NVP Software Solutions

Category: Strategy

  • Process for a Quality Assessment – Step 2

    Process for a Quality Assessment – Step 2

    There will be little progress on an assessment without an understanding of basic system architecture. One of the first requests is for a system diagram so we can start putting names, titles and process questions beside each section. Two red flags may be raised here:

    1. If no-one can generate or find a system diagram then there is an immediate concern that there is no-one who understands the system.
    2. Assuming we can obtain a system diagram, are there sections for which it is impossible to attach a responsible person? Again, an immediate concern that there are pieces of the system that are being left unattended.

    Our next blog on this topic will drill down to the initial set of questions.

  • Working Towards the Final Result

    Working Towards the Final Result

    Finding out requirements by digging through the hierarchy endlessly or how not to implement a product.  A recent upgrade included a migration from one database (home grown) to a commercially available product.  It is well known that migrations are always dangerous and can be quite time consuming.  The issue was that an attempt was made to replicate the existing (and mainly unknown) database into the new one rather than asking what was important to know after the migration was complete.  The testing turned into a series of cycles while the testers dug deeper and deeper into the existing database.

    Lessons Learned:  Make sure to take a 360 degree view of the expectations before going down the testing path.