1

Future Opportunities for TestersFuture Opportunities for TestersEuroSTAREuroSTAR 2005 2005

Susan Windsor Susan Windsor Insight Through IntelligenceInsight Through IntelligenceWMHL Consulting Limited, MDWMHL Consulting Limited, MD

2

Be Creative to get the Message OverBUT be careful!!

3

Setting the Context

4

AGENDA – Plan Your Future

Global Business Challenges– Management models– Culture

Business view of IT services

Testing span of influence– Current– Future

Opportunities for growth– Levels of responsibility– Skills required– Information formats

Attracting the right people– Understanding our needs– Identify source of resource– Assessment – Training

5

Global Business Challenges

6

Management Models

Experienced Testers already know all about Reconciliation!

7

Outsourcing – Business Driven

Experienced Testers already know all about SLA’S

90% of 2004 projects failed to meet their objectives

8

Culture Model – Key for Managers

Culture Dimensions – Universalism-Particularism– Individualism-

Communitarianism– Neutral-Affective– Specific-Diffuse– Achievement-Ascription– Sequential-Synchronic– Internal-External Control

Variables– Country– Industry– Religion– Job Function– Age– Corporate Climate– Education– Gender

Every project has different cultures, IT build and production, business, suppliers…. The more senior the Tester role,

the more important interpersonal skills become

9

Universalism versus Particularism

10

Specific and Diffuse Encounters

Public space

Private space

Danger Zone

11

Culture Model Summary

Country is important but NOT the only variable!

Experienced Managers know to how to reconcile

To flourish in the Global market Test Managers need new interpersonal skills

All of us sit somewhere on this culture model, where does our industry need our Test Managers to be?

12

E-Readiness Evaluation

Connectivity and technology infrastructure 25%

Business environment 20%

Consumer and business adoption 20%

Legal and policy environment 15%

Social and cultural environment 15%

Supporting IT services 5%

13

E-Readiness – 2004 Rankings

2004 2003 Country 2004 2003 Country

1 2 Denmark 32 31 South Africa

2 3 UK 33 33 Malaysia

6 3 USA 35 36 Brazil

7 12 Singapore 39 31 Mexico

14 16 South Korea 46 46 India

20 20 Taiwan 47 41 Peru

21 23 Spain 52 50 China

26 n/a Estonia 55 48 Russia

29 28 Chile 64 60 Azerbaijan

14

Business View Of IT Services

15

Severe Lack of Confidence

All we have to do is find a way to get our message across!!

40% of business leaders have low confidence

16

What about the CIO……?

Success criteria for the Business Recognise value of “Excellent” team Very proactive at shutting down failed projects Spend more than 20% of budget on gaining competitive

advantage Excellent relationship management skills Meet business more than half way – have business

knowledge and excellent communication skills

How can we as testers best support them to be successful?

17

….. And how they are measured?

What are their challenges? Building a team they can trust Having reliable progress reporting Organisation structure can work against success 25% will change jobs in next 12 months 50% will change jobs within 2 years Lack of career plan

Within “testing” we have the widest spectrum of roles of any IT professionWe also have the knowledge and ability to identify failing projects

– key benefit to senior management

18

Testing SpanOf Influence

19

Today for a Single Project

Acceptance Milestones

Initiation

External Influences

Build & Test Business Operations Support & MaintenanceWarranty

Outsource Outsource Outsource OutsourceOutsource

Consultants

Suppliers Products

Business Partners

WriteTestStrategy

UnitSystem(functional & non functional)IntegrationDataEnvironments

Support UAT PerformanceSecurityRecoveryReliabilityOpps procedures

Basic MonitoringTest fixesRegression

20

Future for a Single Project

External Influences

Build & Test Business Operations Support & MaintenanceWarranty

Outsource Outsource Outsource OutsourceOutsource

Own &ImplementPI Strategy And TestStrategy

Unit, SystemIntegrationDataEnvironmentsMuch more NF testing

Manage UATUsability testingSupport business procedures

ManagePerformanceSecurity,RecoveryReliabilityOpps proceduresDR

Basic MonitoringTest fixes, RegressionCausal analysisAutomation coverageBusiness continuity monitoring

Initiation

Senior Test Authority Owns Project Intelligence™ End-to-End

Supports Stakeholder Involvement/Project Assurance/Governance

21

OpportunitiesFor Growth

22

Take More Responsibility

23

Increased Skills and Competencies

Management General management Business knowledge Interpersonal Communications Negotiation Flexibility Understand all test activities

