Tag: Quality Assurance

It was not expected that we would still be writing about “Staying In” after this many weeks.  So we decided to rename the blog to number ‘n’ and then we will go for number ‘n+1’ etc.  For those who studied math, you will recognise the numbering system where ‘n’ can be any number and we keep adding 1 as we create each new blog.  For those who want to count, this is blog number 7 on “Staying In” and right now that is bringing a certain song to mind!

But, when we switched to the new numbering system, a further idea came up and that is the concept of the general case versus the specific case.  Some testers start with the most general case they can think of and then work their way towards more and more specific cases getting out to the edges of what the product will do.  Other testers start with very specific cases and then go towards the general as they start to recognise patterns and test data and steps that cover a large range of cases.  Either approach will work as long you get the coverage you need.

What about Quality Assurance (defined as Process Improvement)?

In general, people recognise a specific problem they are having in the way they are working.  A recent example is where someone captured some proofs but failed to number them properly so matching them back to the requirements after was a large problem.  The question is whether that is a specific one time problem that will not change no matter how many processes we improve or is it a symptom of a larger problem where people consistently fail to recognise the extra work they are creating further down the line.  Then we have room for a Process Improvement Initiative.  In the case of Quality Assurance we often work from the specific to the general.  Process Improvement is always intended to apply to many projects or products.

P.S. In the specific case we mention, it is symptomatic of a larger failure to plan and consider the implications of work methodologies.  A process improvement initiative is already in progress.

If you see yourself above, use the link below to get in touch.

P.S. In a couple of weeks we will discuss a new definition for Quality Assurance.

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.

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What about Quality Assurance after the Lockdown?

There have been a lot of questions about what will happen with Quality Assurance once things return to ‘normal’.  People who believe emphatically in Maslowe are looking at the lower levels of the hierarchy and wondering whether basic needs will be met.  There have been some headlines about food crops either not being planted or not being harvested due to a lack of labour.  This is a major concern.   Other less critical items have also been disrupted and may take a long time to get a semblance of normalcy with many false starts. There was also an interesting article on how the stimulus that many countries have provided could be used to further other world wide issues including climate change by targeting the recovery funds at certain industries.

However, whether you look at Maslowe and worry about basic supplies or want to address some of the larger issues, the fact is that many, if not all, of these endeavors depend on software to occur.  Much of the food chain is software dependent and any statistics that are gathered on a world-wide basis require assessment and manipulation by software.  In short, software permeates most of what we do (which we already knew) and that is likely to continue.  So at a very base level, nothing will change.  Software will be required and it will need to be tested and we will need to use Quality Assurance techniques to facilitate ongoing improvement.

Many clients are continuing with projects and initiating new ones.  They feel the need for ongoing maintenance and improvement exceeds any concerns about the impacts of the current situation.  In short, little has changed and it is expected we will still have to fight to get Quality Assurance recognised.

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.

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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.

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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.
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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