Presentation by Joel Montvelisky - PractiTest's Chief Solution Architect and Testing evangelist.

1. SMART & FOCUS Testing
and some ideas to increase the perceived value of your QA Team

2. I am JOEL MONTVELISKY
I am Head of Testing and Chief
Solution Architect at PractiTest
You can find me at @joelmonte or
mail me joel@practitest.com
HELLO!

3. Show of hands…
How many of you think that your organization
correctly values the work of your testing team?

4. Value is a matter of
personal perception

5. “Perception:
A way of regarding, understanding,
or interpreting something;
a mental impression.

6. Video

7. Perceived Value of the Testing Team
How we perceive the
value of our work
How others perceive the
value of our work
Finding important
product issues
Reporting
annoying bugs
Verifying features
Wasting time on
unnecessary testing

8. Perceived Value of the Testing Team
How we perceive the
value of our work
How others perceive the
value of our work
Providing feedback
on the product
Criticizing the
product
Representing the
perspective of Users
Coming up with
exaggerated behavior

9. The perception of value is
greatly influenced by communication

10. Two big issues affecting the perception
of testing value:
1. We are not providing the value that our
teams are looking for.
2. We are not “effectively selling” the value
we are bringing to the project.

13. What is the value your
testing can provide to
the organization?

14. The testing team provides the service
of gathering and presenting information
about our product and project,
to help our stakeholders
make decisions.

15. The testing team provides the service
of gathering and presenting information
about our product and project,
to help our stakeholders
make decisions.

16. 16

17. We are not providing the right information!
The Challenges:
» Many people need your information, each for different things.
» Information needs change constantly during the project.
» Some people don’t know you can help them.
» The people who need your information are very pressed on time
and attention.

18. FORGET ABOUT TEST PLANS
START WORKING AROUND
INFORMATION SCHEDULES
We are not providing the right information!

19. Working with information schedules
1. Map all the people in your project.
2. Understand what they need and when they need it.
3. Make a deliverable schedule for this information based on project
milestones, “gates”, or strategic meetings.
4. Plan the tests and other operations to gather this information.
5. Understand the format they need the information.
6. Review this at least once every 2 weeks.
We are not providing the right information!

20. We are not providing the right information!
Weekly:
- Updates from the field
- Open risks
- Deliverables status
- Critical open issues
- Coverage status

21. Some examples of alternative information services…
» Project dashboards and information bulletins
» Early feature validation - Personas, Dry Runs, Bug Hunts, Beta Session
» Pair-programing - Be a technical sounding board
» Statistical support - both current and historical
» Information from external sources - support, sales, marketing, eytc
We are not providing the right information!

22. Think Outside the Box >> Try New Stuff

23. 1. We are not providing the value that our
teams are looking for.
2. We are not “effectively selling” the value
we are bringing to the project.
Two big issues affecting the perception
of testing value:

24. Are you effectively selling
your Information Service?

25. Today’s (fast-paced/agile/messy/chaotic)
environments have
made FORM as
important
as CONTENT...

26. Investing in your COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
S.M.A.R.T.
&
F.O.C.U.S.

27. S - M - A - R - T
» Simple - Graphs over Words / One-liners over Paragraphs
» Measurable - Numbers and Statis over Feelings and Descriptions
» Actionable – Suggest Solutions & not only Point at Flaws
» Repeatable - Show information over versions and products
» Timely - Provide information when it is still relevant
Investing in your Communication Channels
How you present your information

28. F - O - C - U - S
» Fast - be quick to answer questions
» Objective - provide good and bad news equally
» Condensed - one liners and charts
» User-Centered - think on the needs of the person reading the report
» Service - the customer is always right
Investing in your Communication Channels
How you provide your service

29. Be ready to invest time and efforts to make
your information easy to digest
by your customers.

30. But if you are only going to take
ONE IDEA out of this presentation...

31. Testing is a service, and you are a
service provider.
Understand who is the client of your service,
and remember to serve his/her needs, not yours!

32. Any questions?
You can find me at:
» joel@practitest.com
» http://qablog.practitest.com/
THANKS!