APM Welcome, APM North West Network Conference, Synergies Across Sectors
Communication platforms
1. Confidential
Communication Platforms
Efficient Communication to Stakeholders
Rev PA1 2012-01-04 1
2. Introduction
As a tester it is critical to provide the right information to the
right stakeholders
Different stakeholders need different information, through
different channels
Handling this information flow is an essential part of a
testers everyday job
Formalizing how this is done is needed in an enterprise
verification organization
3. Overview
Identify
Information
Content
Identify
Identify
Information
Stakeholders
Channels
Communication
Platform
4. Identify Stakeholders
Every tester must be aware of their stakeholders – who bases
decisions on the material the tester generates?
It is important to take the time to really map out which
stakeholders are relevant in your context
Examples could be: Project Leaders, Line Managers,
Developers, other Testers, and so on
5. Identify Information Content
When you know your stakeholders the next step is to
understand what information they need to make accurate
decisions
This could be specific information in the test reports, or what
types of KPI and benchmarks are relevant for the
stakeholders
Could also be the content of educational material or
information sites
6. Granularity of Information
Just as important as the information content is the granularity
with which it is presented
Understanding what level of detail stakeholders need is
critical
Otherwise important information will be lost in information
overflow, or omitted by mistake
7. Identify Information Channels
The final step is to understand how the information reaches
the stakeholders, and if this setup is optimal both to the
stakeholders and the testers
Examples could be: test reports, mails, word of mouth,
meetings, wikis, presentations
8. Communication Platform
Attributes
So what attributes are important to consider when setting up
a communication platform?
Cost of providing information
Cost of receiving information
Information accurateness
Speed
Attractiveness
9. Communication Platform Risks
Setup and
maintenance
cost of the
Communication
Platform
Added gains of
having a
formalized
Communication
Platform
10. Conclusion
The right information must reach the right stakeholders
through the right channels with the right granularity
In a large enterprise this requires a conscious effort to
manage and must be done in a formalized manner
Always beware of the cost of setting up and maintaining this
communication platform and compare it to the gains of
having it