NVP Software Solutions

Category: Uncategorized

  • Quality Assurance in a Pandemic

    Many people have asked what the point of Quality Assurance is during a pandemic. It seems that when things are in such a rush, Quality Assurance gets pushed to one side. There is no doubt that there is some pressure to get some items done in the shortest of time and people feel that Quality Assurance can be eliminated or at least reduced. This view is prevalent whether or not there are pandemics in the background but a pandemic exacerbates the situation. This is based on the view that Quality Assurance is simply Software Testing.

    Using the definition of Quality Assurance as Process Improvement changes that view. When we look at accelerated schedules with limited ability to correct items, the need to get it right the first time, and disrupted communications; proper processes suddenly look a lot more attractive. We have already seen several projects get delayed while things get bounced back and forth in asynchronous communications. If we had done it right in the first place, much of the communication would have been eliminated. This includes fundamental processes like issue tracking as well as technical design and project decisions. All can benefit from improved processes.

    Some clients are delaying anything new until the end of the pandemic. They will be re-launching their projects when everything is back to ‘normal’.
    Meanwhile another group are seizing this opportunity to implement Quality Assurance improvements while the pipeline is little reduced.

    We know who we expect to come out the other end with an enhanced business model.

    If you have input on the above, you might want to consider our survey.

    Image by Vladimir Fedotov on Unsplash.

  • Manual Testing

    This year is the n’th time we have heard about the demise of Manual testing and the n+1’st time it has not occurred.To paraphrase Mark Twain “Rumours of the death of Manual Testing have been greatly exaggerated”.

    Why does this keep coming up year after year:

    1. We keep inventing new items that are not amenable to being automated.
    2. New startups have neither the time or the budget to worry about automating testing. Their emphasis is on getting the product out the door and into the hands of their customers.
    3. Some organisations have a great deal invested in an old automated tool. They are not maintaining the existing scripts or adding new but no one is willing to throw them out.
    4. Some testing tools have not lived up to their promises and people are unwilling to try again with a new test tool.
    5. Most project managers do not have budget for automation of testing and since they do not benefit from it (the next project benefits) they see little reason to add it to their project.
    6. If it becomes a corporate or central responsibility to automate, then the question of funding it becomes awkward. Who is responsible for the cost fo the tool and the automation effort? How is that cost amortized and apportioned?
    7. It appears cheaper to get Manual Testers.

    So will this change in the 2020? It seems unlikely in view of the above unless we consider the following:

    1. Calculate the real cost of repeatedly executing the same testcases manually.
    2. Calculate the real benefit of implementation of automation over multiple projects and years.
    3. See whether the automation will pay for itself using the above two figures.
    4. Find an automation tool that suits your situation. There are many good ones around; you just need to find the appropriate one. Talk to us about a well tested methodology for test tool acquisition.

    Photo by Hunter Haley on Unsplash

  • Who do we tell?

    In light of some of the comments received, this blog is aimed at the ‘official’ list of people who should be told the results of testing. As per some of the comments, there are lots and lots of unofficial channels and these can be more useful and more informative than some of the official ones. However, (in order to stop the blog going on forever) we are looking at the ones who are listed as requiring the information.

    We encounter two major attitudes to this question:

    1. Everyone must know everything.
    2. How can I avoid being added to this list?

    The above may seem odd and probably depends a lot on the trust factor within the organisation. In some places, everyone gets added no matter how much the notifications and emails pile up. In others people avoid being told. There is an obvious dependency on the sophistication of the notification process and where the information is being stored. Less sophisticated processes will not have the granularity required or no-one to administer them. More sophisticated ones can do almost any desired work flow.

    One other comment that came back was that we need to recall that we have clients and they need to be kept informed of what is occurring (whether or not they look at it).

    In our next blog on this topic we will provide some specific suggestions.

