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Im an Agile Test Manager:Do I really exist?
A discussion and debate
David Evans & Ivan EricssonSQS Group Limited
Test Management SummitLondon, 30th January 2008
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Agenda
Who are we?
What do we think?
What do you think?
What have we concluded?
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Dave Ericsson
Not a real person, but a moniker in SQS to refer to us together
We think frighteningly alike on most subjects in testing
Just as well, since we jointly hold the title ofDirectors of Methodology
As consultants we have both served roles that couldbe calledAgile Test Manager
Dave Evans
Software developer and tester for 20 years
Agile convert for 5 years
Prefers the term Coach or even Evangelist over Manager
Ivan Ericsson
Involved in testing for 12 years
A Test Manager for 8, 1 year in agile
Test Manager as shoeshine boy
Dave Ericsson : not a real personWho are we?
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Recap of Common Agile Characteristics
Iterative development
Running, tested features developed in order of business priority
Responsive to changing requirements
Many opportunities to re-prioritise and re-evaluate
Travel light
Favour conversations over documentation and formal process
Customer (Product Owner) is part of the team
Empowered customer rep either on-site or accessible to theteam, provides constant feedback on quality and priorities
Focus on delivering Business Value
Everything costs, so dont do anything that doesnt add value!
Test-Driven
High emphasis on testing early, testing often & testing fast
Restrospectives
The team review and improve their own processes regularly
Most Agile methods have these features in common
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The Agile Manifesto What the Agile camp has declared it believes
We are uncovering better ways of developing softwareby doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right,
We value the items on the left more.
www.agilemanifesto.org
Are you left-leaning or right-leaning? Please read all of it!
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Canonical Agile (Scrum) Roles
Customer (Product Owner)
The person responsible for defining Requirements (Product Backlog items) and
prioritising items for each Iteration / Sprint.
Coach (Scrum Master)
The person whose primary role is to remove impediments blocking the team
Team of developers and testers
Collaborating to produce running, tested features.
Developers, testers and any specialists that may be needed
(e.g. DBA, UI designer)
The team are all pigs, not chickens
Although testingis very high on the agenda of all good agile projects, you will behard pressed to find the term Test Manager in any book about Agile.
Hey, wheres the Test Manager?
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Test Management
Ensure independence of testing
Ensure corporate standards are complied with
Ensure the test effort remains state-of-the-art
QA of the test effort
Manage effectiveness of the test effort
Manage efficiency of the test effort
This is what we do. Isnt it?
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Agile Test Management?
Assumption: Ensure independence of testing
What is the business value of independence?
Arent the testers and developers representing the customer?
Is independence more valuable than shared goals,
knowledge and communication?
Could the automated tests be the independent evidence?
Assumption: Ensure corporate standards are complied with
Is compliance always more valuable than improvement and innovation?
Is it more valuable than doing the right thing, right now?
Could we use standards as platforms rather than cages?
Assumption: Ensure the test effort remains state-of-the-art
How would we do this, other than by examining and improving our own process?
Does state-of-the-art testing deliver more business value?
Questioning those assumptions
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Agile Test Management?
Assumption: QA of the test effort
Does this need a TM, or could the quality of the test effort be measured by the
customers level of confidence in the test coverage and satisfaction with the product?
Assumption: Manage effectiveness of the test effort
Can the customer make the decision on what is good enough?
Isnt the team collectively responsible for the effectiveness of testing?
Assumption: Manage efficiency of the test effort
If features are estimated (for development and testing effort) and completed within
short time-boxes, wont any inefficiencies be transparent?
As long as we achieve the appropriate quality levels within the teams group
estimates, does it matter how we get there?
Questioning those assumptions
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Your Thoughts
As a Test Manager, what value could you deliver to an Agile project?
Is this enough to justify your salary?
How would you position your role in a classic agile team?
Would the whole team be satisfied with this?
What are the risks to a project of having no TM involvement?
Are there other ways to mitigate these risks?
Can we reconcile these positions?
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Our Thoughts
All the activities of Test Management have a valid role, somewhere
The Test Manager needs to determine where and when
Understand when to wear different hats as manager, coach, test expert etc.
Focussing relentlessly on business value might make us do a better job of management
Let the team be self-organising: do less man-management
Consider how your responsibilities helps the team get better at delivering value
Manage testers better by helping them do their job well
Lead by example: do what they do, at least some of the time
Understand their issues, observe their problems first-hand
Be an amplifier of information about quality to all who care
Dont hoard or own this information
Dont try to own Quality
If you do, no-one else will take responsibility for it
Some possible ways through
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Thanks!
Any other questions or thoughts, feel free to contact us.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]7/31/2019 A Agile Testing
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SQS Group Limited
120 Moorgate
London EC2M 6SS
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 2074 484620
Fax: +44 (0) 2074 484651
Internet: www.sqs-uk.com
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