Why Use a Software Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology Webinar

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Before we get started…

Janelle Abaoag

Project Insight

Marketing, Public Relations

Janelle.Abaoag@projectinsight.com

www.projectinsight.net

@projectinsight

Moderator

Cameron Watson

President, QAIassist

cwatson@qaiassist.com

www.qaiassist.com

Presenter

I am a Project Manager

I am a Business or Operational Manager

I am a software developer or software tester

I am a member of an organizational PMO, governance or

quality assurance function

I want a better understanding of IT Methodology

Who’s on the Call?

Established 2007 – Ottawa, Canada

Pioneer of IT Methodologies for small and mid-sized business (SMB’s)

Maintain and promote an IT Methodology body of knowledge (BOK) SMB’s

and practitioners rely on to optimize the delivery of products, services and

operational performance

Administer IT Methodology certification - “QAIassist Foundation”

Support practitioners and authorized affiliates in delivering IT

Methodology knowledge and expertise

Who is QAIassist?

Eleven (11) IT Methodology Webinars delivered (across the globe)

Wide array of industries (health, manufacturing, consulting, finance)

Attendees

� Executive Management

� Business & Operational Management

� Project Managers

� Business Analysts

� Architects (Functional/Technical)

� PMO/Governance

� Programmers

� Testers/Quality Assurance

� Independent Consultants

IT Methodology Webinar Summary

One session per month (3rd Wednesday)

60 minute duration

Presentation

� background and context

� delivery of content

� Q & A throughout each session

� summary

IT Methodology Webinar Format

2012 Schedule

The 3rd Wednesday of Every Month

� 8 :00 Pacific Time, 11:00 Eastern Time

IT Methodology Modules

� Integrating Methodologies into an IT Landscape (Jan 2012)

� Crossing IT Methodology Over Organizations (Feb 2012)

� Why Use a PM Lifecycle & Deliverables (Mar 2012)

� Apply PM Fundamentals for a Successful Project (Apr 2012)

� Scale PM Deliverables to Benefit Your Projects (May 2012)

� Consistently Improve Your Organizational Processes (Jun 2012)

� Why Use a Software Development Lifecycle (Jul 2012)

� Apply the Software Development Lifecycle for a Successful Project (Aug 2012)

� Why Use a Software Testing Lifecycle (Sept 2012)

� Apply the ST Lifecycle for a Successful Project (Oct 2012)

� Customize an IT Methodology for Your Organization (Nov 2012)

Share IT Methodology knowledge

Develop IT methodology

understanding & expertise

Provide additional insight into

several IT (project management,

software development, software

testing) methodologies

Discuss best practices on

incorporating an organizational IT

methodology

QAIassist 2012 Series - Goals

Module IX - Why Use a Software Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

IT Methodology – “Known”

The term “Methodology” originates in ancient Greece from the

word “Methodos” - meaning “path”

Although Business Leaders, Engineers, Scholars have long

debated and argued over which methodologies are the most

effective – all are in agreement that employing any

methodology is always beneficial

Every organization is using an IT Methodology or IT Lifecycle or

IT Framework

in partnership with

� ISO(900XXX)

� Agile

� CMMI

� ITIL

� Waterfall

� Rational Unified Process (RUP)

� QAIassist (IM)

� PMI

� Six-Sigma

� Prince2

� COBIT

Methodology – Terms, Terms

and more “terms”

IT Framework, IT Methodology, IT Lifecycle

� Non Standard usage in terminology

� Terms are used interchangeably between organizations and across the

IT industry

� Examples include

• Project Management Methodology/Lifecycle/Framework

• Software Development Methodology/Lifecycle (SDLC)/Framework

• Software Testing Methodology/Lifecycle/Framework

� Deliverable, Artifact, Work Product

IT Methodology Context

Organizational Frameworks

� ISO(900XXX), CMMI, Six-Sigma,

ITIL, COBIT

Methodologies/Lifecycles (noun)

� Rational Unified Process (RUP),

QAIassist (IM), PMI, Prince2

Methodologies/Lifecycles (verb)

