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Wellington, 11 - 12 August 2008

Sydney, 14 - 15 August 2008

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Fees to Attend:

5th FREE
Group Discount

Sydney
Full Conference:
AU$1870 incl GST

Wellington
Full Conference:
NZ$1890 excl GST

Wellington:
Post Conference Workshop
NZ$950 excl GST
NZ$725 excl GST
when you also
attend the full
conference

5th FREE
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“An excellent mix of topics and speakers whether you’re just starting out in the testing world or are an experienced tester looking for those extra ‘nuggets’ of wisdom to further improve your skills."

“I have learned a lot of really good hints and practical testing information that will be helpful to my success as a tester.”

Note: Programme and Timetable are subject to change

The TMMi Model

Keynote: Erik van Veenendaal, Vice President, ISTQB (Netherlands)

9:00-10:10 Monday 11 August

This keynote brings the TMMi Foundation to STANZ and is your chance to learn about the latest initiative in test process improvement.

The Test Maturity Model, developed by the Illinois Institute of Technology, is growing in use across Europe and the USA. It has been developed to compliment the existing CMMi framework. Its growing popularity is based upon it being the only independent test process measurement method, and the simple presentation of maturity levels that it provides

The independent TMMi Foundation initiative has been established with the sole intent of elaborating the TMMi standard and developing a standard TMMi assessment and certification method, with the aim of enabling the standards consistent deployment and the collection of industry metrics.

Erik has much practical experience in implementing the model and helping organisations improve the way they test, and the benefits this can generate. The keynote will present these experiences and benefits with the aim of providing the attendees with the information required to justify a test process improvement project.

Key Points:

• Understanding the objectives and (intermediate) results achieved by using the TMMi
• Understanding of the TMM model and its practical implementation

Moving to an Agile Environment: What Went Right, What Went Wrong

Keynote: Ray Arell, Senior Engineering Manager, Intel Coropration (USA)

10:30-11:30 Monday 11 August

About a year ago I went into my software staff and declared “Hey! we are going Agile!” Yep, I read a Agile project management book on a long flight to India, and like all good reactionary development managers I was sold!

Today, our adaptation of the SCRUM framework is starting to take shape, but it was not without strain on both our development and our Q/A processes.

This keynote focuses on a retrospective of what went right and more importantly what went wrong as we evolved to our new development process. Perhaps it will convince you that the shift to Agile is the way to go, and hopefully give you just a little more info on what you may be in for.

Risk Based Testing in Practice

Workshop (Stream Session): Erik van Veenendaal, Vice President, ISTQB (Netherlands)

1:00-4:30 Monday 11 August

Key Points

• Learn from practical experiences at companies such as Philips and Siemens
• Making risk-based testing a tangible topic
• How to perform risk-based testing, e.g. a risk assessment, in practice including the role of the various stakeholders
• How to define a differentiated test approach
• How to implement the risk based test process in a project, e.g. some critical success factors

The testing community has been talking about risk-based testing for quite a while now. Most projects apply some kind of implicit risk-based testing. We all have to balance between product quality and tight deadlines. In fact risk-based testing should be based on business drivers. Testing is not the risk owner, but the products’ stakeholders are. It is our job to inform the stakeholders about risk-based decision and provide visibility on product risk status.

This workshop will discuss a real-life method for applying structured risk-based testing in projects. It should be more than just brainstorming within the test team, which is often the case. It will present how risk identification and analysis can be carried out in close co-operation with stakeholders. It will also address ways on how the outcome of the risk analysis can/should be used in test projects in term of differentiated test approaches. The method is developed in practice, and by now tuned in many test projects, e.g. in the medical, automotive and banking industry. Practical experiences will be discussed, problems encountered and results achieved.

This is your chance to learn how to optimize your test effort and how to apply risk based testing in practice!

Acceptance Test Driven Development

Workshop (Stream Session): Elisabeth Hendrickson, Quality Tree Software (USA)

1:00-4:30 Monday 11 August

Extreme Programmers practice Test Driven Development (TDD) in which they begin work by writing a failing executable unit test. Once they have a failing unit test, they then write the production code to make the test pass. Despite its name, TDD is a programming practice, not a testing methodology.

