Conference Presentations

Did Your Tests Pass or Fail? Answering with Automation

Automated tests using self-verifying data (SVD) can help determine if your query-type tests have the right information or if they are showing you the expected views. In this presentation, Noel Nyman provides a brief overview of an SVD testing method followed by a demonstration of automation techniques that allow you to run random tests on SVDs with millions of records or entries. Using applications such as Microsoft Office, learn how to adapt the techniques taught in this presentation to many different types of applications using most of the common automation tools.

Noel Nyman, Microsoft
Applying Development Best Practices to Automated Testing

Test automation is a specialized form of software development where executable code is produced for the validation and testing process. Many best practices have been identified to allow developers to code more quickly, efficiently, and correctly, but few test automators have adopted these practices. Learn about several of these "best practices"-including code reviews and coding standards-that can be applied to automated test development. Discover how you, as an automated test developer, can capitalize on the benefits provided by these practices.

Andy Tinkham, Spherion Technology Architects
Establishing Best Testing Practices in Your Organization

The path to best testing practices begins with communication. By building relationships with a product's key players-developers, analysts, and end users-your test team can achieve a higher level of both quality and customer satisfaction. Discover the link between effective communication and implementing critical step-by-step test processes such as test conditions, test case design, test data construction, and reporting.

Michelle Lynn Baldwin, Booz, Allen & Hamilton
Test Progress Reporting Using Functional Readiness

Are you looking for a way to effectively set the expectations of senior management? The Functional Readiness Matrix (FRM) is a decision-making tool that offers a simple way to represent test progress based on the functional areas or features of an application. By enabling the test team to track actual test progress against the implementation goals established early on, the FRM allows for the presentation of valid test metrics to management in a way they can understand.

Robyn Brilliant, Fannie Mae
Introduction to Usability Testing

What is usability? Why is it important? If these questions wake you in the middle of the night, then this presentation is for you. Cheryl Nesta discusses the relevance of usability testing within the broad framework of quality assurance and appropriate expectations based on its uses and applicability. Explore methodology, process flow, goal identification, and definition. Real-world examples create a hands-on introductory experience.

Cheryl L. Nesta, Vanteon
SM/ASM 2002: The Business Case for Software Quality

Each generation of technology-from mainframe to the Internet-creates many opportunities for businesses to try new things. But with uncharted territory comes exponentially increased risks. One way to reduce risk is to implement effective software quality processes. However, the investment required to improve development and testing infrastructures can be significant. Richard Bender addresses fourteen major areas of opportunity that underscore why this investment is critical if an organization is to succeed. He covers areas such as increasing project failure rate, the limited supply of software professionals, rising support costs, and the implications of eCommerce.

Richard Bender, Bender & Associates
Mentors, Models, and the Making of Managers: Special Panel Discussion

Each of us has a story about how we came to be managers in software organizations. Many of us became managers because we were good developers. Some of us studied management in school. A few of us were groomed and mentored by the companies we work for, and some were tapped for management because we were the only warm body available. But now that we're here, what does it take to become an effective manager? Is being mentored and developed as a manager considered a luxury? Join this interactive panel and discuss the real-life issues and challenges of developing ourselves-and others-as software managers.

Moderator: Esther Derby ( Esther Derby Associates, Inc.)
Predictive Metrics to Estimate Post Project Costs

How much will it cost to support your software project based on current estimations? Discover the answer to this question by using statistical estimation methods-including the S-curve and the Rayleigh curve-to help you determine where your projects are in relation to required quality and trendings to meet your post-project cost goals. Learn how to use metrics to predict post-project costs and make better release decisions based on these predictions.

Geoffrey Facer, Intel Corporation
System Architectures-An International Viewpoint

The software engineering industry has invented a wide variety of architectures and technologies for building applications, yet all of these architectures have some common features and issues. One such common issue is internationalization. No matter how you build your application, it will more than likely be viewed and used by people from different cultures, nationalities, and backgrounds. This presentation gives you a lighthearted tour of the common application architectures. Examine how some of these architectures make internationalization and globalization easier, harder, or just plain peculiar. If you have always wondered what an n-tier architecture is or how it plays internationally, thie session is for you!

Benson Margulies, Basis Technology
Experiences with Global Software Architecture Design and Development

In this paper, we describe our experience designing and developing a system-for acquiring and processing data from electric, gas, and water meters-among four development sites located in Switzerland, Germany, and the U.S. Some of the techniques we used for project planning and management are described. We observed that a number of multicultural variables affect the overall performance of the development team. Based on our experience, a set of recommendations is given for managing global software development teams. Although we collectively felt that a single-site project team is likely to be more efficient than a multi-site team, the diversity of ideas and skills offered by a multi-site team resulted in a product line architecture that is flexible, modifiable, and adaptable to different market requirements.

Daniel Paulish, Siemens Corporate Research

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