Continuous Improvement for Software Testers

- A Case Study

3 March 2010

Farid VaswaniBlog: *http://geek4eva.com/ || Twitter: *http://twitter.com/FVaswani/

University of Auckland

University of Auckland

• New Zealand’s biggest University• 6,000 staff• 35,000 students every year• Multi-million dollar projects – IT and non-IT

ITS – Group Applications• 250 staff in ITS• 50+ staff in Group Applications• Group Applications provides software services

o Development, Integration, Maintenance, etc

Introduction

Flashback - 2007

• Ad-hoc manual testing• Randomly documented test scripts• No tool for recording test results• No specific tool for managing defects• Limited (outsourced) Security testing• No Performance testing• No automated regression testing

Future Plans:2007…

New Technology

More Projects+

Future Projects: 2007 - 2010

• PeopleSoft HR upgrade: 12 months• New CMS implementation (1 main + 25 sub-sites): 24

months• PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Upgrade: 20 months• Research+: 12 months• Syllabus+: 18 months• Hyperion & DSS Star reporting: 9 months• Application for Admission: 12 months• Deliberate Academic Misconduct: 8 months• Expression of Interest (PhD): 9 months• Identity and Access Management: 12 months

Future Infrastructure: 2007 - 2010

• Service Oriented Architecture• Software as a Service (SaaS)• Implement Weblogic Integration• Real-time WLI interfaces• Develop in-house GRAILS and JAVA based web

applications• Data Warehousing

Future Infrastructure

Challenges

• Managing STLC (Software Testing Lifecycle)• Standardised processes• Repeatable and accessible test scripts• Automated regression testing• Performance testing• Security testing• Usability testing

Strategy

SKILLS

PROCES-SES

Strategy

INFRAST-RUCTURE

TOOLS

PEOPLE

Strategy: Processes

• Consulted various other teams and departments.• Development team implemented Agile• Early involvement of QA• Documented and enforced the STLC process• Regular defect reporting• Consistent – Industry standard processes

o that suited our environment

Strategy: People

• Hired additional testerso With technical & development backgroundo Who can write SQL querieso Who can access and understand logso Who had some scripting knowledgeo But at the same time were GOOD testers

Strategy: Skills

• Invested in training peopleo Class trainingo Conferenceso Presentationso ISTQB certification

• Freedom to explore and implement new tools• Learn while you work

Strategy: Tools

• HP Quality Center• HP QuickTest Pro• Jmeter• SoapUI• IBM AppScan• HermesJMS• Enterprise Wiki for knowledge sharing

Strategy: Infrastructure

• Setup a test labo Multiple VMs and Mac machine

Performance testing Compatibility testing Security scans

Strategy

SKILLS

PROCES-SES

Strategy

INFRAST-RUCTURE

TOOLS

PEOPLE

Now – 2010: What are the benefits?

• Documented STLC process• Repeatable and accessible test scripts• Automated regression testing• Performance testing• Security testing• Usability (outsourced)• QA PIR (Post Implementation Review)

o Implement new learning/opportunitieso Continuous improvement

Continuous Improvement

Questions

Continuous Improvement for Software Testers- A Case Study

3 March 2010

Farid VaswaniBlog: *http://geek4eva.com/ || Twitter: *http://twitter.com/FVaswani/

University of Auckland

Thank You

* Disclaimer: All the content shared through these links are my personal views and not of my employer.