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PapersThis collection of Discussion Documents and Papers are my collated key writings over the last few years. I've tried to make them all 'easy reading' but for a few this isn't possible. Should anything be unclear then feel free to email me with any questions.Coming Soon...or maybe a bit longer than soon...but certainly on the way ( Defining the Test Analyst Role ) In this presentation I discuss the skills and abilities of the Test Analyst. Looking at analytical techniques, deductive and inductive methods, direct and indirect evaluation and how the Analyst can be pivotal in Quality Assurance. Here now!... ( Elaboration of Scrum Burndown Charts ) Scrum charts are great, a simple tool to provide an at-a-glance view of where delivery is at. One thing I've always felt is missing was an equally simple way to interpret when the meandering line of delivery is wandering a bit too far. But not just because someone feels it's wandered too much, but because we know it has. Then I remembered SPC Control Charts and thought about how they might have something to enhance the Burndown Chart. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Time Spend Analysis ) Are the Testing team spending their time in the correct way and on the correct core tasks? How about the Test Manager? Often it isn't clear that the team aren't 100% available to testing or that the Test Manager may not be testing as much as the business imagines. Read the results of this interesting and informative study - tracking activity every 15 minutes, for 6 weeks across two Test Teams. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Issue Response Considerations ) Over at the QA & QC Google Group we had an interesting discussion about development responses to bug records raised by the Test Engineer. This latest paper collates the thinking across the group and provides some great ideas on the topic. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Software Test Metrics ) Measures and Metrics are vital to ensure we understand the status of the testing activities. In this paper I discuss a basic set of measures and metrics and how they can be used to make release decisions against agreed standards. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Measuring Quality ) In this paper I discuss a way to combine quality focused techniques such as Control Charts, Control Limits, Reduced Inspection and Sampling to the test function. The paper introduces seven quality concepts not usually seen within a software test environment and demonstrates one way Quality and Testing can be combined. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( ITIL Based QA CM Presentation) This brief presentation provides some key talking points around the introduction of Test Configuration Management into QA. Read this presentation in conjunction with the "ITIL Based Test Configuration Management" and "Configuring Test Environments" presentations. Watch the presentation Contact me about this topic ( ITIL Based Test Configuration Management ) Within ITIL there is a component that describes the management of hardware and software that make up the IT Infrastructure. Within ISO there is a need to control test and measurement hardware and software. In this paper I discuss a way to marry this component of the two models in a single approach. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Rough Guide to the Cost of Quality ) The Cost of Quality is often referred to as the “cost of doing things wrong”. Every time a business makes a mistake it costs money to make the mistake and then correct it. In his book, Quality is Free, Philip Crosby outlined a model for addressing the Cost of Quality. Dorian Shainin's Design of Experiments, described by Keki Bhote in his own book, World Class Quality, gave some more methods of attack. But what are the fundamental principles being discussed? I'm proud to share a Cost of Quality Analysis paper that discusses how a software house could be wasting millions. The example is based on publicly available figures for EA Inc, I did a similar piece of analysis for AOL (UK) Ltd and the story was very similar. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Testing Software Security ) Software security is an emergent quality of the software and it starts at the design phase with security specific requirements being captured for the product or system. Testing for vulnerabilities in both the software and its related infrastructure requires a different approach to that which would usually be applied for more traditional testing. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Configuring Test Environments ) In this brief paper I talk about the thinking behind the need to understand your software test environment. Ensuring that you know what it is your testing on, the need to make them relevant to your customer and how that leads to a more realistic approach to the total configurations software is tested against. Read the associated discussion on ITIL Based Test Configuration Management. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Documentation Model ) It's often assumed a formal approach to documentation will be a great burden, difficult to define and implement and of course restrict creative freedom. In just two pages I outline a way to structure formal process related documents and identify them, in a way that can apply to the Test team or the entire business. Read the paper to learn how adopting an approach like this actually help makes things clearer for everyone, improving the effectiveness and allowing people to find information they need when they need it. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Quality System Implementation ) Here I present a worked example based on a client request for a limited scope trial of a Quality Management System. It describes the review done with the client, the considerations around what would be delivered and a summary of the final work pieces. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Cross Team Process Synergy ) We all know it would be good to work together in some harmonious way but it can often be difficult to articulate the obvious benefits. In this brief paper I touch on some of the logic behind implementing common processes and approaches seen in a Quality Management System. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Developing the Team ) If a Test Team I'm asked to set up is within a corporate environment without an effective Appraisal programme the team is cut no slack. As part of a wider approach to Team Mentoring I immediately get appraisal goals and review cycles set up. Demonstrating measurable value from early on is a hallmark of my general managerial approach. Read the paper Contact me about this topic ( Notes for Emerging Leaders ) As we gain experience in our professional careers we learn many valuable lessons and as managers sharing those lessons to junior staff in the business is vital. One of the pieces I use in support of succession planning is the Notes for Emerging Leaders paper. Read the paper Contact me about this topic |
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