testing as infrastructure
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IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TESTING
Tony Marks, Principal Test Manager, YBS Group
Testing as Infrastructure
ABOUT ME
Civilian apprenticeship in Electronics (Ministry of Defence, 1991 – 1995)
In-store Repair Engineer (Mastercare, 1995 – 1998)
Production Test Engineer, Production Test Supervisor, QA Manager, Product Manager (Trilogy Communications, 1998 – 2012)
Test Manager, Principal Test Manager (YBS Group, 2012 – present)
A FEW QUOTES
“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
The Psychology of Science Abraham Maslow (1966)
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Unknown
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
CHALLENGES WITH PROJECT-FUNDED TESTING
CHALLENGES WITH PROJECT-FUNDED TESTING
Project Managers have ultimate decision-making powers
Typically (even in an agile SDLC), testing happens at the end of the development cycle
Looming deadlines combined with late delivery into Test results in reduced testing time Increased cost (headcount) Reduced confidence (lower coverage)
The testing team are typically perceived as a bottleneck by the rest of the project team
WHAT WOULD NEED TO CHANGE?
WHAT WOULD NEED TO CHANGE?
De-coupling the delivery of testing from the project vehicle would remove Project Managers’ ability to compromise testing effectiveness
An independently funded Testing function with extra-project reporting lines would relieve the Project Managers of the responsibility for testing
BENEFITS TO TESTING
BENEFITS TO TESTING
Independent ability to select and use the most appropriate tools
Flexibility in assigning the most appropriate resources at the appropriate times
Holistic view of the IT landscapeAbility to optimise testing by exploiting synergies between projects
BENEFITS TO TESTING
Enhanced knowledge sharing capability (spreading domain knowledge)
Increased confidence will take the test team to greater heights, accepting greater challenges and leading to higher quality releases into live
BENEFITS TO TESTING
Reflect
BENEFITS TO THE BUSINESS
BENEFITS TO THE BUSINESS
An independent Testing function could engage with projects when most value could be added (as determined by Testing) E.g. Early static testing of functional and
non-functional requirementsReduced overall cost of testing
No longer relying on projects to fund testers when there is little or nothing for them to do
Reduced threat to quality due to conflicting project priorities
BENEFITS TO THE BUSINESS
Consistent standards and processes across projects and the business
Independent assurance of the quality of project deliverables
Testing as an independent entity will get wider recognition and acceptance, enriching the business/test relationship The business will appreciate Testing’s efforts
to act as a gatekeeper on their behalf Increased trust in testing would engender a healthier working culture
BENEFITS TO THE BUSINESS
Reflect
TESTING AS INFRASTRUCTURE
TESTING AS INFRASTRUCTURE
This is a Sync. Pulse Generator (SPG):
It is a critical piece of infrastructure in broadcast facilities
TESTING AS INFRASTRUCTURE
SPG Enables real-time
synchronisation of multiple sources of various formats
Failure can be catastrophic:
Equipment damage Broadcast interruption Negative consumer
experience Maintenance is required:
Routine calibration Repairs Upgrades
Testing Test multiple projects and
changes simultaneously
Failure can be catastrophic:
Regulatory breach Reputational damage Privileged information
loss Negative user
experience Training is required:
New technologies Cross-skilling Knowledge sharing
TESTING AS INFRASTRUCTURE
Reflect
SO HOW DO WE SELL IT?
SO HOW DO WE SELL IT?
Without a Testing function as infrastructure: Simple stand-alone pieces of work would
probably be OK (for a while at least) Complex integrations can be very costly and
time-consuming to support effectively due to the limited scope of any individual project or programme and unclear responsibilities
Headline project costs will be reduced as funding for testing will be excluded
SO HOW DO WE SELL IT?
Project Managers will have one less headache
Testing resources will be more efficiently utilised
An independent Testing function would enable an organisation-wide view of the entire estate, empowering the Testing function to assign resources effectively and assure suitable test coverage
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Viewing Testing as an essential part of organisational infrastructure provides a different lens
Centralised funding would enable more effective and efficient spending to the benefit of the whole organisation
Quality cannot be compromised by individual projects’ drivers
An independent Testing function would be able to enforce strict quality criteria
THANK YOU!
Questions/discussion