat more healthily and drink less Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management

User Acceptance Testing Question What is the strategy here? And what is the plan ? Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 15

Strategy Business Users will validate deliveries against agreed criteria. User Acceptance Testing Plan Who are the business users? What are the agreed criteria? When will validation occur? Where will it occur etc. Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 16

Conclusions The single biggest cause of failure in this area is a an ability to distinguish between strategic and tactical information If we address this issue many of the other problems encountered in this area will also disappear Amadori Courses: Delivering Effective Test Management 17