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1. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
SoftTest Ireland
Today’s Event
- kindly sponsored by
Sogeti Ireland
InterTradeIreland
Software Skillnet
HP Ireland
Delivery Partners
Slide 1
Soft Test Events 13th/14th April
1.30 – 2.00 pm Registration
2.00 – 3.15 pm Agile Test Management – part 1
3.15 – 3.30 pm Coffee
3.30 – 5.00 pm Agile Test Management – part 2
Followed by Networking
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2. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Agile Test Management
SoftTest Workshop
April 2011
Fran O’Hara
Inspire Quality Services
(formerly Insight Consulting)
e: fran.ohara@inspireqs.ie
w: www.inspireqs.ie
t: +353 (0)1 2854510
© 2011 Inspire Quality Services
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Inspire Quality Services
Inspire (formerly Insight Consulting) provides Agile, Quality and Process Improvement
Services such as
Consulting/Coaching:
– Strategic advice and hands-on Coaching/mentoring in areas such as agile, testing, process
improvement, etc.
Training public/inhouse:
– Agile: Scrum, Agile project management, Agile Testing, etc.
– Testing (ISTQB Foundation and Advanced Test Manager/Analyst, Risk-based testing, Test design
techniques, Testing for developers, TMap®, Peer Reviews, UAT, etc.)
– Requirements/Business analysis
– Software project management
Assessments
– Agile practices
4 – Industry standards and models such as CMMI®, TPI®, TMMi®, etc.
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3. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Workshop Description
Much of the focus with testing in an agile environment has been on
practices/techniques and tools but what about Test Management? Test Managers
want to know what happens to their role when teams are self-empowered and what
a test management process looks like in an agile context. Using Scrum as the main
agile method (but with discussion of participants own approaches/variations), this
workshop will through presentation, exercises and discussion cover topics such
as
– Transitioning the test manager role to agile… both from the project test manager and line
manager perspective
– Test strategy in agile in differing contexts
– Test management process – estimation and planning in agile
– Test management issues and their place in agile – metrics, process improvement, tooling,
etc.
Participants, particularly those already working with agile, will be encouraged to share
their challenges and experiences.
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Agenda
Introduction to Agile/Scrum
Test Management challenges with Agile/Scrum
Some key agile test management considerations
– Transitioning the TM role
– Agile Test Strategy
– Test Management Process – estimating and planning in Agile
– Test Management issues – metrics, process improvement, etc.
Conclusions
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4. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Agile Manifesto - TM
“We are uncovering better ways of developing software
by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work
we have come to value:
– Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
– Working software over comprehensive documentation
– Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
– Responding to change over following a plan
“That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we
value the items on the left more.”
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Six principles of Agile Development
1: Customer lists known requirements (to a high level), then prioritises them.
2: Deliver chunks of high-value, well engineered, Working software often
3: The Customer can release the software at any time they want. Promised
Shipping
4: The Customer can add, delete or reprioritise features at any time.
Date
i.e. this is how we “embrace change”
5: We protect schedule commitments, despite change
6. We can review the project and the value it delivers at the end of each increment
All ££££££££££££££
features learn from the market
RELEASE
Working Software =
Potentially shippable
prioritised
Backlog
8 1 – 4 weeks
Clarke Ching - www.clarkeching.com time
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5. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Roles:
Scrum
-Scrum master
-Scrum team
-Product owner
Retrospective
9 See www.controlchaos.com
Key roles and responsibilities
► Defines the features of the product, decides on release date and content
► Is responsible for the profitability of the product (ROI)
► Prioritizes features according to market value
► Can change features and priority every 30 days
► Accepts or rejects work results
Product Owner ► An active role pointing the work in a particular direction, evaluating the results
and adjusting direction based on the reality of what the last piece of work
produced. Typically a Product Manager, Marketing, Internal Customer, etc.
