"How To Survive Agile and DevOps - A Test Management Guide" - National Software Testing Conference May 2018

If you work in Test Management at any senior level, and you read the Agile literature, then you might think that you’ll soon be out of a job. That need not be the case.

The skills that you have built up over the years can still be applied. The experience you’ve gained can still provide guidance. By revisiting the core of both Testing and Test Management we’ll understand how our lessons learned are relevant in Agile and DevOps.

This pragmatic and case study based presentation will provide the Do’s and Don'ts to help you survive, and potentially thrive, in Modern Software Development projects.

Transcript

1. How to Survive Agile & Devops A Test Management Guide Alan Richardson (@EvilTester) EvilTester.com / CompendiumDev.co.uk @EvilTester 1
2. What are Agile & Devops? •Any Formal Definitions? •Approached the same in every company? •Everyone agrees on what they are? EvilTester.com/agile @EvilTester 2
3. When does Testing Thrive? When Ambiguity is Alive, Then Testing will Thrive, With Uncertainty as well, Testing can Excel. @EvilTester 3
4. Everything is up for grabs •Agile literature focuses on a model of the “Team as a System” • Real world is messier than this • Management are often not included in the model @EvilTester 4
5. The QA & Testing Mix-up • If Quality is owned by the team • and QA == Testing • And we have Automated Testing • And Automated Tests • Then • What need have we for Test Management? @EvilTester 5
6. Everything is up for grabs •“They” don’t know how Test Management Fits • Test Managers have to demonstrate @EvilTester 6 We are confused about Testing
7. Everything is up for grabs •With no formal definitions, • there are competing idealized models of the process @EvilTester 7
8. “Nothing is true, everything is permitted.” • Hassan-I Sabbah • Alamut, by Vladimir Bartol • William S. Burroughs • Assassin’s Creed @EvilTester 8
9. Idealised models clash Idealised model of Agile / Devops Clashes With Idealised model of Test Management @EvilTester 9
10. Meanwhile Back in the Real world The Actual System of Development Has a Negotiable Relationship With Individuals with Skills and Experience @EvilTester 10
11. Take a Systems View • How does ‘your’ Agile / DevOps Project work? • What are the Risks? • What are the Issues? • What can you do? • Amplification / Attenuation of Signals /Noise • What do people expect you to do? @EvilTester 11
12. Take a Systems View • How does ‘your’ Agile / DevOps Project work? • What are the Risks? • What are the Issues? • What can you do? • Amplification / Attenuation of Signals /Noise • What do people expect you to do? @EvilTester 12 Dynamics Model Subjective Model Skills / Experience Model Communication Model External ‘Role’ Model
13. A Tester Model @EvilTester 13
14. Case Study Lessons • My First Agile Project • Had to ‘carve out’ a Role, no-one knew how Testing fits in, drew upon Test Management & Testing skills • Filled in the ‘gaps’ in the process • Clarified the ‘test strategy’ across Dev & Users • Amplified the ‘risks’, ‘ambiguities’ • Hands on Testing & Automating @EvilTester 14
15. @EvilTester 15 A Test Management Model
16. Case Study Lessons • ‘Traditional’ Test Management within Agile • Line management and Skill development of Testers. Who else: • Makes sure testers can test in Agile? • Recruits testers, guides testing, reviews testing for depth and coverage, tailors lightweight reporting, investigates alternative automated execution. • Co-ordinates UAT? Communicates testing? • “Outcome” Process Risk Issues @EvilTester 16
17. An Advisor Model @EvilTester 17
18. Advisor Model Case Study Lessons • Protect teams from ‘non-agile’ • Recruit / Mentor Testers • Demonstrate Automated Execution approaches • Demonstrate / Explain Exploratory and Technical Testing • Risk Amplification @EvilTester 18
19. A Manager Model @EvilTester 19
20. A Manager Model – Case Study Lessons • Management Skills • Politics, Risk Amplification, Defending the Testers • Training and Mentoring of Testers • Outsourcing, Recruitment • Working with PMs to augment management at different stages in the project • Testing • Automating, Tool Selection, Performance Testing @EvilTester 20
21. A Manager / Coach Model @EvilTester 21
22. A Manager / Coach Model - Case Study Lessons • Management Skills Required • Process Advocacy, Risk Advocacy • Career / Skill Management • Mentoring of Testers – right skills, right approaches, etc. • Coach Skills required • Mentoring developers in Testing • Testing Skills • Automating, Technical Exploratory Testing @EvilTester 22
23. Common Elements • Who helps testers survive in Agile? • Right skills sets, appropriate approaches • Who helps testing survive in Agile? • Evidence of testing, coverage, risk identification and amplification • Core of testing is unchanged • We test because we want to evidence functional coverage, find problems, identify and mitigate risk • We can help that happen @EvilTester 23
24. You Are A System • You are a System • Experience, • Skills • You interface with other Systems • Individuals, • Teams, • Management, • Processes @EvilTester 24
25. Work with the Actual Systems, not their Ideals @EvilTester 25
26. You Are not your Role • A role is an attempt to codify the INITIAL expectations of a person in a specific situation • Own the situation. • Identify the best ways to interface • Amplify value. @EvilTester 26
27. Get Help When you Need it Alan Richardson Independent Consultant • EvilTester.com/agile • CompendiumDev.co.uk • JavaForTesters.com • SeleniumSimplified.com @EvilTester 27