Best Practices for Virtual UAT

Today we welcome back our popular guest author, Renée Elizabeth Mineart.

If I were asked to encapsulate what makes humans unique in a single sentence, I’d probably say: “...our ability to achieve the impossible.” This trait is often best demonstrated when we are faced with adversity - a planet-wide pandemic, for example.

Quality Assurance (QA)- The Role of a QA Tester

Let's talk about job titles particularly QA Test Job role! The role of a Software QA Tester (or QA Engineer) is to review and analyse new or changed software applications, products, mobile devices etc. and to look for defects or issues so that these can be resolved before a software change delivery is released for operational use.

Quality assurance QA is commonly performed within a software delivery life cycle but can also be part of process mapping and similar periodic improvement and efficiency reviews or occasionally as a one-off initiative.

Agile Principles in Action

Today we welcome back our guest author Renee Mineart, for the final piece in her series on 'Redefining Success'. If you’ve just come across this series, I would encourage you to start at the beginning, so here are links to the previous posts:

Part 1: What to do when Version 1.0 hits the proverbial fan

Part 2: Hey, let’s Talk about how we Talk

Part 3: Don't be a Mob Boss: A Safe Environment for Failure

In this post, I’d like to delve into the heart of the topic and look at the benefits of Agile Testing and how to redefine and deliver a successful, failed project. 

Is Building a Testing Centre of Excellence Worth It?

In my last post, Building a Testing Centre of Excellence, I identified the first few steps needed to create a testing centre of excellence. These are:

• Build the business case.
• Define and share your vision.
• Create the leadership team.
• Define your operating and financial model.

Now that it’s so critical to success, I’ll just reiterate one thing, the TCOE must have control of its own budget and should not be funded entirely by projects.

A Safe Environment for Failure

Today we welcome back our popular guest author, Renee Mineart.

In my previous blog on this topic, I introduced a few ideas that might improve your communication with your UAT testers and how to set expectations on what you want them to do.

I’d now like to expand on this and explore the ways you can provide a safe environment for failure in order to promote success. To do this, I’d like to take you back in time to 1990.

What is SAFe Agile Framework?

SAFe is a scaling lean and agile framework (or agile manifesto) which combines various pieces of different agile practices, principles, methodologies and core competencies such as Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), Lean Product Development, Lean Portfolio Management and DevOps.

Why use SAFe?

Integration of Tracking, Tracing, and Testing

Today we welcome back Jane Kelly who dives into the fascinating world of Track & Trace.

Track & Trace has been heavily reported on in the news and it has made me think about some of the synergies with Software Testing. Tracking can be thought of in terms of the emerging path of what is being analysed, where its current state is, and where it is likely to end up. Like testing, tracking requires many different measures to provide value.

A Step-by-Step Guide

In my previous two blogs, I went into detail about some of the benefits of implementing a Testing Centre of Excellence (TCOE). Before you start reading, maybe take a look at the previous blogs of this series: 

• Benefits of a Testing Centre of Excellence
• Benefits of a Testing Centre of Excellence - Part 2

The benefits can be summarised as:

• Reduced costs
• Increased efficiency and consistency
• Maximised staff utilisation

Our Communication Styles

Today we welcome back our popular guest author, Renée Elizabeth Mineart.

Welcome back to my series on how to successfully deliver a failed project. If you’ve not read the introductory blog post yet, it can be found here. We left off talking about communication and I’d like to dive a bit deeper into this topic if I may.

How Can You Prepare for Version 2.0?

Today, we welcome back our popular guest author, Renée Elizabeth Mineart.

It has taken me a considerable amount of time to get my head around this topic. I’m not sure, even now as I place fingertips to keyboard, it is the right direction for this blog. But I think it’s an important topic to cover and is perhaps not talked about often enough. So, I ask you to please, bear with me as we broach the murky waters of … (queue dramatic music) … Project Failure.