the role of testing: quality police or quality communicator?
TRANSCRIPT
W7
Test Management
10/15/2014 1:45:00 PM
The Role of Testing: Quality
Police or Quality Communicator?
Presented by:
Mike Duskis
10-4 Systems
Brought to you by:
340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073 888-268-8770 ∙ 904-278-0524 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.sqe.com
Mike Duskis
10-4 Systems Mike Duskis got his start as a programmer, hacking video games as a child in the ‘80s. Immediately after high school, Mike sold his first custom-built business software product and launched a play-by-mail gaming company. He went on to gain a broad and deep appreciation of the software development process by playing nearly every conceivable role on projects ranging from children's entertainment to safety-critical medical devices. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Mike currently plays the QA manager role for 10–4 Systems, the world's first marketplace for capacity to move freight.
Quality
Communicator?
Or
Anaheim, CA
October 15, 2014
Presented at
Session Map
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
1. Introductions
2. Police Paradigm
Where it comes from
How it works in theory
How it works in practice
Underlying Assumptions
3. Communicator Paradigm
Where it comes from
How it works in theory
How it works in practice
Underlying Assumptions
Tips and techniques
Introductions
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Why I care about this topic
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Developer
Tester
2 weeks
2 weeks
Real-life dysfunctional “Test Phase”
The Police Paradigm
Objective
To protect customers from defects
Strategy
Inspect and reject
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Origin
Factory System (ca 1750)
The Police Paradigm
Developer Tester
on a sunny day
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm
Developer Tester
on a partially cloudy day
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Sales Customer
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Customer
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Customer
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
Satisfy my needs
quickly, and
inexpensively
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Sales Customer
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
Satisfy my needs
quickly, and
inexpensively
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Sales Customer
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
Sell more product
now
Satisfy my needs
quickly, and
inexpensively
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Sales Customer
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
Sell more product
now
Satisfy my needs
quickly, and
inexpensively
Tester
The Police Paradigm
Developer
Motives exposed by bad weather
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Sales Customer
Build cool stuff.
Get paid.
Sell more product
now
Satisfy my needs
quickly, and
inexpensively
Tester
Conflict!
Timely vs. Good
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm on a stormy day
Developer Tester
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm on a stormy day
Tester: Let it through
Developer Tester
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm on a stormy day
Tester: Hold the line
Tester
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm on a stormy day
Why me?
Tester
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Police Paradigm on a stormy day
Why me?
Why not you?
The Police Paradigm
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
assumptions
The Police Paradigm
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
assumptions
Communicated requirements are clear, comprehensive, and reflect
business needs accurately.
Acceptance decisions can be made objectively by comparing
communicated requirements to product
behavior.
The Police Paradigm
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Why do we use it in 2014?
The Police Paradigm
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Why do we use it in 2014?
“Common sense” approach
Provides Quality Independence
Fits a phase gate process
Protects customers from defects
The Communicator Paradigm
Objective
To inform management decisions
Strategy
Learn and report
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Origin
Modern Quality Control (ca 1925)
Developer Tester
on a sunny day
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Communicator Paradigm
Product Manager
Developer Tester
on a partially cloudy day
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Communicator Paradigm
Product Manager
Developer Tester
on a terrible, horrible day
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Communicator Paradigm
Product Manager
on a terrible, horrible day
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Communicator Paradigm
Tester
Product Manager
Can I have
your job?
I tested so
you can manage.
assumptions
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Communicator Paradigm
assumptions
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
The Communicator Paradigm
Product Managers are prepared to digest test results
without a clear “accept” or “reject”
verdict.
Testers can make their reports relevant,
meaningful and readily digestible by
product managers.
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
What slows adoption by testers?
The Communicator Paradigm
What slows adoption by testers?
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Familiarity with the Police Paradigm
Not knowing what to communicate to the
business
Not knowing how to communicate to the
business
Not trusting the business to make good
decisions
Fear of punishment (sometimes justified!)
The Communicator Paradigm
Observe a relevant decision meeting
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Communicator Tips
Who asks what kinds of questions?
Maintain a communication plan
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Communicator Tips
What matters to whom, and when?
Share simply, quickly, and unobtrusively
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Communicator Tips
an information radiator sharing daily smoke test results
Hold frequent defect triage meetings
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Communicator Tips
Roles: Test, Development, Product, Project
Keep it short. Discuss only criticality and schedule.
Establish common formats
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Communicator Tips
Templates help managers find what they want
Build a culture of trust
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Communicator Tips
Attack the problem, not the messenger
Developer Tester
Sales Customer
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Summary
Product Manager
Who makes acceptance decisions?
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Summary
Police Communicator
Origin Factory System Modern Quality
Acceptance by Test Business / PM
Test Role Protector Info Service
Test Strategy Inspect and Reject Learn and Report
Quality Police or Quality Communicator? || StarWest 2014 || Mike Duskis, QA Manager, 10-4 Systems ( [email protected] )
Image Copyrights and Credits
Images in this presentation were either released into the public
domain or made available under a Creative Commons
Attribution 2.0 License. Artists include
Frits Ahlefeldt
Elvert Barnes
Maggie Bolye
Bill Branson
John Fowler
Janet Lindenmuth
Luca Masters
Erik Mauer
Rachel Torres
Intellectual property details appear in the notes attached to each
slide in the PowerPoint™ presentation which will be made
available to all conference participants.