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Keynote Sessions & Speakers| Wednesday, May 18, 8:45 AM |
A New Paradigm for Collecting and Interpreting Bug Metrics
James Bach, Satisfice Inc.
Many software test organizations count bugs; however, most do not derive much value from the practice, and other metrics can actually harm the quality of their software or their organization. Although valuable insights can be gained from examining find and fix rates or by graphing open bugs over time, you can be more easily fooled than informed by such metrics. Metrics used for control instead of inquiry tend to promote dysfunctional behavior whenever people know they are being measured. In this session, James Bach examines the subtleties of bug metrics analysis and shows examples of both helpful and misleading metrics from actual projects. Instead of the well-known Goal/Question/Metric paradigm, James presents a less intrusive approach to measurement that he describes as the Observe/Inquire/Model. Learn about the dynamics and dangers of measurement and a new approach to improve your metrics and the software you produce.
James Bach is founder and principal consultant of Satisfice, Inc., a software testing and quality assurance company. James cut his teeth as a programmer, tester, and SQA manager in Silicon Valley and the world of market-driven software development. He has worked at Apple, Borland, a couple of startups, and a few consulting companies, including a stint as chief scientist at STLabs, an independent software testing laboratory. In 1999, James designed the General Functionality and Stability Test Procedure for the Microsoft Windows 2000 Application Certification program, which may be the first published example of a formalized intuitive testing process.
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| Wednesday, May 18, 10:00 AM |
Testing of Web-Based and Java Applications with Models Winner: Best Presentation STARWEST 2004
Jeff Feldstein, Cisco Systems
With most GUI test tools that exist today, model-based testing for Java applications is extremely difficult to implement. According to Jeff Feldstein, you need a scripting language that allows for creating and manipulating complex data structures and driving your tests with models of the application. Learn about Jeff’s success and the obstacles he faced implementing model-based testing for Java and HTML applications. During the presentation, Jeff demonstrates the use of IBM Rational Functional Tester and Java to create a model of HTML application and shows examples of the programming required for model-based testing. Learn ways to implement the data structures required for modeling in Java, what to avoid in creating the models, and how to automatically adapt test cases to changes in the application's GUI. Java and Functional Tester source code will be made available for you to use as the basis of a model-based test for your application.
Jeff Feldstein has been a software developer, tester, and manager for 24 years. Specialties have included internetworking, real-time embedded systems, communications systems, hardware diagnostics and firmware, databases, information systems support, and test technologies. He has developed software in Java, C/C++, and assembler; on Microsoft Windows, UNIX, Linux, and proprietary multi-tasking, real-time kernels. At Cisco Systems Jeff currently manages a team of 38 Test Engineers who test an internally developed operating system used by Cisco's network management products. Jeff is a frequent speaker at test and user conferences throughout the US.
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| Wednesday, May 18, 4:30 PM |
Plans, Processes, and Practices for Successful Test Outsourcing
Martin Pol, Polteq IT Services, B.V.
There are many reasons why outsourcing IT activities requires extra attention, especially when it concerns software testing. Examples of complete failures are common, and ''backsourcing'' is not uncommon today. Outsourcing test activities requires a comprehensive planning roadmap from the initial idea to implementation steps and ongoing processes. Martin Pol discusses creating a service level agreement for test outsourcing, managing the transition, approaches for cultural adjustments, and ways to monitor the outsourced work. An outsourcing relationship can be compared to a marriage, from the initial flirting through matrimonial happiness. Faith, flexibility, and openness based on trust are required for both a happy marriage and a successful outsourcing relationship. The difference is that outsourcing requires arrangements for ending the relationship before the wedding. In this compelling presentation, Martin also discusses the important issue of how to verify that the outsourcing service company is effectively performing its test responsibilities.
Martin Pol has played a significant role in helping to raise the awareness and improve the performance of testing in Europe. He is the co-author of the TMap® method, now a standard approach for structured testing, and the Test Process Improvement (TPI®) method. Martin provides international testing consulting services through Polteq IT Services, B.V. Martin has worked with test outsourcing for more than fifteen years, successfully dealing with technical, management, and cultural issues.
