Tag: Centre of Excellence

We have been discussing what is occurring during the present lockdown. We started at the macro level and then concentrated in more detail on IT and some projects that were being launched despite the lockdown.  For a couple of weeks we took a break and talked about some organisations that might not be standard candidates for Quality Assurance activities (a little tired of the lockdown!).

We are currently in the process of opening up (at least for a while depending on how it goes) and some shops and services are allowed to reopen under strict guidelines. 

However, this week we thought we would take a very quick look at some Lessons Learned from the lockdown.

1. At the corporate level, organisations that were already used to remote working transitioned much more easily than organisations that expected everyone onsite every day.  This seems obvious.
2. At the IT level, there was a clear demarcation between the people who were users and could work anywhere and support people who needed to access actual machines.  There was a comment in a Meetup recently from a QA person who said their test tool server has always required a power cycle every few days otherwise it gets slow.  The suddenness of the lockdown meant the machine was just deserted and left running.  Eventually it slowed down to unacceptable speeds and someone (who was onsite that day) was requested to recycle it.  If the lockdown had been more strict the entire test department would have eventually ground to a halt.
3. At the QA department level, organisations with a clear QA Strategy providing long term QA direction were able to move to other initiatives that were scheduled for down times from testing.  They were often scheduled for year end when project work is often slower.  These organisations simply moved them to this period.  Very few long term objectives require access to specific devices since they are more planning in nature  so they could be done.
4. At the QA Project level, organisations with Test Plans that included contingency plans in the event that testing could not be done, and listed trade offs for some of the testing, had ready made tasks to be completed.  There was no gap!

None of these are a permanent solution to an extended period of absence from the office but they bridged some of the gap while some replanning could be completed and the path forward assessed.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash

Cultural organisations and events are another group that has been hit by Covid-19. With most events cancelled or delayed, their revenue stream has dried up entirely but not all their expenses. Some expenses were already paid and many contracts were signed and should be honoured. We have been receiving requests for financial assistance from some of the theatres we attended in 2019.

One might ask if Quality Assurance has anything to say about Cultural Organisations. It seems like a stretch from the standard work of checking for issues and improving processes. However, there are a couple of counter arguments:

1. From the website to ticket sales to the control of the lights and sound effects much of the theatre experience relies on software.
2. Marketing and social media are almost entirely software driven.
3. All of the above need to be integrated.

Our personal experience seems to imply that many of the smaller groups have purchased a ticket sales process or run one online. It has been impressive in terms of telling us what is available and allowing flexibility in ordering tickets. Larger groups seem to have built their own systems.

It may not be the best time to modify systems but, while the shows are not going on, it may be a good time to see if there are improvements that can be made in the supporting software.

Take a look at our page for Cultural Organisations for further ideas.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by Rob Laughter on Unsplash

Earth Day passed a few weeks ago without much notice as did Earth Hour in the previous month. Most of the world was concentrating on the more critical problem of Covid-19.

One might ask if Quality Assurance has anything to say about Earth Day or any other environmental initiative. It seems like a stretch from the standard work of checking for issues and improving processes. However, there are a couple of counter arguments:

1. Data centres absorb a huge amount of electricity. One of the items that Quality Assurance looks at is Efficiency of operations. An incremental improvement in efficiency can save millions in power.
2. More closely related to standard Quality Assurance is the way in which jet engines are now being monitored continuously and adjusted for efficiency on the fly (so to speak). Again, the data gathered can lead to improvements in efficiency saving in emissions and fuel costs.
3. IoT could have the same impact as long as the energy spent implementing it and building all the sensors does not outweigh the savings.
.

These are just a few of the changes that Quality Assurance impacts when they are involved.

