At a glance
3 days
AUD $2200 inc GST
NZD $2490 + GST
Can also run in-house Australia or NZ
Managing the Testing Process
Overview
Test managers must take a potentially infinite job—testing new applications—and accomplish it within tight time and resource restraints. It’s a tall order, but successful test managers have found proven ways to handle the challenges.
This course will give participants the tools they need to succeed as test managers. We will look at quality risk analysis and test planning. We will discuss developing high-quality test systems—test cases, test data, test tools, even automated test systems—that improve over time. We will talk about tracking bugs and tests cases. We will discuss ways to derive and present metrics, charts and graphs from the test results. We will also cover the human side of test management. We will look at ways to measure and manage the skills testers need. We will discuss hiring testers. We will talk about education and certification for testers. We will examine some ways to motivate and reward testers and some ways not to! We will cover working effectively within the project organisation, which is especially challenging when you’re the bearer of bad news. We will cover testing as an investment. We will finish up by discussing test labs, test environments and hardware issues.
The materials presented in the course follow Rex Black’s book, Managing the Testing Process, which is the distillation of over two decades of software, hardware and systems experience.
This course now includes a copy of Rex Black’s book, Managing the Testing Process, when attending a public course.
Intended For
Experienced software test analysts aiming to move into a lead role and test managers who wish to formalise their skills and adopt best practices
Prerequisites
Minimum 2 years software testing experience.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course participants will be able to:
- Analyse quality related risks
- Determine test project scope
- Prepare a budget and schedule.
- Develop test plans and cases that address the important customer needs.
- Create and implement defect and test tracking systems that support effective test reporting.
- Prepare for and manage the challenges of test execution.
- Build and retain an effective, loyal test team.
- Work and communicate effectively with managers and peers, especially in terms of communicating test findings.
- Understand the test effort within the context of the larger project.
- Allocate scarce hardware.
- Manage a test lab.
Content
Day One
Introductions, participant objectives and overview of test management
Defining your scope
- Aligning testing in the organisation
- Aligning testing with quality
- Testing real-world use and configurations
- Sources of risk information
- Using risk to guide the areas and extent of testing
Exercise: Risk analysis for an internet kiosk
Estimating a schedule and budget
- Work-breakdown-structures
- Critical paths
- Test execution cycles
- Bug find-fix-confirm cycles
- Budgets
Exercise: Estimating testing for an internet kiosk
Thinking and communicating with test plans
- Developing test plans
- A test plan template
- Entry and exit criteria
- Test execution
- Planning risks for test plans
- Selling the plan
Case study: Banking application test plan
Exercise: Test planning for an internet kiosk
Test system engineering and architecture
- Test systems and test system design
- Test templates
- Test documentation precision and detail
- Traceability
- Test effectiveness
- Regression risk mitigation strategies
- Continuous improvement
Day Two
Bug reporting basics
- Bug reporting and tracking
- The importance of good bug reports
- Ten steps to better bug reports
Bug reporting refinements
- Classification
- Bug lifecycles
- Bug triage
- Defect removal models
Case study: A sample bug report
Exercise: Bug reporting
Bug metrics and management
- Opened/closed chart
- Closure period
- Root cause Pareto chart
- Affected subsystem Pareto chart
- Defect detection percentage
Case study: Banking application bug metrics
Tracking test cases and suites
- A basic test tracking spreadsheet
- Test tracking process
- Extending the test tracking system
- Adding coverage traceability
Test tracking example
Test metrics and management
- Management summaries
- Test hours progress
- Test case fulfillment
- Risk coverage
- Creating a project dashboard
Challenges of test execution
- Certainty versus progress
- Collaborative processes
- Result misinterpretation
- Holidays and cultures
Hiring and managing a test team
- Personality and skills
- Skills management
- Education and certification
- Organising the team
- Hiring and interviewing
- Motivation
- Consultants and contractors
Day Three
Politics of test management
- What is your job?
- Where does the test team fit in?
- Managing and communicating with your managers and peers
- Credibility and presentation
Exercise: Presenting bad news
Testing context: Economics, lifecycles, processes
- Analysing the return on the testing investment
- Testing within system development lifecycles
- Testing in other types of projects
- Process improvements and maturity
Exercise: Defending a budget
Exercise: Calculating the costs of failure
Managing a test lab
- Determining need for a lab
- Designing and stocking a test lab
- Security, safety, and configuration management
Testing hardware/software systems
- Effect of hardware on testing
- Engineering samples and configuration management
- Logistics
- Tester skills effects
- Estimation
Hardware testing fundamentals
- Electrical, environmental, and mechanical tests
- Thermal, reliability, packaging and safety
- Compliance
- Hardware and software subsystems
- Pilot testing
Glossary, bibliography and resources
Recommended Reading
The class materials include an extensive bibliography of books related to software testing, project management, quality and other topics of interest to the test professional.
Method Used
Presentations, discussions and exercises.
Note: Exercises are selected based on audience needs and interest. Not all exercises will be covered in the course.