� Waterfall, Spiral, Agile, RAD

IT Methodology – Map & Journey

Methodologies/Lifecycles - “noun”

� The roadmap

� Rational Unified Process (RUP),

QAIassist (IM) , PMI, Prince2

Methodologies/Lifecycles - “verb”

� The journey taken along the road

� Waterfall, Spiral, Agile, RAD ,

Prototyping, etc

Map = Noun, Journey = Verb

IBM’s Rational Unified Process (RUP)

PMI’s Project Management Methodology

QAIassist Integrated Methodology

IT Methodology/Lifecycle - Noun

All Methodologies/Lifecycles (RUP, QAIassist, PMI, Prince2) define,

utilize and rely on their own pre-defined structure, naming

conventions, and terminology

Hierarchy/Structure

� Methodology/Lifecycle (ie Project Management, Software Development ,

Software Testing)

� Phase/Stage (ie Initiate, Planning, Design, Closeout)

� Deliverable/Artifact/Work Product (ie Project Charter, Testing Strategy)

� Activity (tasks performed to complete deliverables, artifacts, work products)

“Deliverable/Artifact/Work Product”

versus “Activity”

Building a House

Deliverable (Artifact, Work Product)

� Blue Prints

� Foundation poured

� Windows installed

Activity (non-Deliverable, non-Artifact, non Work Product)

� Meeting with Architect to review Blue Prints

� Mixing concrete to pour the foundation

� Authorizing purchase of the wood needed to complete the window frame

Module IX - Why Use a Software

Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

Software Testing Lifecycle Objectives

Every organization is using a Software Testing Methodology or

Software Testing Lifecycle or Software Testing Framework to deliver

products and/or services

� Prerequisite – an official project must exist – defined and approved

� Plan and deliver all necessary testing deliverables and activities

� Ensure solution adheres to the authorized user requirements

� Ensure solution meets all of the business needs

� Ensure solution achieves user expectations and authorization prior to

being utilized in a production environment

Organizational Audiences

Corporate Owner

Project Owners & Stakeholders

Line Managers

Project Managers

Business Analysts

System Architects & Analysts

Programmers & Testers

Quality Assurance/Governance

End Users

Module IX - Why Use a Software

Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

STLC – Context

Development

• new development

• new functionality

• new Project Team

• new user documentation

• new technical support

documentation

Maintenance/Support

• enhanced functionality to

existing application

• stable maintenance team

• revision of existing user

documentation

• revision of existing technical

documentation

New Development projects only

Maintenance and Support projects only

All projects

No projects

Applying an STLC ?

Module IX - Why Use a Software

Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

Traditional “V” Diagram

STLC Integration

QAIassist Integrated Methodology

STLC Integration

Module IX - Why Use a Software

Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

STLC – Scalability

Agile

• Multiple and continuous

iterations through the STLC

• Ongoing hinge with developing

functionality (test as

functionality is developed)

• Limited (if any) documentation

(user or technical) - may have

impact on user implementation

and maintenance

• Limited Structure

Waterfall

• One iteration through the STLC

• Testing of functionality separate

and apart from the software

development lifecycle

• Continuous creation, review and

approval of formal

documentation

• Formal Structure

STLC Delivery Approaches

“Agile” vs “Waterfall”

QAIassist Integrated Methodology

Module IX - Why Use a Software

Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

STLC Fundamentals 101

Viable STLC’s (noun) are designed to help not hinder

STLC’s (noun) are applicable in development, maintenance and

support environments

STLC’s (noun) are applicable to a wide range of IT delivery

approaches (waterfall, spiral, agile, RAD, prototyping, etc)

No hard or specific rules (ie iterations, frequency of iterations,

deliverables to be completed) of how an STLC (noun) can best

be applied or leveraged by an organization or project team

STLC Fundamentals 102

STLC deliverables (and content) may be re-usable between

projects

Not every deliverable of every STLC has to be completed for

every project - any and every STLC deliverable to be completed

must add value to the project

Not every section or sub-section of every STLC deliverable has

to be completed for every project - information used to

populate every STLC deliverable must add value to the project

An STLC can act as an organizational process

STLC “Project” Context

STLC “Project” Context

(singular project usage)

