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Are You Ready?

 A contractor or new employee is about to start work in your department. Have you paved the way for the new arrival to hit the job running? Check out this guide to make sure you've thought of everything.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
The Product Champion: Making Sure that Customer, Team, and Business Needs Are Well Represented in the Development Process

Having a close relationship with the customer is always a good idea. But with that relationship comes risks. Most projects could use a knight in shining armor to protect their product's future. Discover how a product champion can help your organization stay focused on the customer without losing sight of the big picture.

Linda Rising's picture Linda Rising
Visual Requirements

Instead of wading through requirements documents, try drawing them instead. Learn about three simple diagrams and how to turn them quickly into valuable models. The diagrams presented here represent the most commonly used types for each of the three software dimension perspectives: data flow diagrams for function, class diagrams for information, and state transition diagrams for behavior.

Becky Winant
Troubleshooting Risk-Based Testing

It's not easy to know the ways that a product might fail, determine how important the failures would be if they occurred, and then develop and excuse tests to discover whether or not the product would indeed fail in those ways. Renowned tester James Bach shares some of his tips for dealing with common risk-based testing obstacles.

James Bach's picture James Bach
A Small Matter of Metrics

Think you’re ready to launch your new metrics program? Think again. Find out how conducting a trial measurement program on yourself first can give you valuable insights and understanding. Learn about the value and limits of measurement, gain knowledge into why many software measurement efforts fail, and prepare yourself for launching a successful program.

Dave W. Smith
Taking Test-Driven Development for a Drive

Sometimes TDD (Test-Driven Development) doesn't get used because it can be cost prohibitive to a testing budget. Read on as Joel Spolsky laments the limited real-life usefulness of test-driven development and discusses some common roadblocks to using this testing technique.

Joel Spolsky
When You're Tested

This article details interview behavior basics you should follow before, during, and after the interview. Jonathan Bach shares the secrets of putting your best foot forward when you're the one being tested.

Jon Bach's picture Jon Bach
A Look at Test Automation with Rational's RobotJ

Borrowing ideas from Robot, Rational's RobotJ focuses on automating a specific class of applications: Java and Web (HTML). RobotJ's scripts are based on a commom language (Java2), instead of yet another scripting language specific to yet another automation tool. Tom Arnold takes a look at test automation with Rational's RobotJ.

Tom Arnold
But It's a Feature!

When you file a bug report, you become a bug advocate. It's your job to follow up to see that the bug is addressed one way or another. The way you write your report influences whether the application's behavior is changed. In this issue's "Bug Report," Danny Faught gives tips on writing successful bug reports.

Danny R. Faught's picture Danny R. Faught
Robert Charette on Risk Management

Risk Management can be divided into three general types: risk management and decision-making, the process and mechanics of IT risk management, and the practice of risk management. In this issue's "Reference Point," Bob Charette recommends some useful resources on risk management.

Robert Charette

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