NVP Software Solutions

Tag: startup

  • A Better Way – Case Study 1 – Thinking Outside the Box

    A Better Way – Case Study 1 – Thinking Outside the Box

    In our last several blogs we have discussed ‘A Better Way to Test”.

    The issue is to apply this to actual situations. We have 5 Case Studies we plan to use over the next several weeks to address this. The first one revolves around a junior QA, a very successful (small) company and a need to test effectively and quickly for a large final client. The issue that came up was the ability to “Think outside the box”.

    We received a call from the President of the company indicating that the new junior QA was having trouble considering things “Outside the box”. They were good with what was presented in the Use Cases or User Stories. Most people can generate testcases based on what is provided and the happy path from the Use Cases and User Stories. Experienced testers will apply other techniques and may specifically try Exploratory testing. However, you cannot explore or test what you don’t know or don’t think of at the time.

    Rather than dictating “Outside the box” which is a contradiction in itself, we decided to go with more of a checklist approach listing some of the areas that would be considered to be non-Happy Path and see if it could lead to further extensions. We did not dictate everything but started with more of a charter and guidance list to see what would come of it. The process had two advantages:

    1. We would have some coverage of everything “inside” and “outside” the box.
    2. We could use the results to evaluate the suitability of the junior QA for further roles and projects.

    The President came up with the basic list and ran it from there.

    If you want to discuss this further contact us.

    Take a look at some of the seminars that we offer that address this situation and see if they apply to you. Testing can be better.
    Contact us for further information.

  • Quality Assurance for Startups – Part 2

    In the last blog we discussed why Quality Assurance for Startups was appropriate despite it not being the first thing on startup leaders’ minds. This is understandable given the amount of other work that needs to be done just to get going as a new business.

    It would be pointless to introduce a full Starting-Quality-Assurance process in the beginning stages. The effort involved would detract from the other to-dos and could interfere with growth. With that said, we can introduce a limited Quality Assurance program during the startup stage that will benefit all without adversely impacting the growth of the organisation as follows:

    1. At the end of each week, take 15 minutes and review what has been done and how it is being done.
    2. At the end of each month, take 1 hour and review what has been done and how it is being done.
    3. In both cases, take brief notes and file them.
    4. At the completion of the one month meeting, consolidate the notes and divide them into groupings. For example: Development; Quality Control; Process; Customer Feedback: Recurrent Issues
    5. Look for items that might be costing you money; that are easy to correct and can be implemented immediately.
    6. Look for items that have a medium term to correct and may still be worthwhile
    7. The biggest items to look for are those that may not be easy or fast to correct but may have a big impact in the future if left unchanged.

    If the items fall into the easy category; make the changes now and implement going forward.

    If the items fall into the medium category; try to subdivide them into things that can be done immediately and implement some of those.

    If the items fall into the long-term or hard category; there may be a need to assess how much effort it will require to implement a change.

    We are going to tackle how to implement next week.

  • Startups and Small Companies Need QA

    There is a common view that Quality Assurance is restricted to larger companies like Banks, Utilities, and Telecommunications organisations. This view is misleading: Startups, Small Companies and Not-for-profit groups also need QA. As a matter of fact, in many ways they need it more than some of the larger companies because larger companies have the resources to recover from a problem and often have the reputation to ride out many issues that could flatten a small company.  A Startup or Small Business is often riding on limited dollars, time and staff and does not have the resources to recover from a large problem that could affect their product or their reputation.

    Quality Assurance that a smaller organisation needs does differ from that of a larger organisation. A large organisation requires Quality Assurance processes and procedures that will allow it to continue in business while minimizing the risk to their existing systems. A smaller organisation requires Quality Assurance processes and procedures that allow it to react rapidly to market requirements and grow quickly if necessary. A small organisation does not usually need extensive Quality Control or Software Testing – they know their product inside and out and and can quickly make changes as required. Startups or small businesses need Quality Assurance that ensures that any changes made fall directly in-line with the long term growth plan of the company and the product. This might involve some of the following:

    • Design considerations for the product to allow for future growth
    • Guidelines on how enhancements are going to be added to the product so that the overall product direction is not lost
    • Coding standards to ensure future flexibility of growth

    None of the above require a huge investment in time or resources (both of which are usually in short supply in a new company). They just require some consideration and the discipline to go back every few months and make sure they are effective and efficient.