Testers in the Board of Directors
Martin Kooij, Valori, The Netherlands
Europe’s Premier Software Testing EventWorld Forum Convention Centre, The Hague, Netherlands
WWW.QUALTECHCONFERENCES.COM
“The Future of Software Testing”
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The future of testing: Agenda
A personal story starting in 1964.
The now of testing.
Trend continuation: up to the board and beyond…
Practical notes.
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My first testing of telecom equipment
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Cost reduction by using Model Based Testing
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Testing in the early ’90’s
Coffee
Jan,
Expert
#1
Hugo,
Expert
#2Me,
Nerd #3
TTCN
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The technical world of testing
1990. RACE, ESPRIT, ETSI.
1992. Software testing
Main goal: finding errors in software code.
Reporting main metrics: # defects found, # defects
solved, # open known defects, #days to go to end of
test, sometimes: #defects to be expected.
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Testing when I returned to the profession
Projectlead
Reqts Implement TestmanagerIT
Testmanager
Testmanager
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Testing now
Next to the project lead
Surprise: Taken seriously
Reporting on the basis of Risks: metrics are the old
technical metrics (for project management) + risks left
as per weighed acceptance criteria per functionality
and per quality aspect for steering group.
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Testing now.
For example, I use SmarTEST®, PRIMA, …
Strategic
Man over Machine
Adaptive
Risk based
Transparent.
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Testing in 2018
Assumption
This trend continues
Finance is not king.
IT will be ever more important in doing business.
Testers keep broadening their skills
Where in 2018?
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Testing in 2018
Here!
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Testing in 2018
Reporting from within the board of Directors, less focus
on financial risks only.
Responsibility on product Risks
Basic reporting on
Old technical metrics
Risk based metrics, acceptance criteria
Translated product risks into business risks.
Full responsibility to arrange testing in a cost effective
matter in order to
Be able to estimate risks
Act on them in an early stage and avoid big risks in new and
existing products.
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Testing in 2018
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Testing in 2018
New growth path
Technical testers
Test coordination
Test lead
Test Management
Test Officer
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Practical
Does this come by itself? No, we have to grow
We have to be brave, take responsibility
Work risk based and strike a visible balance between the costs
of risks vs. costs of testing in any and each Master Test Plan.
Use a Risk Matrix/Table from the start!
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Practical
Be independent, report on business risks, be politically
skilled, but…. be the one to take the politics out! Report to the
ones really responsible: the project lead and the line manager
can have their own agenda’s
This avoids what happens now too often: a negative advice
from testing is overruled.
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Practical
Broaden our scope: We can learn from IT auditor community, in how
we can do risks assessment and assurance, e.g. show how testing
fits in COBIT framework and adopt part of that language. This is
where you can find a link between product risks and company risks.
COBIT: Control Objectives
for Information and related
Technology =>
show how you are
in control w.r.t. the IT risks
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Summary
Testing is maturing, if we want and if we dare.
* More risk
* More responsibility
