Software testing, which was thought of as a support function until a few years ago, is now seen as a core function. Testers are seen as the last line of defense to determine the success or failure of a product in the field. CIO's looking closely at this area to assess quality and reduce costs, now look at how to accurately measure the effectiveness of process improvement initiatives.

Most projects do not fail because of bad business cases, poorly defined requirements, or inadequate testing.These are all symptoms that turn up at the project level. Project failures along with failed software process improvement initiatives, reflect a fundamental failure of "tone at the top." Often a Collective Protective Inertia Syndrome and other organizational pathologies control how decisions, including project governance decisions, are made.

Everyone responds to change differently, whether managers know this or not. A good leader knows this, and doesn't hurt the morale of a team by expecting them to act a way that their incapable of, or that feels unnatural to them. Naomi Karten brings this all to light in this article.

Testers and test managers who come equipped with their own practices and tools can save time and effort and get a head start on their projects. In this column, test manager and consultant Fiona Charles describes the "go with me" collection she has built over many years and projects to help leverage her varied experience and provide a quick start on new deliverables.