Peter Zimmerer - Establishing Testing Knowledge and Experience Sharing at Siemens
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Transcript of Peter Zimmerer - Establishing Testing Knowledge and Experience Sharing at Siemens
Copyright © Siemens AG 2008. All rights reserved.
Corporate Technology
Establishing Testing Knowledge and Experience Sharing at Siemens
16th EuroSTAR Conference 2008The Hague, Netherlands
Peter ZimmererPrincipal Engineer
Siemens AG, CT SE 1Corporate Technology
Corporate Research and TechnologiesSoftware & Engineering, Development Techniques
81739 Munich, [email protected]
http://www.siemens.com/research-and-development/http://www.siemens.com/corporate-technology/
Page 2 November 12, 2008 © Siemens AG, Corporate TechnologyPeter Zimmerer, CT SE 1
Contents
Introduction and motivation
History and themes
Some numbers and examples
Lessons learned
Summary
Page 3 November 12, 2008 © Siemens AG, Corporate TechnologyPeter Zimmerer, CT SE 1
Introduction
One significant factor for a better future of software testing lies in a better knowledge sharing and exchange of our experience – but how to do it in practice?
Learn from an example of how we at Siemens have effectively approached this issue over several years
Remark:This is not the only thing you could / should do w.r.t. a better future of software testing
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Siemens Corporate Technology Technologies, competencies and services for the Groups
corporate projects,top+
innovation
Customer
Regions
Sectors / Divisions
Corporate Intellectual Property and Functions (CT I) Intellectual Property services and
strategy Standardization, environmental
affairs, Information research center
Corporate Research and Technologies (CT T) Core technologies and
competencies with multiple impact Pictures of the Future Accelerators for new business
opportunities
Corporate Technology (CT)
Energy Industry Healthcare
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Start in 2001 …
Survey at the Siemens business units to identify and collect requirements, needs, demands expectations proposed topicsfor a new, Siemens internal conference event:
Exchange of Experience: Testing
Areas with highest interest1. Testing approaches and methods2. Test automation2. Efficiency in testing3. Best practice sharing of experiences, problems, and solutions to testing relevant topics
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The Exchange of Experience: Testing
Event in the context of the globalSiemens Software Initiative (SWI) Enterprise-wide initiative since 1995 Strategic approach focused on the Optimization of
Software Development at Siemens Structure: outsourcing, offshoring Processes: maturity, simplification, standardization, stabilization Synergies: architecture, platforms
Best Practice Sharing approach
Organized and presented by CT SE 1
A service for the Siemens sectorsby Siemens Corporate Technology
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Goals and intention of this series of event
Regular exchange of information and experience on the topic Testing for the Siemens business units (once per year)
Best practice sharing
Presentations and discussions of experiences, problems, and solutions to testing relevant topicsDescription of benefits of used test approachesPromoting of new test concepts, test trends (ideas, options, possibilities), and test know-how
Networking within the Siemens testing community
Every event has a defined theme and main focus addressing current needs, trends, and directions in testing
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History and themes (1)
1st Exchange of Experience: Testing on April 4, 2002 Focus on test automation
2nd Exchange of Experience: Testing on January 30, 2003 Theme: Testing – an investment with great added value Focus on
Investment for testing versus benefit / added value of testing Test exit criteria – ready to release?
3rd Exchange of Experience: Testing on January 28, 2004 Theme: Testing – a critical key to success Focus on
Test design methods Test tools
Page 9 November 12, 2008 © Siemens AG, Corporate TechnologyPeter Zimmerer, CT SE 1
History and themes (2)
4th Exchange of Experience: Testing on March 1, 2005 Theme: Testing in a Global World
5th Exchange of Experience: Testing on March 7, 2006 Theme: Testing Non-Functional Requirements
6th Exchange of Experience: Testing on April 17, 2007 Theme: Test Managers – Excellence in Testing and Management
7th Exchange of Experience: Testing on April 23, 2008 Theme: Testers – Collaborating with Other Stakeholders
8th Exchange of Experience: Testing, spring 2009 Theme: to be announced
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Theme of the 7th Exchange of Experience: TestingTesters – Collaborating with Other Stakeholders (1)
Software development is a cooperative game …and it is all about people. Alistair Cockburn, 1999
Collaboration is a megatrend Agile development
Tooling – collaboration software E.g.: IBM Jazz collaboration platform
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Theme of the 7th Exchange of Experience: TestingTesters – Collaborating with Other Stakeholders (2)
There are many different disciplinesand many different stakeholdersand many different rolesin the game of software development …
Problems: “dysfunctional organization“ mindset
that puts people into narrow functional silos No alignment between silo teams
Rigid barriers between team members are harmful
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Theme of the 7th Exchange of Experience: TestingTesters – Collaborating with Other Stakeholders (3)
Product lifecycle manager
Software project manager
Tester: test manager, test analyst, test designer, test engineer, …
Software architect
Software developer
Head of R&D
…
Requirements engineer
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Panel discussion at the 7th Exchange of Experience: Testing Testers – Collaborating with Other Stakeholders
Challenges and skills for sustainable collaboration Where do you see the challenges in the collaboration between testers and other
stakeholders in your specific domain? What are the key skills a tester must have for effective and efficient collaboration
with other stakeholders and vice versa? How do you handle problems like missing requirements or untestable
components?
Input and output (involvement / contribution) – expected and offered What input and involvement in testing actitivies do you as a tester expect from
other stakeholders? What output and contribution do you as a tester offer to other stakeholders?
Strategies and workflows to enhance collaboration Which strategies and workflows do you use to enhance collaboration between
testers and other stakeholders?
Page 14 November 12, 2008 © Siemens AG, Corporate TechnologyPeter Zimmerer, CT SE 1
Some numbers
Annual one-day event at Siemens Corporate Technology in Munich, Germany
Between 80 and 110 participants from all Siemens sectors and Siemens business units from all over the world:
Australia, Austria, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, and US
Typically 6-8 Presentations per event
Discussion groups
Panel discussions on the specific themes with invited panel members from different Siemens business units
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Some examples
Several of the test approaches presented by a Siemens business unit have been explicitly picked up, reused, and adapted by others, for example at the 6th event:
“... presents work from a project that was inspired by a talk at the3rd Exchange of Experience: Testing …”
Exchange of experiences and data about benefits (ROI) of used test approaches, testing methods, and testing tools, e.g. in the area of model-based testing or test automation
After lunch there is typically a “Surprise” presentation like a quiz a funny session about serious test related contentto attract and involve the participants
Page 16 November 12, 2008 © Siemens AG, Corporate TechnologyPeter Zimmerer, CT SE 1
Lessons learned
It takes time and effort to setup, plan, and organize such an event
Use an explicit call for presentations to involve people
We clearly reached the goals of this series of event Regular, well established conference event within Siemens Description of benefits of used test approaches Promoting of new test concepts, test trends (ideas, options, possibilities)
and test know-how Networking within the Siemens testing community
Because the event is (only) Siemens internal we can shareconfidential data as well – it is not intended to compete with external testing conferences like EuroSTAR
It is really worth
Page 17 November 12, 2008 © Siemens AG, Corporate TechnologyPeter Zimmerer, CT SE 1
Summary
One significant factor for a better future of software testing lies in a better knowledge sharing and exchange of our experience
One example how to make this happen within Siemens is our annual Siemens internal conference event called
Exchange of Experience: Testing
Provide your testers a live forum to exchange experiences, to learn, and to improve collaboration and networking better visibility of testing within the company
Think about doing the same kind of events in your company as well … and present your results at next EuroSTAR!