Like TDD, Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) also involves creating tests before code. In ATDD, the team creates one or more acceptance-level tests for a feature before beginning work on it. When captured in a format supported by a test automation framework like FIT or FITnesse, the developers can automate the tests by writing the supporting code ("fixtures") as they implement the feature. Also like TDD, this practice is less about testing and more about capturing expectations and design decisions early. ATDD results in executable requirements. The fact that it also results in automated regression tests is a handy side effect.

In this workshop, Elisabeth Hendrickson will demonstrate the whole ATDD cycle, showing how the tests drive the design for a realistic example. Along the way we'll discuss the benefits of ATDD and what it takes to make this practice work in the real world.

Advanced Test Certification

Stream Session: Steve Toms, ANZTB (Australia)

1:00 - 2:00 Thursday 14 August

Advanced Certification allows detailed definition of skill sets can capabilities, it provides career paths and focus on techniques and technology approaches for those looking for more delineation and structure to their careers.

This topic will outline the fundamental components of the new ISTQB Advanced Certifications. Then the discussion will cover the details of what the certification is and means, and focus clearly on each of the three modules; Advanced Test Analyst, Advanced Test Manager and Advanced Technical Test Analyst.

The target Test Professionals will be covered for each module, detailing who should be doing this certification, and why. A detailed review of potential career streams for testers will be outlined, and then aligned with the ISTQB Certification approach, indicating when and why to consider the advanced certifications.

The topic will also cover Advanced Certification from a manager’s view point.

Successfully Automating Functional and Regression Testing with Open Source Tools

Stream Session: John Lockhart, WebTest (NZ)

2:10-3:10 Monday 11 August

The tools and techniques described in this session have been used to successfully test transactional web sites handling over one billion dollars of transactions a year!

Testing lags behind most other disciplines in software development, well behind project management and programming and also behind business and systems analysis and architecture. We can apply most of the principles of these more mature areas to testing, learning from their mistakes as well. We particularly look at the agile revolution and find that there are direct and very practical equivalents in testing.

Testers themselves are often perceived as the least important of the professional groups, if considered one at all. We will deal with the emotional and practical aspects of moving beyond this. Practical examples will cover:

• A corporate move from "roping in people" for testing to a team of professional testers and a low risk but high return automation program in under two years. How this changed the roles and outcomes.
• Experiences in much smaller teams – how they differ.
• Traditional and modern approaches.
• What worked and what didn't in these different contexts.

We will map out a path to success and happiness in testing for managers and analysts by:

• Being clear on what it means to succeed as a test team – not just getting through each release.
• Getting a clear vision and the knowledge and distinctions that will enable you to lead from above or below and reframe testing from a resented overhead to a valued and essential asset.
• Developing the drive to follow through by getting rid of some fears, developing others, and understanding the necessity of growth, contribution and fun.
• Understanding and being able to use the tools of the trade.
• Creating change personally and within a team.

Perhaps surprisingly, a key tool in all of this will turn out to be functional automation using open source tools in an agile manner. This turns out to be a key symbol that can drive the diverse changes discussed at a personal and corporate level. We will map this to each of the 5 steps above.

The Introduction of Independent Test Teams into Established Development Environments

Stream Session: Brett Rogers, Macquarie Bank (Australia)

3:30 - 4:30 Monday 11 August

The introduction of testing teams into any environment is both tough and highly visible. Introducing a testing team into an environment that already has established methods and processes can mean changing habits and perceptions about testing.

Get it right and your product and productivity will improve dramatically. Get it wrong and you risk not only putting testing back years but the long term success of your team and product.

We'll look at 10 important areas to consider when introduction testing teams into established development environments:

• Where do you start?
• Don’t sell testing; sell your implementation of testing
• Find an easy and high profile target
• Changing developer habits by giving them easy wins
• Becoming part of the process
• The importance of independence
• The Big Bang and why it rarely works in the long run
• The appearance of structure
• Hiring different team members – The X factor versus the Robot
• Where to now?

Two Plus Two and Other Testing Exercises: Setting Context and Identifying Oracles

Workshop (Stream Session): Michael Bolton, DevelopSense (Canada)

9:00-12:20 Tuesday 12 August

Good testing depends on setting the context in which it's happening. It also depends on heuristics - fallible methods for solving problems - and oracles - principles or mechanisms by which we recognize problems. All oracles are heuristic; no principle or mechanism can guarantee that something is perfect - only that it may satisfy certain requirements for certain people in certain circumstances.