  • What should be reported from your Testing Efforts – Part 4

    Feedback is always welcome and this week we are indebted to Paul Seaman for some very valid comments on the What should be reported from your testing – Part 2. He pointed out that the blog seemed to have a written bias, missed the value of verbal communication and seemed to silo testers.

    We were considering mainly final reports using an independent test team and with the potential need for an audit of the testing. So some bias may have crept in and Paul pointed that out. Let’s look at each of these.

    Siloed Test Team: The more you silo a test team, the less effective they are. Information does not flow to them or from them. So the opportunities to learn from each other is lost. In addition, any information that does flow back and forth will likely be somewhat distorted by the time it gets to the other party. Testers need to be included throughout the lifecycle embedded in the team.

    Verbal Communication: This is an obvious follow on from the previous point. If you are remote, or restricted in communication then the chance to provide and receive feedback is reduced. Non-verbal communication tends to be asynchronous – something is sent and there is a delay before there is a response. Verbal (throughout the project or testing effort) allows instant feedback and may speed up responses and reactions to changing events. The only thing you may lose is an audit trail. Anything crucial needs to be noted and put into a decision log for retention.

    Written bias: This comes down to the same thing as the last comment in the previous paragraph. Crucial information that needs to be retained should be documented and stored. If the report is simply a status that is being provided then it may not need to be fully documented. Point taken.

  • April & May 2019 QA Events in the GTA and Beyond

    If you are in the Greater Toronto Area or Kitchener-Waterloo you might want to consider these events to network with other QA people or learn some of the new ideas in QA.

    NVP Software Solutions will be participating in the following software testing and quality assurance events happening this April or May in Ontario, Canada. The events are located in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo in the coming weeks. Check out the relevant websites for more information and to register. This is a great opportunity to connect with other software testing and quality assurance professionals. We hope to see you there!

    A BLOCKCHAIN AND AI PRIMER –
    Eric Osuorah and Patrick . C. Egbunonu – 30 April, 2019
    See https://www.toronto-assq.com/ to register

    Wednesday, May 1, 2019 – KWSQA/LAST Collaboration

    See https//www.kwsqa.org/kwalitytalks  to register

    Plan your 2019 Courses today. See nvp.ca/services/training for a complete schedule.

  • February 2019 QA Events in the GTA and Beyond

    If you are in the Greater Toronto Area or Kitchener-Waterloo you might want to consider these events to network with other QA people or learn some of the new ideas in QA.N


    NVP Software Solutions will be participating in the following software testing and quality assurance events happening this February in Ontario, Canada. The events are located in Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo in the coming two weeks. Check out the relevant websites for more information and to register. This is a great opportunity to connect with other software testing and quality assurance professionals. We hope to see you there!

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    CREATE AN EFFECTIVE MOBILE TESTING STRATEGY IN AN EVER-EVOLVING TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT – Johanna Castro – 26 February, 2019
    See https://www.toronto-assq.com/ to register
    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is cropped-kwsqa_withicon_small.png


    KWSQA – Kitchener Waterloo Software Quality Association – Wednesday, February 27, 2019 –I Feel the Need, the Need for Speed! Enabling Your Team Testing Efforts to Focus on – Maciek Konkolowicz Automation – See https//www.kwsqa.org/kwalitytalks  to register

    Courses

    Plan your 2019 Courses today. See nvp.ca/services/training for a complete schedule.

  • November 2018 QA Events – Toronto and GTA

    NVP Software Solutions will be participating in the following software testing and quality assurance events happening this November in Ontario, Canada. The events are located in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and London in the coming two weeks. Check out the relevant websites for more information and to register. This is a great opportunity to connect with other software testing and quality assurance professionals. We hope to see you there! (more…)

  • September QA Events – Toronto and GTA

     

    NVP Software Solutions will be participating in the following software testing and quality assurance events happening this September in Ontario, Canada. The events are located in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and London in the coming two weeks. Check out the relevant websites for more information and to register. This is a great opportunity to connect with other software testing and quality assurance professionals. We hope to see you there! (more…)