Take a look at our page for Environmental Organisations for further ideas.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash

We have been discussing what is occurring during the present lockdown. We started at the macro level. Last week we went a little further down the chain. This week we wanted to talk about a couple of projects that are in the process of being launched (despite the current remote working situation):

1. Test Tool Selection and Implementation – The current test tool was selected and implemented on the basis of project need. However, it does not necessarily fulfill the corporate need (testing is scattered throughout several departments based on expertise). With the interest of current management and a need to make automation more accessible to all testers (both those who are called testers and those who do it as part of their job) this was an excellent time to consider evaluation of the existing or a new test tool. It is reasonably easy to evaluate the corporate need without needing to meet. The organisation has a history of working remotely already which helps.
2. Process Change Implementation – While it will not be possible to see how this will work when people are back together in the office, the planning and process documentation can take place easily.
3. Testing/Quality Assurance COE – COEs may be considered to be passe for some organisations but some are still interested and they range from those who want a COE focused on product delivery to those who want it focused on process improvement.

This is just a few of the projects that are being launched during this time of lockdown.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by Linus Nylund on Unsplash

Last week we talked about how some industries were looking through to the end of the current restrictions and making some plans although that seemed to be more at the macroeconomic level. This week we wanted to look a little further down the chain. There is no doubt that a lot of QA and testing is backing up since no one is able to to do it due to a lack of access to corporate networks. However, there is a difference between the QA that is being done and the Software Testing. Active Software Testing is continuing remotely but at a reduced level with some things backing up due to lack of access to either hardware or software. Quality Assurance (Process Improvement) is continuing without much issue and in some cases, at an increased rate since the slow down in corporate work and testing has allowed us to take a renewed look at process improvement. People have the time to look at how their processes work and what can be done to improve them at this point.

Processes have changed due to remote work and on the surface many things look different. However, the fundamental processes have not changed at all in terms of what work needs to be completed and, at the macro level, how it has to be done. It is an excellent time to review the processes that are used to make the company and software run and see what can be improved. Looking at this when everything is disrupted provides a fresh perspective.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

Now that we are into a new week, we are seeing a few articles talking about what to do after the the restrictions are lifted. The discussions are more at the macroeconomic level at this stage. Individual industries are not being discussed although the ones we are speaking to definitely have plans as to what to do once they can.

From an IT point of view, most projects have continued at a reduced level as far as can be done with remote working. We are mainly hearing from utilities and healthcare clients about things that must be done no matter what the situation. However, assuming that the restrictions are lifted reasonably soon, we expect a lot of activity from people who have been brought to a standstill for a few weeks but still have fixed end dates that must be met. Education comes to mind although that will depend on the fall term starting on time and not delayed in a ripple effect.

Finally we thought we would opt for a nice peaceful picture this week. We wish you the best in the current situation.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

Like many people in the past few weeks, we have been spending more time at home and in isolation as best we can. Most non-essential businesses in our area have been closed or are closing tonight. However, several of our clients are in the exempt list so work will be continuing in the short term at least. Most items can be done online so there is little loss of productivity.

The biggest change that has been noticed is the slowing down of some projects. Projects that would have rushed the planning stage are now taking time to consider all the possibilities and the required Testing and Quality Assurance processes before signing off on the scope and timeline. It is nice to have the time to consider the best way of doing project tasks even if the original reason for this change is not one we, or anyone, wanted. A global pandemic is NOT something anyone wants.

It seems the Project and Product Managers are also considering this since they realise they may have limited time to implement the projects and little or no chance to redo items. Even if we wait until after the concern has passed, there will be a backlog of projects that will put pressure on timelines. The more we are ready with full planning and everything ready, the faster the projects will move at the end.

For projects and initiatives that were already underway when the restrictions came into place we are seeing some creative solutions to current testing needs although some technical considerations are leading to trade off decisions on what can and cannot be done. Mobile devices used for testing which can only be used internally on the office network being one example of something needing a decision.

Finally we thought we would opt for a nice peaceful picture this week. We wish you the best in the current situation.

Give us a call to continue the discussion. We have supplied Assessment, Coaching, Consulting Management and Training to Financial, Telecommunications, Utlities, NFP, and Government to name just a few.

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash