NVP Software Solutions

Month: December 2015

  • Testing for System Integrators – Part 4

    Over the next few weeks, the NVP blog will focus on Software Testing for System Integrators. From NVP’s point of view, a System Integrator is someone who brings together a number of applications (from vendors), adds some glue and ends up with a solution for the organization they are working with. This seems to agree with the Wikipedia definition fairly closely. So where does Quality Assurance come into this? One would like to think early or very early in the process but that’s not always the case.

    Last week we looked at responses to the first 4 questions. This week we are continuing with the remainder:

    1. The contract states the following specifically about Quality Assurance and everyone is in agreement
    2. The contract says nothing about Quality Assurance but it’s noted as a topic and the contract will not be finalized without this discussion
    3. The contract says nothing about Quality Assurance so far, but now that you have brought it up we will add it.
    4. There is something in the contract about Quality Assurance and we can look it up for you (contracts are signed).
    5. There is nothing in the contract (contract is signed) and there is no intention of putting anything in the contract about Quality Assurance
      Now you have a challenge. Clearly the process is mostly done and there is absolutely no Buy-in to Quality Assurance. The next question that needs to be asked is “Why have you brought Quality Assurance in if there is no interest?” The answers to this and the response will be next week’s blog
    6. We don’t know (but that is a good question)
      There is some hope here and you are in a position to influence the content and results. It may be late in the process but we can try.
    7. We don’t know (and we don’t care)
      This is a similar situation to the answer to number 5. There is a challenge for Quality Assurance and that challenge must be tackled.

    Suffice to say the items in the above list have an obvious gradation from very manageable to a real challenge in the order they are presented. If you get the first answer, you’re well on your way. If you get some of the middle answers you have some work to do, but there’s still time to make change. If you get the last few answers, you are in trouble but not defeated!

    Next Week: What to do with Number 5 and 7.

  • Testing for System Integrators – Part 3

    Over the next few weeks, the NVP blog will focus on Software Testing for System Integrators. From NVP’s point of view, a System Integrator is someone who brings together a number of applications (from vendors), adds some glue and ends up with a solution for the organization they are working with. This seems to agree with the Wikipedia definition fairly closely. So where does Quality Assurance come into this? One would like to think early or very early in the process but that’s not always the case.

    Last week we provided several possible answers to our original

    1. The contract states the following specifically about Quality Assurance and everyone is in agreement
      This means that you simply have to “bridge the gap” between what is expected from the vendors and what is promised to the final client. The only problem may be that you do not agree with the contracted items.
    2. The contract says nothing about Quality Assurance but it’s noted as a topic and the contract will not be finalized without this discussion
      This is almost the best situation. While it may be a little late in the process, the willingness to add Quality Assurance exists and people are behind it.
    3. The contract says nothing about Quality Assurance so far, but now that you have brought it up we will add it.
      The same comment as above is applicable except that there is not quite the backing we might have had earlier.
    4. There is something in the contract about Quality Assurance and we can look it up for you (contracts are signed).
      Well at least they considered it; it may not be correct or complete but it was not entirely ignored. Once you find out what is in the contract you may (or may not) have concerns to handle.
    5. There is nothing in the contract (contract is signed) and there is no intention of putting anything in the contract about Quality Assurance
    6. We don’t know (but that is a good question)
    7. We don’t know (and we don’t care)

    Suffice to say the items in the above list have an obvious gradation from very manageable to a real challenge in the order they are presented. If you get the first answer, you’re well on your way. If you get some of the middle answers you have some work to do, but there’s still time to make change. If you get the last few answers, you are in trouble but not defeated!

    Next Week: What to do with the answers (remainder).

  • Testing for System Integrators – Part 2

    Over the next few weeks, the NVP blog will focus on Software Testing for System Integrators. From NVP’s point of view, a System Integrator is someone who brings together a number of applications (from vendors), adds some glue and ends up with a solution for the organization they are working with. This seems to agree with the Wikipedia definition fairly closely. So where does Quality Assurance come into this? One would like to think early or very early in the process but that’s not always the case.

    Last week we asked two $10,000 dollar questions and this week we promised the possible answers. Unlike the questions, which are specific to the final client and the suppliers, the answers are more general and apply to both.

    1. The contracts state the following specifically about Quality Assurance and everyone is in agreement
    2. The contracts says nothing about it so far but we have Quality Assurance as a topic and the contract will not be finalised without this discussion
    3. The contracts says nothing about Quality Assurance so far but now that you have brought it up we will add it.
    4. There is something in the contracts about Quality Assurance and we can look it up for you (contracts are signed).
    5. There is nothing in the contracts (contracts are signed) and there is no intention of putting anything in the contracts about Quality Assurance
    6. We don’t know (but that is a good question)
    7. We don’t know (and we don’t care)

    Suffice to say the items in the above list have an obvious gradation from good to terrible in the order they are presented. If you get the first answer, you’re well on your way. If you get some of the middle answers you have some work to do, but you may be in time to effect some change. If you get the last few answers, you are in trouble!

    Next Week: What to do with the answers.

  • Testing for System Integrators – Part 1

    Over the next few weeks, the NVP blog will focus on Software Testing for System Integrators. From NVP’s point of view, a System Integrator is someone who brings together a number of applications (from vendors), adds some glue and ends up with a solution for the organization they are working with. This seems to agree with the Wikipedia definition fairly closely. So where does Quality Assurance come into this? One would like to think early or very early in the process but that’s not always the case.

    The $10,000 Quality Assurance question.

    Last week we promised the $10,000 Quality Assurance question. But in fact, there are actually two questions with several variants and here they are:

    1. What did you request from your vendors in terms of Quality Assurance?
    2. What did you promise your final client in terms of Quality Assurance?

    Taking the first question into consideration, here are other things to consider:

    • What does the contract state about Quality Assurance or Software Testing?
    • Are the expectations documented?
    • What can we demand in terms of proof?
    • What are the System Integrator’s deliverables to the vendors?

    Now take the second question about promises to the final client, and the above becomes reversed.

    • What does the contract state about Quality Assurance or Software Testing?
    • Are there expectations documented?
    • What is expected in terms of proof?
    • What are the System Integrator’s deliverables to the final client?

    A System Integrator often acts a bridge with some support provided, but if the one requiring the testing cannot answer the above two questions and the subsidiary questions as outlined, then more research has to be done before the project starts. Without answers to these two questions, it will be very difficult to get started on Quality Assurance activities and be successful in the process.

    Next Week: Answers to those questions…