Introduction: Peter Deng - SDET Consultant 

My colleague Peter, a CompSci graduate recruited through the successful SDET Academy scheme, and I, a long-serving test consultant, wanted to compare and share our experiences with building client relationships. As test consultants, we work closely with clients across many different sectors for weeks, months, or years, adapting to new systems and delivering quality assurance services. We have both learned that delays in connecting with clients can be as impactful to a project's delivery as scope and code changes. 

From Down Under to New Heights: Stu Hadley’s Duathlon Adventure

Welcome to Part Two of our Q&A interview duel. Our Test Manager, Stu Hadley, shares his feelings about competing at such a high level, the invaluable support he received from his coach and team, and the unforgettable experiences he had while travelling to Australia. He also gives special shout-outs to those who helped him along the way and offers insights into his future goals and upcoming races.

Software Testing and Artificial Intelligence: AIs Influence on the SDLC

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the use of Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making increasing waves in our industry for quite some time now. It has been integrated into various processes, from customer service to data analysis, and now, it is making its way into the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). As AI continues to evolve, its impact and usefulness in software testing is becoming increasingly apparent. In this article, we will dive into the world of software testing and Artificial Intelligence, its current state, and how it will affect the SDLC in the near future.

Top Articles of 2023: A Year in Review

In the ever-evolving realm of software testing, 2023 was a year of change. nFocus witnessed significant developments in various areas and throughout the year, we’ve made it our mission to provide commentary of what we’ve been seeing along with providing our insights.

As we enter 2024, we’ve analysed the viewing patterns of our blog visitors and wanted to share our most read articles of 2023. This includes…

Developing a Software Test Plan & The Impact of it 

Within every organisation there are a number of documents that have a hieratical order. When it comes to testing deliverables, you would expect to find the test policy document at the top of the tree; this document is only a couple of pages long but does at executive level spell out the quality needs of the organisation and gives the vision of what is expected of every project. This document is owned by the CIO or IT Director and should be mandated to ensure every programme and project works to the same expected standards every time.

Introduction

In honour of International Women's Day, we asked some of our team members to share their thoughts on working in the software testing industry. There was a wide range of opinion and we have shared some of this with you below.

Alira Salu - Test Consultant

"My father was a Computer Analyst which inspired me to follow the same career path. Seeing my dad going to the office every day with passion and dedication; as a young girl, it had a great impact on me. My role is perfect for me as I absolutely love problem-solving and get a real sense of joy from being a part of the team, finding solutions to the problems. My best advice for the younger generation would be ‘be kinder to yourself’ as situations get better with time. Generally, I feel we have a good number of women in IT but not as many at the top level so I would like to see that change in the future."

Introduction: Transitioning to Remote Work

With the Government’s latest announcement to move to ‘Plan B’ restrictions amid fears of Omicron variant infections, I thought it would be good to talk about my own personal experience of working at home during the pandemic.

I’ve now been working from home since Boris made his initial announcement in March 2020, ordering people to stay at home. At the time, I was working in Manchester as a Test Manager. We had a great test team, good relationships with the clients and frequent social activities in the evenings.

Unveiling Insight: Test Analyst Interview Questions & Strategies

Aftermath of the Halloween, I thought it would be good to consider if there are any ‘tricks’ to a successful interview? Over the past few months, I've drafted a selection of interview question templates to standardise the nFocus interview process. As part of this process, the templates have been used successfully to identify quality test resource for several clients who are now part of the nFocus team. Congratulations to those now hired!

 Closer Look at GitLab's Global DevSecOps Survey Feedback

Is your organisation taking a long time to implement DevOps?

Don’t worry, you are not alone! GitLab held a survey for the fourth year in February-March, they asked DevOps teams to tell the truth about their practices, processes, challenges and careers. I have no doubt that many of you will recognise the results of the survey within your organisation. 

Understanding Test Automation Frameworks

Hi, my name is Ryan Dudley and I’ve been working with nFocus now for nearly 8 years, starting my journey as an apprentice. Now I class myself as a budding Technical Tester, which is not an easy role. My day-to-day tasks at the moment consist primarily of manual testing, but at any given opportunity I like to be able to do automation. As there was no capacity for me to do this on my current project, I decided to do something within my own time and challenge myself to do something which I had not done before which was choosing a test automation framework and starting from scratch.