Conference Presentations

Are We There Yet? Knowing When You Have Reached Your Quality Target

Marketing may set the schedule for software delivery. Product management may create the budget. But as a test manager, how do you know when your product is ready to ship? Based on his experiences from managing small Web projects to General Manager in the Windows Division of Microsoft, Sanjay Jejurikar discusses the critical factors all test managers face making that judgement. Learn to deal with the challenges of an unmanageable test matrix (applications, hardware, browsers, OS platforms, etc). Find out how Sanjay develops his test strategy and release criteria early; then monitors risk factors to prioritize testing along the way; and finally makes that difficult quality recommendation.

  • The quality targets and release criteria to make the release process/end-game more objective
  • The critical factors to consider for prioritizing testing efforts
Sanjay Jejurikar, Disha Technologies Inc.
Validation vs. Testing in a Regulated Environment

When the FDA approved the use of electronic signatures for drug acceptance by medical professionals, the software systems that captured those signatures fell under FDA audit scrutiny. Validation testing (required by the FDA) and system testing are different, so how can you effectively use the results of one to support the other? Learn about the three phases of validation testing and how to create test scripts that will delight your customers and the auditors. Find out how Dendrite employs traceability matrices that reduce testing costs and helps you meet FDA requirements. If you're looking for new ways to improve testing, you can pick up some valuable test process tips by attending this advanced session.

  • Make your system test results meet the three phases of validations testing-IQ, OQ, and PQ
  • Write system test scripts that can be used as protocols by clients
Andrew Oliver, Dendrite International, Inc.
Measuring Testing Effectiveness using Defect Detection Percentage

How good is your testing? Can you demonstrate the detrimental effect on testing if not enough time is allowed? Dorothy Graham discusses a simple measure that has proved very useful in a number of organizations-Defect Detection Percentage or DDP. Learn what DDP is, how to calculate it, and how to use it in your organization to communicate the effectiveness of your testing. From case studies of organizations that are using DPP, you'll find out the problems you may encounter and ways to overcome them.

  • Learn what DDP is and how to calculate it using defect data you may already have
  • How best to start measuring and using DDP
  • Calculate DDP for different stages of testing (integration, system, user acceptance)
Dorothy Graham, Grove Consultants UK
Building A Dynamic Test Automation Environment

Even in a perfect world, building an organization's test automation environment is a daunting task. The numerous applications you need to test and their many operating environments require careful planning to build and operate a cost-effective test automation environment. Given the dynamically changing requirements and project timelines we must all live with, Dave Kapelanski describes a test automation process and environment to insure that you can rapidly adapt to everyday challenges and achieve higher levels of confidence in "Go" or "No Go" decisions, no matter the circumstances you encounter.

  • An adaptive process for your test automation environment
  • How to quickly create test suites based on priorities and the importance of different requirements
  • Capture quality metrics that tie requirements to test cases and test cases to defect information
Dave Kapelanski, Compuware Corporation
Testing Dialogues- Technical Issues

Test professionals face a myriad of issues with immature development technologies, changing systems environments, increasingly complex applications, and 24/7 reliability demands. We must choose the right methodology and best testing techniques to meet these challenges, all with a limited set of tools and not enough time. In this double-track session, you'll be able to ask for help from your peers, share you expertise with the group, and develop some new approaches to your biggest challenges. Johanna Rothman and Esther Derby facilitate this session, focusing on topics such as model-based testing, security testing, testing without requirements, testing in the XP/Agile world, and configuration management. Discussions are structured in a framework so participants will receive a summary of their work product after the conference.

Johanna Rothman, Rothman Consulting Group, Inc.
Testing Toolkit for J2EE Systems: A Case Study

Taking a test team from a client/server environment to J2EE-based Web technologies and implementing test automation at the same time is a challenge. Introducing an agile test methodology into a traditionally waterfall-oriented organization at the same time is even bigger. In this case study, share Clay Coleman's successes and challenges as he mentored and supported a test group throughout this project. Walk with Clay from the days of early analysis and design; through test strategy development and planning; on to test case design and automation efforts; during all stages of test execution; past system rollout; and, finally, completion of an initial regression test suite. If you think you may go through such an experience, you'll learn some lessons Clay will never forget.

  • Integrate test automation into the construction phase of a development project
Clay Coleman, CapTech Ventures
Test Driven Project Management

In Test-Driven Development (TDD), you write a test that fails before you write the code that makes the test pass. Expanding on that concept, Glenayre Technologies set up its test organization to drive project management issues, too. The test group there serves as a catalyst for involving customers early in the process, resolving issues between development and product management and making sure that management has realistic expectations about the project. They explore launch-related issues such as packaging, documentation, system configurations, and upgrade procedures at the beginning of the project and track them throughout.

  • How to establish credibility with senior management for Test-Driven Project Management
  • Focus on project risks and business issues that affect the ability to release the product
  • Ways to create rapport with all stakeholders for a positive result using this practice
Scott Lazenby, Glenayre Technologies
Use of Inspections for Product and Process Improvement

It is widely known that software inspections are a cost-effective approach for finding defects in source code as well as other project documents such as requirements specifications. You can take your inspection process to the next level by using inspections and the resulting data for process improvement throughout your software organization. Lawrence Day presents a basic process flow for inspecting source code and documentation and the keys to implementing a cost-effective inspection approach. Then, he offers a proven approach for using the inspection data to identify process and product improvement opportunities. By viewing inspections a part of your development process, you'll learn to see inspections as a valuable improvement tool.

  • The basic software inspection process, paths, and benefits
  • Inspections as a process improvement process
Lawrence Day, Boeing
Quality Assurance and .NET: How to Effectively Test Your New .NET Applications

If your organization is migrating to .NET, you need to be concerned about how .NET will impact your department's testing and quality assurance efforts. First you need to understand the technology underlying .NET applications; then you need to learn what is different about testing applications using this technology. Dan Koloski provides an overview of .NET technologies and the special considerations you need to know for testing them. Learn about testing practices that have worked for Dan and others to help your organization deliver high quality .NET applications.

  • The .NET architecture stack
  • Common and uncommon risk factors with .NET applications
  • The pitfalls of testing .NET technologies and tooling available to help
Dan Koloski, Empirix Software
Test Automation: An Architected Solution

What does it take to produce automation "testware" that is efficient, effective, maintainable, and usable? Find out what you need to know to build testware that supports code re-use, encapsulation (on many levels), recursion, object-oriented methods, testing maturity, and usability. Dan Young shows you how to implement a test automation architecture that is highly reliable and can last the entire life of the product-not just during the project. Learn to take test automation beyond the test team so that it can be used and enhanced by business analysts who have little to no knowledge of automated testing.

  • Provide the right architectural framework for test automation development
  • Reduce maintenance of test automation assets and maximize testing with limited people resources
  • How to use an automation architecture to enhance tester skill sets while reducing overall training costs
Dan Young, Schwab Performance Technologies

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