TASSQ is pleased to announce their September 2025 through February 2026 schedule.
Tag: software testing
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Isn’t there a better way to Test?
This is a question that gets asked very frequently especially at the end of projects that have not gone well.
While there are many people who will advocate one methodology or another for testing and tell you their way is the only way, every method must adapt to the project at hand, the risks and the desired outcomes. There is no one way to test but there are ways to improve the testing.
The first need is time at the end of the project to evaluate what went right and wrong before people forget.
Some common concerns:
- Too much documentation: It is acceptable to reduce documentation if the same testers will be available for the next project but not so effective if the next project will be staffed with new people unfamiliar with the project.
- Too little documentation: This can be solved but it takes time or can be fed through AI to generate the complete documentation. Always review anything produced by AI.
- Too much repetition: This is a process error that can be solved by RCA and then implemented but is not likely to have much effect for at least a project or two.
- Unused testcases: This is a classification issue that can be solved with AI at this point.
- Too many escaped defects: Again RCA with the aid of AI can address this but it is too late to implement the solution for the existing project.
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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
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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.
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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.
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Resources
Resources are always a problem in projects. You may have too many at one point, too few at another point and the skills may be mismatched even if the number matches to what you estimated. Issue The client was expanding rapidly in a new industry. Two large organizations in a related industry had already started divisions to address this market but we were dealing with a new and much younger company.
Please take a look at Case Study 9: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Case-Study-9-Resources.pdf to see how the process was managed.
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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.
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Regulatory Approval
An NCR (Non-Conformance Report) from an Audit is the last thing anyone wants to see. Especially if you are not familiar with how to handle it. Your business is in production of high precision parts, or providing groceries to consumers, or a business-to-business solution. The last thing you need is an auditor asking questions about your software processes.
Please take a look at Case Study 3: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Case-Study-3.pdf for how an NCR was resolved in one case.
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Test Leadership
The role of a Test Lead varies widely between organisations and even within some large organisations. Some test leads execute a plan, other build and manage and some run multiple projects with other test leads running particular aspects. If you are in this position, you may be wondering what to do.
Please take a look at Case Study 2: https://nvp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Case-Study-2.pdf for how training was organised in one particular example.