► Ensures that the team is fully functional and productive
► Enables close cooperation across all roles and functions and removes barriers
ScrumMaster ► Shields the team from external interferences
► Ensures that the process is followed. Invites to daily scrum, Sprint review and
planning meetings.Typically filled by a Project Manager or Team Leader
► Is NOT manager of the team
► Cross-functional, seven plus/minus two members
► Selects the Sprint goal and specifies work results
► Has the right to do everything within the boundaries of the project
guidelines to reach the Sprint goal
► Organizes itself and its work
► Demos work results to the Product Owner
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6. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Done
What does “Done” mean for the project?...
– Spec written
– Code checked in
– Builds
– Unit tests complete successfully
– 80% code branch coverage on unit tests
– Usual coverage of boundaries, story
conditions/requirements, risks, etc.
– Within acceptable defect levels
– Non functionally tested (performance, security…?)
– Etc.
– Accepted by product owner
If stories not ‘done’ by end of Sprint then they are put
back on backlog for the next Sprint planning
Can there be more than one level of ‘Done’?
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Discussion
A key Scrum principle is: “Trust the Team”. A
Scrum sprint delivers “working software, ready
for deployment”.
So “no need for independent testing” may be the
viewpoint of scrum people you are collaborating
with. And the problem is: it makes sense! To a
certain extent at least.
What’s YOUR position here? Do you agree,
even in complex IT landscapes and critical
business chains? Or do you oppose? Or
something in between?
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7. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Agenda
Introduction to Agile/Scrum
Test Management challenges with Agile/Scrum
Some key agile test management considerations
– Transitioning the TM role
– Agile Test Strategy
– Test Management Process – estimating and planning in Agile
– Test Management issues – metrics, process improvement, etc.
Conclusions
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Typical general quality related
challenges
Insufficient focus
Non- ‘Agile’ without
on working
functional sufficient
software –
issues customer
stories not ‘done’
involvement
Testing
bottleneck
Ineffective Effectiveness
incremental test of automated
Integration
strategy tests
Testing
Quality of
Lack of technical
Developer unit tests
expertise in test
buy-in for team
shared Role of the
quality tester and
ownership test manager Hybrid
Distributed implementations
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development
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8. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Your Agile Test Management
challenges?
…
…
…
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Agenda
Introduction to Agile/Scrum
Test Management challenges with Agile/Scrum
Some key agile test management considerations
– Transitioning the TM role
– Agile Test Strategy
– Test Management Process – estimating and planning in Agile
– Test Management issues – metrics, process improvement, etc.
Conclusions
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9. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Test Line/functional Management
responsibilities in agile – some
considerations
Support tester capability within agile teams
– Hiring/firing, overall test resource management
– Career development/Performance management
– Training/coaching/mentoring
In domain/product
In agile test process/culture
In technology
– Specialist test support for agile teams
Performance, security, etc.
Remove organizational obstacles
Agile test strategy?
– Discussed later
– Supporting overall quality e.g. supporting developers, automation approaches, etc.
Agile process definition?
– Test practices such as TDD
– Test role definition
– Balancing standardisation/organisational improvement with team empowerment?
Test Tool standardisation?
Note: for programmes/large projects a Project Test Manager might be responsible for
much of the above (rather than an organisational test line/functional manager)
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Project Test Management in agile –
some considerations
Traditional test manager responsibilities now done by agile team:
– Estimation and Planning
– Monitoring/control
Direct involvement in agile teams?
– ScrumMaster
– Team member for key developments – leading by example
Larger more complex projects
– Higher level involvement in planning and co-ordination
– Test Integration planning and co-ordination
– Reporting
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10. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Agenda
Introduction to Agile/Scrum
Test Management challenges with Agile/Scrum
Some key agile test management considerations
– Transitioning the TM role
– Agile Test Strategy
– Test Management Process – estimating and planning in Agile
– Test Management issues – metrics, process improvement, etc.
