1. Assurance: the Evolution of Test Management?
Assurance, Re-Training, Mentoring
7-Nov-18
Assurance: the Evolution of Test Management?
Paul Gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

2. Encouraging projects to use their intelligence
My Agenda
Encouraging projects to use their intelligence
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

3. Three development patterns
Intelligent Assurance and Testing
Three development patterns
Structured
Hi-Process
Goal-Based
Agile
Continuous
Autonomous
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

4. Profiles of the three patterns
Characteristic
Structured
Agile
Continuous
Structure
Managed team
Autonomous
Production Cell
Pace/cadence
Business decision
Team decision
Feedback
Leadership
Project Managed
Guided Research
Line Managed
Definition
Fixed spec
Dynamic spec
Executable Specs
Testing
Scripted
Exploratory
Automated
Automation
Retrospective
Developer led
Pervasive
Measurement
Avoided
Analytics
Governance
Bureaucratic
Trust-based
Insight-Driven
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

5. But there aren't three patterns…
… there are many

6. Does DevOps/continuous solve our test problems, or cause them?
Automate all tests!
Don’t use spreadsheets, use analytics ML/AI!
From requirements to executable specs!
“Let the testers sort it out”
“But we don’t have testers anymore”
“Let the developers do the testing”
“Whoaahhh! No way”
“Maybe we don’t need system tests?”
Cue face-palm.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

7. Test managers under pressure
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

8. Testing is not Dead. But could Test Management Die?
What does future testing look like?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

9. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
You won’t find that answer in Lego
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

10. Forget Logistics (for the time being)
How I introduce the New Model for Testing
Forget Logistics (for the time being)
Document or not?
Automated or manual?
Agile v waterfall?
This business or that business?
This technology v that technology?
No test manager or test team!

11. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Wait a minute!
Logistics is what I do
Test policy, strategies and plans
Estimation, planning, scheduling
Stage entry and exits
Test Reports
Incident management, triage, bug advocacy
Overseeing automation, supplier testing …
Look at the ToC for the certified schemes
Logistics, logistics, logistics!
Logistics won’t make you a better tester or manager.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

12. Judgement, exploring and testing
We explore sources of knowledge to build test models that inform our testing
Our model(s) are adequate
Creates test
models
Uses test
models
Judgement
Exploring (sources)
Testing (the system)
Our model(s) are not adequate
BTW – Do Developers explore the same way? I think so.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

13. Exploration process Enquiring Modelling Challenging Predicting
Definitions specs/stories
People (& you)
Sources
Require-ments
System under test
Enquiring
Modelling
Exploration
Models
Challenging
Predicting
Sources:
People, documents,
experience, system under test
Models:
Can be documented
or mental models
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

14. Intelligent Assurance and Testing
Testing process
More exploring
Reporting
Informing
Applying
Testing
Models
System Under Test
Interpreting
Refining
Revising
Logging
Revise the System
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

15. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
New Model Testing
Agile TD Webinar:
Paper:
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

16. New Model Test Management
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

17. Logistics vary, the thought process doesn’t
The New Model proposes a model of the thought patterns for all people who test
Whatever your process, logistics, team size
If you understand this, you can align testing to any approach – waterfall, agile, continuous, DevOps …
Testing is redistributed but the thinking is the same
New tools and more automation but the thinking is the same.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

18. Future testing in a nutshell
Intelligent Assurance and Testing
Future testing in a nutshell
Constantly varying development approaches
Test Management without Test Managers
Logistics-Free Test Thinking
Virtual Test Management
Test Assurance
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

19. Virtual Test Management
Test management without a test manager
The team takes responsibility

20. Virtual TM (internal) or Test Assurance (external)
Who defines/manages the test strategy if there’s no test manager?
How to distribute testing across the team(s)?
Communicating stakeholder goals to the team?
Which product risks to be addressed by testing?
What test models are appropriate?
How much testing is enough?
Scope of test automation?
Who does test automation?
Communicating outcomes inside and outside the team?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

21. Assurance Defined
“Ensuring Successful Software Delivery – using persuasion, support and policing”

22. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Assurance job spec
“No responsibility for delivery”
“Accountable for the quality of testing throughout the programme”
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

23. Is Assurance for Large Projects Only?No

24. From Test Management to Assurance

25. Your testing role evolves
Testing, leading, coaching, advising the team, advising stakeholders

26. Testing Measures Achievement
Project managers can push people around and provide graphs of money and time spent
Inputs give a rear-view mirror perspective
Testing reveals the truth about outcomes:
Achievement: what works and what does not
Risk: what are the risks of release – NOW and at any time in the future.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

27. Assurance focuses on the flow of information and knowledge
From users to the team
Inside the team
From the team to stakeholders

28. Assurance asks awkward questions
Challenging stakeholders and practitioners
Speaking truth to power

29. Will you step up to Assurance?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

30. Future Test Management
I’m writing an article series on future test management (thanks to Gurock sponsoring)
No assumptions on who does the testing
Test management with/without test managers
Logistics/context-free perspective
My goals:
Write a book
Build an online course
Offer classroom training.

31. Virtual (logistics/context-free) test management
Strategy
Delivery
Stakeholders, Goals and Testing
Planning
Process, logistics and thinking
Execution
Modelling
Testing as a Team
Risk
Service Testing
How Much Testing is Enough?
Technology
Documentation
Infrastructure
Tools       
Plus: Managing your test management career, End-to-end testing and others
An article series, e-book and online course
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

32. Assurance Leadership Summit
24 April 2018, London
UKALF.COM

33. Assurance: the Evolution of Test Management
Thank- You
Paul Gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com

34. Assurance: the Evolution of Test Management
Assurance, Re-Training, Mentoring
7-Nov-18
Assurance: the Evolution of Test Management
Paul Gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com
Intelligent Definition and Assurance