Conference Presentations

Preparing for Test Automation-Are You Ready?

Test automation requires an investment in software testing tools, equipment, personnel, and time. There is also continuous maintenance required in keeping existing test scripts current as well as developing new ones. This presentation reviews some fundamental factors to consider before making these investments. Learn how to answer the question, "Are you ready to begin automating your testing processes?" And, for those of you who answer "yes," learn an approach on implementing automated software testing in your organization based on real-world expectations.

Kerry Zallar, Bank of America
Test Automation Management

Automating the execution of tests is becoming more and more popular as the need to improve software quality amidst increasing system complexity becomes ever stronger. The appeal of having the computer run the tests in a fraction of the time it takes to perform them manually has
led many organisations to attempt test automation without a clear understanding of all that is involved. Consequently, many attempts have failed to achieve real or lasting benefits. This paper highlights a few of the more common mistakes that have contributed to these failures and offers
some thoughts on how they may be avoided.

Mark Fewster, Grove Consultants
Test Progress Reporting Using Functional Readiness

Are you looking for a way to effectively set the expectations of senior management? The Functional Readiness Matrix (FRM) is a decision-making tool that offers a simple way to represent test progress based on the functional areas or features of an application. By enabling the test team to track actual test progress against the implementation goals established early on, the FRM allows for the presentation of valid test metrics to management in a way they can understand.

Robyn Brilliant, Fannie Mae
The Change Agent: Leveraging the Testing Role

How can you help change your corporate culture to appropriately regard the role of testing? In this presentation, David Capocci shows you how to position testing as a valued part of the project team. Since testers provide the expertise in such critical areas as defect detection and prevention, their merit can be leveraged simply by making their function understood by other roles, e.g. developers, business analysts, and project managers.

David Capocci, SAFECO Insurance
User Acceptance Testing: The Overlooked and Underplanned

User acceptance testing is sometimes regarded as the red-headed stepchild of testing. Most of us tend to focus on functional and performance testing, and in doing so forget who it is we're actually developing the application for. Kevin Au makes the case that a formal process for user acceptance testing should be instituted on almost every project. Because no matter how well developed a product is, if the user doesn't like it, it'll soon be shelfware.

Kevin Au, Experio
Testing an eCommerce Shopping Cart Site

Karen Johnson takes attendees through a shopping session that recreates a number of possible scenarios-and highlights what can go wrong. She'll also explain how to prevent defects from going live on your production Web site. From securing transactions to managing cart contents, this talk is a must for anyone involved in the eCommerce arena.

Karen N. Johnson, Peapod, Inc.
How to Break Out of the Same Old Routine with Retrospectives

How many times have you finished testing on a release and said "Boy, I never want to go through one like that again." Or have you ever had a project canceled and said "If only I would have known at the beginning, what I know now, I would have done things a lot differently." Or when you finished testing on release one, said “next time I want to do it differently,” then said the same thing on releases two, three, and four? If any of these thoughts resonate with you, then I think you will be interested in the Lessons Learned process. Lessons Learned is a powerful post-mortem process that can be used at the end of a project, phase, or deliverable to evaluate how things went, and what could be improved.

Randy Slade, Kaiser Permanente Information Technology
Introduction to Usability Testing

What is usability? Why is it important? If these questions wake you in the middle of the night, then this presentation is for you. Cheryl Nesta discusses the relevance of usability testing within the broad framework of quality assurance and appropriate expectations based on its uses and applicability. Explore methodology, process flow, goal identification, and definition. Real-world examples create a hands-on introductory experience.

Cheryl L. Nesta, Vanteon
Creating Quality From Scratch: How to Build a Testing Organization

With more and more companies realizing the need for testing throughout the product development process, there's a growing demand for bigger, better QA teams. If you find yourself the first member of a newly formed department, it's likely you'll be asked to do the testing and build the team simultaneously. This presentation presents a strategy for meeting the day-to-day testing challenges, while planning for the future of the department. It tells you how you can lay the foundation and build the house-all at the same time.

Eric Patel, Nokia Home Communications
STAREAST 2001: Managing the End Game of a Software Project

How do you know when a product is ready to ship? QA managers have been faced with this question for many years. Using the methodology discussed in this presentation, you take the guessing out of shipping a product and replace it with key metrics to help you rationally make the right decision. Learn how to estimate, predict, and manage your software project as it gets closer to its release date. Learn how to define which metrics to track--and how to measure them. Discover how to define the ratings scale for each metric and how to create a spider chart for product readiness. This presentation is a must for any individual or organization that is serious about maximizing the results of positive events and minimizing the consequences of adverse ones.

Mike Ennis, BMC Software

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