Objectives

� Plan testing deliverables & activities

� Ensure functionality satisfies business

requirements

� Ensure functionality meets business need

� Deliver functionality to Users on Time and

within Budget

Audience/Roles

� Project Managers

� Business Analysts

� System Architects & Analysts

� Programmers & Testers

� End Users

STLC Benefits “Project” Context

On Time – project teams are able to scale

and leverage the phases and deliverables

to effectively deliver projects and

functionality

Within Budget – familiarity and recurring

usage provides project teams a tool they

can reuse to consistently deliver

applications within budget

Built In “Quality” – structure ensures

project teams are working on the right

deliverables for the right reasons to deliver

the right solutions

STLC

“Process” Context

STLC “Process” Context

(all organizational projects)

Objectives

� Establish repeatable (measurable) process

– deliver quality projects on time and

within budget

� Quality Assurance/Governance

� Measurement and Improvement

Audience/Roles

� Project Owners/Corporate Stakeholders

� Project Teams

� Organizational PMO, QA, Governance

� End Users

STLC Benefits

“Process” Context

Common IT Process – applying a testing

methodology/lifecycle to IT development and

maintenance activities contributes to a standard

organizational approach (adhering to budget,

schedule, quality, resource flexibility)

Quality Assurance & Governance – provides the

basis for organizational process management -

verifying and evaluating how organizational staff

are utilizing the process

Metrics/Measurement – provides the basis for

assessing process usage and how it can be

improved upon

Does your organization perform reviews and/or

audits on how its STLC is used ?

� Ongoing

� Infrequently

� Never

� None of the above

Poll

Module IX - Why Use a Software

Testing Lifecycle

IT Methodology – general context

Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC) objectives

STLC Context – development, maintenance

STLC Integration – PMLC, SDLC

STLC Delivery Approaches – waterfall, agile, etc

STLC Fundamentals & Benefits

Recap

Body of Knowledge

Methodology/Lifecycle/Deliverables – www.qaiassist.com

� Project Management, Software Development, Software Testing

Body of Knowledge (Library) – www.qaiassist.com

� Methodology Origin – origins of methodology – identifies the differences between

the path we take (noun) and how we proceed (verb) down that path

� Context & Overview – provides a general overview of IT Methodology and how it

can be applied within an organization

� Deliverable Descriptions - provides general descriptions for all the deliverables of

the QAIassist Integrated Methodology

Until Next Session…

Keep Posing your Questions – call or send your questions in (Janelle and/or

Cameron)

Explore the QAIassist Body of Knowledge – refer to the QAIassist Body of

Knowledge (sample deliverables, whitepapers, blog articles) – (www-qaiassist.com)

QAIassist Practitioner - find out more about becoming a certified QAIassist

Practitioner

Tell your friends - tell your friends, coworkers and colleagues about the Project

Insight/QAIassist webinars – invite them to join us at the next session

Continuing Follow Up – send out a survey at the completion of every webinar,

follow up with attendees to obtain their suggestions and recommendation

2012 Schedule

The 3rd Wednesday of Every Month

� 8 :00 Pacific Time, 11:00 Eastern Time

IT Methodology Modules

� Integrating Methodologies into an IT Landscape (Jan 2012)

� Crossing IT Methodology Over Organizations (Feb 2012)

� Why Use a PM Lifecycle & Deliverables (Mar 2012)

� Apply PM Fundamentals for a Successful Project (Apr 2012)

� Scale PM Deliverables to Benefit Your Projects (May 2012)

� Consistently Improve Your Organizational Processes (Jun 2012)

� Why Use a Software Development Lifecycle (Jul 2012)

� Apply the Software Development Lifecycle for a Successful Project (Aug 2012)

� Why Use a Software Testing Lifecycle (Sept 2012)

� Apply the Software Testing Lifecycle for a Successful Project (Oct 2012)

� Customize an IT Methodology for Your Organization (Nov 2012)

Janelle Abaoag

Project Insight

Marketing, Public Relations

Janelle.Abaoag@projectinsight.com

www.projectinsight.net

@projectinsight

Moderator