How to Survive Agile & Devops A Test Management Guide Alan Richardson (@EvilTester) EvilTester.com / CompendiumDev.co.uk @EvilTester 1 

What are Agile & Devops? •Any Formal Definitions? •Approached the same in every company? •Everyone agrees on what they are? EvilTester.com/agile @EvilTester 2 

When does Testing Thrive? When Ambiguity is Alive, Then Testing will Thrive, With Uncertainty as well, Testing can Excel. @EvilTester 3 

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 

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 

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 

Everything is up for grabs •With no formal definitions, • there are competing idealized models of the process @EvilTester 7 

“Nothing is true, everything is permitted.” • Hassan-I Sabbah • Alamut, by Vladimir Bartol • William S. Burroughs • Assassin’s Creed @EvilTester 8 

Idealised models clash Idealised model of Agile / Devops Clashes With Idealised model of Test Management @EvilTester 9 

Meanwhile Back in the Real world The Actual System of Development Has a Negotiable Relationship With Individuals with Skills and Experience @EvilTester 10 

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 

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 

A Tester Model @EvilTester 13 

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 

@EvilTester 15 A Test Management Model 

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 

An Advisor Model @EvilTester 17 

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 

A Manager Model @EvilTester 19 

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 

A Manager / Coach Model @EvilTester 21 

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 

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 

You Are A System • You are a System • Experience, • Skills • You interface with other Systems • Individuals, • Teams, • Management, • Processes @EvilTester 24 

Work with the Actual Systems, not their Ideals @EvilTester 25 

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 

Get Help When you Need it Alan Richardson Independent Consultant • EvilTester.com/agile • CompendiumDev.co.uk • JavaForTesters.com • SeleniumSimplified.com @EvilTester 27