TMap ®, TPPI ®, and TPI ® are registered trademarks of Sogeti USA LLC.
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| Thursday, May 19, 8:30 AM |
Get a New Agile Attitude—Quality First
Robert C. Martin, Object Mentor, Inc.
For decades quality assurance (QA) has been a back-end loaded process. Developers put the bugs in, and QA tests the bugs out. For nearly as long, testers have bemoaned the fact that quality can't be put in at the end, that quality must be built in from the beginning. Support for this view has grown from the grassroots within the development community and is now spreading like wildfire in the software industry. The practice of building (and testing) quality in throughout the development process has come from an unexpected source: Agile methods. Agile methods demand a strong reliance on both automated component testing and acceptance testing. Agile practices recommend that those tests be developed before the code is written and that the tests act as the true requirements for the software. Robert Martin examines the history, attitudes, techniques, and tools that are leading to a revolution in the very definition of QA and the tasks testers are asked to perform. At long last, it looks like there is a pragmatic way to “test then code.”
Robert C. Martin has been a software professional since 1970 and is founder and president of Object Mentor, Inc., an international firm specializing in process improvement consulting, object-oriented software design consulting, training, and skill development services. Robert has published dozens of articles in various trade journals, authored and edited several industry reference books, and is a regular speaker at international conferences and trade shows. A leader in the industry of software development, Robert served three years as the editor-in-chief of the C++ Report and served as the first chairman of the Agile Alliance
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| Thursday, May 19, 4:15 PM |
Quality Interactions: Building Effective Working Relationships
Esther Derby, Esther Derby Associates, Inc.
As software professionals, we all care about quality. We focus our efforts on building quality into the code and testing to assess quality and find errors before our customers do. However, there is an important element of quality that comes before all that and is critical to delivering reliable software: quality working relationships and quality interactions. Esther Derby covers pragmatic strategies for building, strengthening, and maintaining working relationships with all stakeholders—managers, customers, team members, and peers. The first step is to build a foundation of trust and respect. Then, we must focus on interests rather than positions and seek joint solutions to problems. We should use the richest communication channel available for our interactions and make a generous interpretation of others’ actions. Esther provokes you to honestly evaluate how you and others in your team interact today and how you can truly have quality interactions every day.
Esther Derby is one of the rare breeds of consultants who blend technical and managerial issues with the people-side issues. She is well known for helping teams grow to new levels of productivity. Project retrospectives and project assessments are two of Esther's key practices that serve as tools to start a team's transformation. Recognized as one of the world's leaders in retrospective facilitation, she often receives requests to work with struggling teams. Esther is one of the founders of the Amplify Your Effectiveness (AYE) Conference.
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The Imperative of Non-Functional System Testing
Julian Harty, Commercetest.com Ltd., UK
Ignore or downplay non-functional system testing at your peril. A thorough, well-executed nonfunctional test plan discovers software defects usually overlooked with functional testing. From security, scalability, and usability issues to legal 508 accessibility, recovery processes and more, testing non-functional requirements can mean the difference between success and failure. Julian Harty describes key non-functional test practices and demonstrates the value of each. From the testers’ point of view, functional testing will become less valued as outsourcing, automation, and improved programming techniques combine to make functional testing less a factor. As the risks and costs of failures increase, the need for non-functional testing will continue to grow, and test engineers who have system testing experience will be more valued. Learn what it takes to become a skilled non-functional tester and how to best incorporate this testing into your test strategy.
Julian Harty, with 18 years of industrial experience including managing and maintaining the performance of large-scale international online systems, has had many roles including managing test and development teams. Julian is currently the Managing Director of Commercetest, a company he founded in 1999. He is passionate about helping people deliver reliable, fast systems that work and is an occasional speaker and trainer on topics ranging from e-procurement to security and performance testing. He is an active member of the BCS testing working party, a team that is responsible for developing a standard for non-functional testing techniques.
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