Six key phases are listed by Michael Hackett for test process improvements that require planning, execution and evaluation at all company levels.
Michael Hackett
Testing is often looked upon by many as an unmanageable, unpredictable, unorganized practice with little structure. It is common to hear questions or complaints from development including:
- What are test teams doing?
- Testing takes too long
- Testers have negative attitudes
Testers know that these complaints and questions are often unfair and untrue. Setting aside the development/testing debate, there can always be room for improvement. The first step in improving strategy and turning a test team into a higher performance test team is getting a grasp on where you are now. You want to address the following:
- What type of testing is effective?
- Are we testing the right things at the right time?
- Do we need a staffing upgrade?
- What training does our team need?
How does the product team value the test effort?
In this article, we provide a framework for assessing your team: planning your assessment, executing the assessment and judging your current performance, using the information, and charting an improvement plan towards higher performance.
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Michael is a Certified Scrum Master and has co-authored two books on software testing. Testing Applications on the Web: Test Planning for Mobile and Internet-Based Systems (Wiley, 2nd ed. 2003), available in English, Chinese and Japanese, and Global Software Test Automation (HappyAbout Publishing, 2006). He is a founding member of the Board of Advisors at the University of California Berkeley Extension and has taught for the Certificate in Software Quality Engineering and Management at the University of California Santa Cruz Extension. As a member of IEEE, his training courses have brought Silicon Valley testing expertise to over 16 countries."