Conclusions
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Scrum Test Strategy
Risks
– Similar product risks
– Regression risk with high level of change
How many test levels?
– XP appears to advocate two as part of a
predefined test strategy
Unit and Acceptance (both automated as part of Test Driven
Development)
Is system test no longer required?
– Automation reduces regression risk
– Developers doing testing reduces risk of poor
quality code
– But how can a test strategy/approach be method
rather than product based?
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11. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
‘Acceptance’ Testing – is it
enough?
Usually not!…context/risk/strategy
issue…
– May not be fully automated – partial
regression strategy needed
– Expand to fuller ‘system’ tests
Functional testing
Non-functional testing – performance, usability,
etc.
– May still need end-to-end business
scenario focused User Acceptance test,
user story interaction tests, etc.
– System integration testing issues
21 – Etc.
Agile Testing Quadrants
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12. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Testing within a Sprint
Automated
Acceptance/Story Automated Manual
based Unit Exploratory
Tests Tests Tests
Provides
Represent Executable Represent Executable
Supplementary
requirements Design specifications
feedback
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Agenda
Introduction to Agile/Scrum
Test Management challenges with Agile/Scrum
Some key agile test management considerations
– Transitioning the TM role
– Agile Test Strategy
– Test Management Process – estimating and planning in Agile
– Test Management issues – metrics, process improvement, etc.
Conclusions
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13. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Planning in agile
Release and iteration/sprint planning
Plan as you go versus full upfront
Adaptive based on feedback
– Estimation : ‘Velocity’
– Test results available early so use to adapt strategy/plan
Iteration planning based on short term upcoming
work
Informal planning tools – whiteboards, stickies,
wikis, checklists, etc. (versus Gantt charts,
comprehensive documents)
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Test Estimation
Done as part of story estimation and sprint planning
Story estimation in backlog
– Typically story points
Sprint planning – task estimation
– Typically effort in hours
Both can use planning poker (delphi) technique for a
team based estimate
– E.g. using fibonacci sequence 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13
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14. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Exercise – test strategy and
planning
In small groups, review the scenario provided in the
handout and define the key elements of a test
strategy/plan as outlined
Followed by group discussion/feedback
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Agenda
Introduction to Agile/Scrum
Test Management challenges with Agile/Scrum
Some key agile test management considerations
– Transitioning the TM role
– Agile Test Strategy
– Test Management Process – estimating and planning in Agile
– Test Management issues – metrics, process improvement, etc.
Conclusions
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15. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Metrics
Burn rate. How much money/time/resources are we
investing in this effort? Like it or not, someone
always wants to know this number.
Delivered functionality. The delivery of working
software is the only true measure of progress on a
software development project. Simple ways to
measure this are simply tracking
– Velocity. This is a measure of how much functionality
can the team deliver per iteration. This measure is
often captured in the form of "use case points" or
"story points" which are specific to the team.
– Defects. Knowing how many defects, and the severity
of those defects, is an important determinant of
whether you're in a position to deploy your system.
Scott W. Ambler
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Other issues
Test Process improvement in agile
– Retrospectives
– Is there a role for guidance, organisational
improvement, etc.?
– Suitability of TPI, TMMi, etc?
Similarly re Tooling
– Balancing empowerment with Organisational support
to avoid tool proliferation and associated
inefficiencies
More?
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16. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Summary
Incremental & Working Software!!!
Agility requires a particular mindset compared
to traditional plan driven approaches – can be
a significant cultural change
Be proactive - Define your role and an
appropriate test strategy
Need highly automated regression testing
Collaborate closely with developers and
customers
Business value drives priority
Testing provides continuous feedback and
decision support
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Conclusions
In small groups list your top 3 Do’s and Don’ts for
Agile Test Management
Facilitator to collate
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17. SoftTest Agile Test Management 21/04/2011
Questions/discussion
-
any outstanding challenges, etc.
Contact Details:
Fran.OHara@inspireqs.ie
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