Design Project Intelligence™ Usability Automation

Non-Functional Rapid growth as percentage of

overall test effort, e.g.– Performance– Security– Reliability & recoverability– Automation

24

Why Competencies are Important

Other familiar terms Capabilities Standards of performance Critical success factors Criteria Dimensions Traits Abilities

Behaviours that are useful to the extent that the individual AND the organisation can derive benefit from them

Their Value Improved career development Obtaining a closer match between an individual

and the requirements of the role Underpin the recruitment/assessment process Avoids snap decisions by interviewers that result

in being put into the wrong role for you Support the organisations culture and values

25

Project Intelligence Manager’s Goal

To build an integrated Project Intelligence Framework™ that integrates benefits realisation management with a measurement and reporting system based on best practice management, testing, review and evaluation practices

To continuously report upon progress, proactively chase down results, and take part in key decisions through the project, from inception to realisation of business goals.

26

Project Intelligence Manager’s Role

Skills Project Management Business knowledge Test Management Test Consultancy Proficient knowledge of testing

techniques for functional and non-functional testing

Contract management. Monitors contracts to ensure SLA’s ,met and reports on supplier performance.

Competencies Excellent communications

skills, at every level in organisation and using every dimension – written, verbal, auditory and visual.

Flexibility and resilience to continue to make progress against many challenges

Demonstrate understanding of value different cultures bring to the project environment

Understanding of multi-site management techniques

27

Attracting theRight People

28

Marketing our Needs

29

Sources of Resource

Consulting– Organisational change– Business continuity

Management– Project Managers– Business Managers

Design– Usability – marketing and business

users– Automation – IT design and

programmers Functional

– Administration– Business users

Performance– Performance architects– Network analysts

Security– IT design– IT architects

Automation– Programmers

Reliability– Operations– Database analysts

30

ROI for Assessment and Recruitment

Assessment is expensive – it takes between 3 and 6 months to know if you’ve made the right decision

Provide an assessment framework for each role– Testing skills– Practical ability– Interpersonal skills

Assessment process must have feedback capability for continuous improvement of the process

31

Generic Assessment Process

1 - Define Requirements•Define Role•Set the context for the role•Define the Competencies required – operational and interpersonal skills•Tailor selection process to meet this specific need from this framework of options

Go to next stage

RecruitOr needMore info

Recruit

Proceed with selection process

2 - Selection•Review CV’s•Short telephone interview•Application Questionnaire•Operational skills aptitude test

3 – Assessment•Practical operational skills aptitude test•Interpersonal skills questionnaire•Structured Interview•Role play group exercise

4 – Recruitment•Personality profile•Final structured interview

32

Tailored Assessment Process

PI Manager

Test Manager (50 plus)

Test Manager (20 plus)

Team Leader

Specialist Non-functional Roles

Testers

Final Interview

Personality Test

Structured interview

Interpersonal Skills Test

Practical Test

Telephone Interview

CVAptitude Test

Application

Screen out candidates

Recruitment Decision

Y NY Y YY YN

YY Y Y Y YN N

YYYYY Y Y NY Y Y Y Y Y Y N

Y

Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y

Y Y

N

N

N

NN

Y

Y

33

Training Needs

Tie training plan into career progression People have the right to be supported with relevant

training programme for each skill Provide “follow through” to quantify benefits Continuously improve the training NOT just formal education, MUST include practical

assessment for “on the job” training too

34

In Summary – Industry Needs Us

To understand, and step up to global market challenges Not to be phased by complex projects To build trust between business and IT leaders so that full

advantage can be gained from new technology To ensure investment is spent wisely and business goals

are met To grow our skills (management, interpersonal, technical)

to support every single one of these demands

The only people who can stop us being taken seriously are us!!!

35

Thank YouThank YouYou have the skills and knowledgeYou have the skills and knowledge

You have endless opportunitiesYou have endless opportunities

Susan Windsor Susan Windsor WMHL Consulting Ltd - WMHL Consulting Ltd - MDMDsusan@wmhl.co.ukwww.wmhl.co.ukwww.wmhl.co.uk

Project IntelligenceProject Intelligence™™ has been created in has been created in collaboration with Systeme Evolutifcollaboration with Systeme Evolutifwww.evolutif.co.uk www.evolutif.co.uk