In this session, Michael will pose some apparently simple puzzles and problems that exercise critical thinking, systems thinking, and context-driven thinking skills, and will show how those skills can dramatically expand our notions of quality and risk. He'll argue that all testing is heuristic, and that to do better thinking and better testing, we need to broaden our concept of coverage beyond mere code coverage and into test coverage.

Branch Out Using Classification Trees for Test Case Design

Workshop (Stream Session): Julie Gardiner, Grove Consultants (UK)

9:00-12:20 Tuesday 12 August

Classification trees are a structured, visual approach to identify and categorize equivalence partitions for test objects to document test requirements so that anyone can understand them and quickly build test cases. The technique helps with the constant struggle we have when maintaining and assessing impact of change. Join Julie to look at the fundamentals of classification trees and how they can be applied in both traditional and agile test and development environments.

Using examples, Julie shows you how to use the classification tree technique, how it complements other testing techniques, and its value at every stage of testing. She demonstrates a classification tree editor that is one of the free and commercial tools now available to aid in building, maintaining, and displaying classification trees.

• How to develop classification trees for test objects
• The benefits and rewards of using classification trees
• When and when not to use classification trees

Building a SCRUM Based Testing Strategy

Workshop (Stream Session): Ray Arell, Senior Engineering Manager, Intel Corporation (USA)

9:00-12:20 Tuesday 12 August

In this tutorial, Ray Arell will give you an overview of effective test strategies when using a SCRUM development process.

He will illustrate methods of finding high important defects sooner, how you can make more effective use of resources, and how to drive a more effective and informed decision making progress.

Test Estimation: A Pain or Painless

Keynote: Julie Gardiner, Grove Consultants (UK)

1:10-2:10 Tuesday 12 August

Test Estimation is one of the hardest activities to do well in testing, the main reason is that testing is not an independent activity and often has destabilising dependencies. During this session we shall uncover some of the common problems in test estimation, how to overcome them together with 6 ways we can estimate test effort.

• Uncover the common problems/destabilising dependencies in test estimation and how to overcome these
• How to communicate test estimation with senior management and how to appreciate their perspective making us even more effective when it comes to estimating our test effort
• Discover 6 powerful ways to estimate test effort; some relatively easy methods and some more detailed and complex methods
• Learn how appropriate each method is to the various lifecycles (traditional, iterative and agile)
• This session will also discuss various issues that arise in the initial phases of test estimation and how the test manager/tester can negate these issues

Having been a test manager for quite a number of years, test estimation was one of the hardest things to do well. This talk is based upon experience (usually painful) and research. It uncovers some of the common destabilising dependencies we encounter during test estimation such as quality of the code or quantity of the code being delivered. We shall look at how different methods of estimating are appropriate to the various lifecycles we find ourselves in (Sequential, Incremental and Iterative).

We shall look at 7 powerful ways to estimate test effort, some being easy and quick but prone to abuse. And others being more detailed and complex but taking longer to administer.

Various Estimation Methods

• FIA (Finger in the Air)
• Formula or Percentage
• Historical
• Parkinson’s Law versus Pricing to Win Estimates
• Work Breakdown Structures
• Estimation Models
• Assessment Estimation

Open Source Testing Tools - The Next Generation

Keynote: Elisabeth Hendrickson, Quality Tree Software (USA)

2:10-3:10 Tuesday 12 August

Development tools have become orders of magnitudes more powerful in the last several years with intellisense; keyword coloring; automated refactoring across entire code bases; tight integration with xUnit-style unit testing frameworks; and tight integration with source control repositories. While we’ve seen huge leaps in development tools, tools to support functional testing haven’t kept pace.

The biggest steps forward in test automation include the idea of Domain Specific Languages, and frameworks like FIT and Fitnesse that break down barriers between developers and testers or subject matter experts. And yet there is still a long way to go, and we’re overdue for a major step forward in functional testing tools.

In October 2007, the Agile Alliance hosted a Functional Testing Tools visioning workshop in Portland, Oregon, US. People who have been creating the next generation of tools came from around the globe to share their stories, their ideas, and the tools they've been creating. The result was an inside view of what's next for functional testing tools.

In this talk, Elisabeth Hendrickson explains what's missing in the current generation of main stream test automation solutions while providing an inside look at what's next based on the results of the workshop in Portland.

