1. Test Management without Test Managers
Assurance, Re-Training, Mentoring
22-Nov-18
Test Management without Test Managers
Paul Gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

2. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Summary
Agile has no clear role for test managers
Some test managers reverted to testers
Some specialise (automation, performance, security)
Some moved upstream to be BAs or product owners
Some left testing completely
Assurance is emerging and is a natural progression for delivery-focused professionals
How do teams manage testing without anyone owning testing?
Does test management morph into virtual test management?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

3. Redistributed testing*
There are test management activities in all projects, regardless of size
Responsibility for testing in projects is being re-distributed
To smaller, Agile teams
To developers
To automation
No test manager, but test management activities still need to be done
* Not every project is going this way – just the ones “in the news”.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

4. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
What is your role?
Traditional test manager, managing a test team
Oversight of outsourced/offshore testing
Assurance role covering part/whole lifecycle
Automation/CD/DevOps specialist
Customer Experience (CX) specialist
Test lead
Tester
Other?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

5. Variations in test/test management in use
How does your company “do testing”?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

6. Redistributed test management
Somehow, the team must jointly do ‘self-test management
Virtual Test Manager?
In this session:
I’ll propose a set of logistics-neutral test management disciplines for software projects
If you have an oversight or assurance role over teams without test managers, these are the disciplines to watch over.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

7. Test management for teams
Core test management disciplines
Logistics differ for every organisation/project
To be transferable, they need to be universal
Logistics and context neutral
I’ve said before…
Test Axioms
Principles are axiomatic – rules we believe to be true in all circumstances
New Model Testing:
Testers (anyone who tests) need to focus on the thinking processes.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

8. Taking the Logistics out of Test Management
Reusing work I did on Test Axioms and the New Model

9. Test Axioms http://testaxioms.com/ http://testers-pocketbook.com/
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

10. Sixteen Test Axioms Stakeholder Basis Oracle Fallibility Scope Value
Coverage
Never-Finished
Delivery
Good-Enough
Environment
Repeat-Test
Event
Design
Prioritisation
Sequencing

11. The three axiom groups Repeat-Test Value Sequence Scope Environment
Stakeholder
Value
Scope
Fallibility
Good-Enough
Delivery
Repeat-Test
Sequence
Environment
Event
Never-Finished
Design
Basis
Coverage
Prioritisation
Oracle

12. 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 team!

13. 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
Won’t make you a better tester or manager.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

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

15. New Model Test Management
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

16. 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

17. Virtual Test Management
Test management without a test manager

18. Test management without test managers
There may be no team to manage, but there are still test management tasks
How to distribute testing across the team?
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 results inside and outside the team?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

19. Future Test Management
An article series on test management
(logistics/context-free)
(plus e-book and online class)

20. 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
Test Execution Tools
Plus: Managing your test management career
An article series, e-book (and online course?)
What topics are missing?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

21. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Strategy
Stakeholders, Goals and Testing
Testing Needs Stakeholders
Know Your Stakeholders
Translating Goals and Risks to Tests
Defining a Test Strategy
Process, not Ceremony
Separate Thinking from Logistics
Test Strategy Framework
Shift-Left.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

22. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Strategy 2
Modelling
Models at the Heart of testing
Coverage and Models
Using Models to Manage
Managing Stakeholders, Managing Scope
Estimation and Progress Monitoring
Risk
Classic Approach to Risk
Product Risk and Testing
Practicalities
Understanding Testing’s Risk Management Role.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

23. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Strategy 3
How Much Testing is Enough?
The Value of Testing
The Value and Significance of Tests
Using the Right Language
Estimates and Negotiation
Documentation
The Perils of Templates and Cut/Paste
Types of Test Documentation
A Documentation Framework
Some Advice.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

24. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Delivery
Planning
Planning is a Journey, Not a Task
Deliverables, How, Test Logistics
Resources (human, physical)
Your Support Network
Estimates, Dependencies, Risks, Assumptions
Communication, Commitment and Progress
Execution
Are you ready?
The Classic Squeeze on Testing
Reporting Success and Failure
Coverage Erosion
Incident Management
Managing the End-Game.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

25. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Delivery 2
Testing as a Team
Shift-Left
Testing is an activity, not a role
Agile Test Interventions
Relationship with developers
Challenges of Distributed and Outsourced Teams
Motivating testers; managing outsourced teams
Service Testing
What is Service Testing?
Managing Performance Testing
Reliability/Failover Testing
Service Management Testing.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

26. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Technology
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Defines
Test Environments
Developer Environments
System-Level Test Environments
Data in Environments
Infrastructure Testing
Large-scale integration
Tools
Tools Architecture
Test Management
Test Design
Proprietary or Open Source?
Buy, build or open source?
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

27. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Technology 2
Test Execution Tools
Test (Execution) Automation
GUI Test Automation
API and Service Test Automation
Regression Testing
Test Automation Frameworks.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

28. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Managing Your Career
Evolving Test Management Skills
Business, Leadership, Communication Skills
Leaving Test Management Behind.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

29. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Summary
Some organisations/projects will continue to use waterfall and not go ‘virtual’ with TM
But the skills areas I identify are universal
These skills allow you to create strategies and plans, execute and interpret tests, regardless of process or technologies
Since testing is likely to be re-distributed, these skills are valuable to everyone who tests.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

30. Intelligent Definition and Assurance
Close
Step back from chaos, process, technology, politics and pressures – and think what you do
Testing is re-distributing – to developers, to automation, to shifted testers, to suppliers
The team might take on VTM
The Assurance role focuses on the same areas whether there’s a test manager or not.
Intelligent Definition and Assurance

31. Test Management without Test Managers
Assurance, Re-Training, Mentoring
22-Nov-18
Test Management without Test Managers
Paul Gerrard
Web: gerrardconsulting.com
Intelligent Definition and Assurance