The Change Agent: Leveraging the Testing Role David Capocci CQA, - PDF document

P R E S E N T A T I O N Presentation Bio W11 Wednesday, October 31, 2001 3:15 PM T HE C HANGE A GENT : L EVERAGING THE T ESTING R OLE David Capocci SAFECO Insurance International Conference On Software Testing Analysis & Review October 29-November 2, 2001 San Jose, CA USA

The Change Agent: “ Leveraging the Testing Role ” David Capocci CQA, CSTE Senior Quality Assurance Consultant SAFECO Insurance Davcap@SAFECO.com 206-545-6187 1

Agenda • SAFECO Past & Present • Background for a Change Agent • People Perspective: Talk the Talk • Process Perspective: Set Forth a Model • Project Perspective: Test Requirements • Summary, Q&A 2

SAFECO… Where we were • “Thrown over the wall” Testing was norm • Firefighters • Everyone was their own island • Tribal knowledge • Expert in systems vs. independent testers • Testing was an entry level position • Attrition of QC skills to Developer role • Hunger for early involvement in projects • Called QA, but doing QC 3

SAFECO… Where we are today • An established QC Model • Baselined understanding of QA & QC • Development of QC training based on model • Identifying Test Requirements is providing leverage early on in the project life cycle • QC community better networked • Prior workbenches understanding the QC role 4

Background for a QA/QC Change Agent… • Passion for QA/QC • Ability to simplify the use of tools/models/industry practices • Familiar with the CMM • Familiar with a tool for modeling a process 5

Background… Tool: The 3 P’s Model Informal Find Common Work Surveys Denominators Samples Finger on the pulse Steering Committee People Pilot Industry Practices Accountability Project Process Workbench Successful Concept case studies Automation Standards, Define, Institutionalize Process & People Best Practices Make “Testing Ground” Visible 6

People… • Understand Organizational Change… Chasm Commitment of Adoption Crack of Institutionalization Crack of Installation Crack of Definition Crack of Understanding Time Awareness Adoption Definition Institutionalization Installation Understanding Adapted from CMM Implementation Guide by Kim Caputo 7

People… • Find the Common Denominator: – Know where our culture is at with QA & QC – Work with assumptions others make of our role – Stick with Back to Basics mentality – Here’s the technique we used… 8

People… The SDLC & The Requirements Analogy Operation & Maintenance Requirements Design Code Test Concept Refining Requirements: Generating Requirements: BA - limitations of technology - Functional Specs Handout! - Documents - Diagrams Introducing Changed (generated formally & informally) Requirements Detailing Detailing Responding to functional/business Reviewing Requirements: PA technical requirements into Mismatched - in the context of requirements lower level Requirements technology into technical (Defect fixing) code requirements Verification Activities: Testing the Requirements - Inspections, Walkthroughs, Reviews, Deskchecks (while officially true, many times it is not reality) QA After Code FOCUS: Defect Prevention Before Code Validation Activities: - Executing Tests Generating TEST REQUIREMENTS - from Business, Functional, & Technical Requirements - Retesting QC - Measuring Stability & Test Planning, Test Scenarios, Automation Strategy Planning Test Coverage FOCUS: Defect Detection 9

People… Watch your Tongue! • Baseline your vocabulary: – Establish a glossary of terms, online or intranet – Don’t allow jargon assumptions! – Breakdown and differentiate between QA & QC – Also, Verification (Defect Prevention) & Validation (Defect Detection) – And… Requirements: Functional, Non-Functional, Technical, and Test. – Define each of the deliverables from the test process. 10

Process… The Key “Approach” Points A. Create a high level Process Map of your work. B. Identify Customers & Suppliers. C. Make your Entrance & Exit Criteria known. D. Decompose the granular processes that comprise your process map. E. Implement in a way that fits your culture (change agent). 11

Process… The QC Quality Control Framework Model Prepare Execute Track Plan, Gather, Assess Review & Report Rework Rework Rework Rework Rework Test Defect Test Planning Test Test Results Do Do Do Do Do Check Check Check Check Check Preparation Management Execution Standards Standards Standards Standards Standards Workbench Workbench Workbench Workbench Tools Tools Tools Tools Tools Wor kbench Traceability Defect Test Plan Running Reviewing Matrix Audit the Test Results Trail Test Environment- Test Data Issues Reporting Requirements Defect Test Status Hierarchy Test Tracking Environment- Standards Handout! Architecture Risk Issues Assessment Defect Test (on Test Summary Requirements) Environment- Reporting Training Issues Test Case Design 12

Process… Implement in a way that fits your culture • Example: The “In-Service” Approach – Learned from a non-profit, volunteer org. – Short talk (<3 hours) on a specific topic – Includes short exercises – Taken directly to the team or unit meeting 13

Process… Implement in a way that fits your culture • Example: The “Pilot” Approach – Pilot personally with your own work – Market success to your manager – Show time savings, reusability, efficiency, portability to others, etc. – Share with co-workers – Put together a reference or tutorial – Invite interested people to a “demo” meeting 14

Project… Standardizing Test Requirements Business High level Functional Areas: Function usually from “Functional Spec” type Tasks within the docs, or BA work Function Transactions to perform a task Lower level Functional Areas: Data Entry Types usually from for transactions “Technical Spec” type docs regarding Field Validation internal logic, or PA work 15

Summary � SAFECO Past & Present � Background for a Change Agent � People Perspective: Talk the Talk � Process Perspective: Set Forth a Model � Project Perspective: Test Requirements � Q&A 16

Components & Roles during SDLC David Capocci, CQA, CSTE Sr. QA/QC Consultant SAFECO 11/23/99 Operation & Design Code Requirements Test Maintenance Concept Generating Requirements: Refining Requirements: BA - limitations of technology - Functional Specs - Documents Introducing Changed Requirements - Diagrams (generated formally & informally) Detailing functional/ Detailing Responding to business PA Reviewing Requirements: technical mismatched requirements into - in the context of technology requirements requirements lower level technical into code (Defect fixing) requirements Verification Activities: Testing the Requirements - Inspections, Reviews, Walkthroughs, Desk Checks (while officially true, many times it is not reality) QA Focus: DEFECT PREVENTION Before Code After Code Generating TEST REQUIREMENTS: Validation Activities: - from Business, Functional, & Technical Requirements - Executing Tests QC - Retesting Test Planning, Test Scenarios, Automation Strategy Planning - Measuring Stability & Test Coverage Focus: DEFECT DETECTION BA strength: Workflows & Modeling. PA strength: knowledge of technology. QA strength: Process & Traceability. QC strength: investigative, problem solving, heuristics (should be Testing & Measuring )