Numbers and Narratives

Keynote: Michael Bolton, DevelopSense (Canada)

3:30-4:30 Tuesday 12 August

On Monday, the testers ran 30 test cases, and found six bugs. On Tuesday, the testers ran 25 test cases, and found five bugs. On Wednesday, they ran 30 test cases, and found three bugs. On Thursday, they ran 50 test cases, and found two bugs. On Friday, they ran 100 test cases, and found no bugs. What inferences or decisions would you make about the project based on this information?

Most expert test managers would ask questions, rather than drawing conclusions. The problem, of course, is that the numbers alone don’t tell the story; they don’t tell whether Monday’s tests were significant, whether Thursday’s bugs were trivial, or whether Friday’s tests were relevant. Despite all this, the software business seems to emphasize numbers over narratives.

In this presentation, Michael argues that the project team’s stories - with numbers or without them - are the things that make good decisions possible. If we wish to get better at producing software - produced by humans, for humans - we need to get better at thinking critically about numbers, what they appear to measure, and how they can be distorted. More importantly, we need to refocus our priorities on stories, getting better at telling them and listening to them.

The International Speakers Panel

Keynote: 4:30-5:00 Tuesday 12 August

Hear the Words of Wisdom From the Experts: Get, Grab ‘n’ Grill.

• Get an answer to that question you’ve always wanted to ask - but never before had the opportunity too.
• Grab that last BIG IDEA to take back to the office – look to further enhance your capability.
• Grill the panel during the open-questions-from-the-floor period – put them on the spot to deliver the meat in the sandwich.

This is the final chance in the conference to interact with these software testing best minds. They’ll be presented with a number of key questions from you and look to answer them providing those extra nuggets of wisdom furthering your professional knowledge.

You’ll be able to submit your question(s) before the panel starts and anonymity will be preserved if requested.

There’s a great deal of buzz about the future of software testing. We speculate about innovations, trends, future directions, what works and what does not. But, before we can understand where we are likely to be going or where we want to be, it helps to have a realistic sense of where we are today and what’s important to concentrate on right now. You’ll hear the panel giving their BIG IDEA, from with-in their conference presentation, or. the extra that they think you really need to know and consider.

Finally there’ll be the open-questions–from-the-floor period. Your chance to get extra clarification on an earlier answer, big idea or raise a new point that you’d like addressed. Put them on the spot to deliver the meat in the sandwich.

On the panel will be: Erik van Veenendaal, Elisabeth Hendrickson, Julie Gardiner, Ray Arell, Michael Bolton and Sharon Robson.

We’re looking to make this facilitated session an illuminating exchange of ideas and a valuable close to the conference for you.

Critical Thinking Skills for Software Testers

Optional One Day Workshop Post Conference
(Post Conference Workshop Fee: NZ$950 excl GST or NZ$725 excl GST when you also attend the full conference)

9:00-5:00 Wednesday 13 August with Michael Bolton

If you’re a tester or a test manager, you’ve probably heard statements like these touted as universal, unquestionable truths about testing. At best, these bits of mythology and folklore are heuristics - fallible methods for solving a problem or making a decision. At worst, they’re potentially dangerous simplifications or outright fallacies that can threaten a tester’s credibility, a product’s value, or an organisation’s business.

Testers live in a world of enormous complexity, scarce information, and extraordinary time pressure. This one-day workshop, presented by Michael Bolton, is designed to teach strategies and skills - questioning skills, critical thinking, context-driven thinking, general systems thinking - that can help testers deal confidently and thoughtfully with difficult testing situations

In the workshop, we’ll question the myths of software testing; examine common cognitive biases, and the critical thinking tools that can help to manage them; learn modeling and general systems approaches to manage complexity and observational challenges; and work through exercises that model difficult testing problems - and suggest approaches to solving them.

Key Points:

• Heuristic approaches are the foundation of human decision-making, in disciplines from education to engineering
• While technical skills are undoubtedly important, applying them successfully requires higher-order skills
• Good testing is less about confirming, verifying, and validating, and more about thinking, questioning, exploring, investigating, and discovering
• As the principles of the Context-Driven School of Software Testing assert, while there are good practices in context, there are no practices that are universally best

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop computer to the workshop (but sufficient will be available)

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