NVP Software Solutions

Tag: Process Improvement

  • Are you satisfied with your testing?

    Are you satisfied with your testing?

    Most people we speak to answer that question with a resounding NO; they are not satisfied with their testing. The answer may vary from stakeholder to stakeholder, and the intensity and source of the dissatisfaction may be different.  However, doing something about it is a different matter.    The most recent of many examples involved someone who complained about the testing and was promptly put in charge.  Not the result they were aiming for at the time!

    Solving the dissatisfaction is very difficult. Process improvement is resisted on many levels and there is usually a large number of potential improvements that may impact the perception.  The starting point is with a stakeholder survey and process assessment; this gives the basis for supportable incremental changes to improve satisfaction. 

    Take a look at Assessments for a starting point on what to include.

  • Is your testing Ad hoc?

    Is your testing Ad hoc?

    While most people won’t come out and say that their testing is Ad Hoc, it can usually be inferred from some of the following comments:

    1. We keep redoing things.

    2. We seem to lose everything with every iteration.

    3. We keep re-inventing the wheel.

    4. We have thousands of testcases and most of them have not been looked at in years.

    5. We miss things in every release even though we saw them in the past.

    6. We keep solving the same problems in development.

    And on the list goes.

    If you feel you are stuck in this rut, it is time to break out

    .

    But that requires a fresh look at the following items:

    * Current assets

    * Current processes

    * Missing pieces

    * Left over items and problems. Breaking out of Ad Hoc testing is very difficult. Process improvement is resisted on many levels.

  • What do Test Managers do in a project?

    What do Test Managers do in a project?

    There would be an obvious answer to that question if one replaced the word Test with the word Project. So, if we transfer in reverse the answer is the same. Since we had to answer this question …

    Please take a look at Case Study 11: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Case Study 12.pdf  for an answer to this question.

  • Mentoring

    Mentoring

    Frequently organizations encounter a roadblock on their Quality Assurance Processes. Most tasks are progressing well but there is a hitch or a stumble somewhere. The problem is not large enough to warrant a full consulting contract but it needs to be resolved. This is where Mentoring helps.

    Issue: A client, who creates websites for government departments and high profile clients, was having trouble with their Quality Assurance process.

    Please take a look at Case Study 11: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Case-Study-11-Mentoring.pdf to see how this was solved quickly and cheaply.

  • Designing Testing

    Designing Testing

    Frequently organizations grow concerned about their Quality Assurance Processes. They are not sure if they are using the best processes for their testing. Everything has been internally built with little input from outside the organization. Over time the isolation may lead to inefficient processes. There may not be an awareness of what has changed and how it might impact their work habits.

    Please take a look at Case Study 7: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Case-Study-7-Consulting.pdf to see how the process was redesigned.

  • Coaching

    Coaching

    Frequently organizations encounter a need for Quality Assurance Processes. A client, wanted to improve their processes but had no idea how to get there or what was involved. They were also hampered by a lack of knowledge of how other departments worked or what they did before the applications reached QA or after they left.

    Please take a look at Case Study 6: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Case-Study-6-Coaching.pdf for how a process issue was resolved in one case.

  • Requirements

    Requirements

    While iterative methodologies do not expect full requirements at the beginning of a project, it may still be critical to eventually capture the entire set of requirements. Traceability between testing and requirements has become popular recently to provide auditability.

    Please see https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Case-Study-8-Requirements.pdf for an example Case Study.

  • Bridging the Gap

    Bridging the Gap

    Bridging the Gap between vendors and the final client can be difficult for a System Integrator. It is one thing to actually make the decision, purchase the software, integrate the software and deliver it. It is very much another situation when you come to the various levels of testing and need to coordinate multiple vendors, one System Integrator, and a client with multiple departments with differing needs.

    Please take a look at the Case Study 1 : https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Case-Study-1.pdf for one occurrence.