When we want to improve, for some reason we usually start to question testing. But what are the right questions to ask in an Agile context? Current TPI models have proven to be a mismatch when assessing and improving the test process in this context. So what is missing in the current models and how can we help companies improve their testing in an Agile context? It seems that it is significantly harder to describe how to become more flexible than it is to describe how to become more structured. Jeroen will introduce a stepwise approach to improve the testing in Agile software development. The Agile Manifesto, the SCRUM process and the field experience of numerous testers form the basis for this new model. In an interactive session he will show new key areas to consider and introduce good practices that will help to improve testing in an Agile context. Some key areas of the current TPI models are changed to fit the Agile context. All other key areas are specifically aimed at the Agile context. Examples of new key areas are “People”, “Teamwork” and “Regression & E2E testing”. You will see that the development process is part of the model as well, since testing and development are completely integrated. The Agile Manifesto tells us to value people and interactions over processes and tools. Therefore the assessment and improvement model includes key areas and checkpoints that are directed at people and interactions. Last but not least, it is a test improvement model… So the model will still be focused on testing aspects. The complete model is fit for purpose and fit for Agile, in wording, terminology and the ideas behind it. You will leave this tutorial with more knowledge on how to fit testing within Agile as well as on how to improve testing. Additionally you will take away a set of good practices that add value to your testing immediately.

1. Test Improvement:
Fit for the Agile context
TI4Agile®
Jeroen Mengerink
jeroen.mengerink@polteq.com

2. 2
What is Agile?
agile /’æd3aIl; NAmE ’æd3l/ adj.
1 able to move quickly and easily SYN nimble: a
strong and agile athlete
2 able to think quickly and in an intelligent way: an
agile mind / brain
(source: Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary)

3. 3
Agile Manifesto
• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right,
we value the items on the left more.
(source: http://www.agilemanifesto.org/)

4. 4
Scrum
Goals:
• Raise the effectiveness of the team
• Guard the progress of the team
• Solve impediments
• Guard the project progress
• Minimizing of project risks
Scrum is an iterative and incremental method for managing software
projects and product or application development
Scrum is an iterative and incremental method for managing software
projects and product or application development

5. 5
Scrum

6. 6
Agile/Scrum
Agile
• Set of basic ideas
• Little overhead
• Focussed on people
Scrum
• Process management
• Short iterations
• Multidisciplinairy teams

7. 7
Discussion: what is the value of testers?
• What is the value in having person(s) with testing
skills on an Agile team?
• What are the tasks and activities that a software tester
could perform in an Agile project?
• What skills would a tester need to have in order to
perform these activities?

8. 8
TI4Agile roadmap
Quick wins,
good
practices
Goals,
scope
Interviews,
meetings
Assessment
Awareness,
commitment,
buy-in
Implement and evaluate

9. 9
Assessment
“If you don’t know where you are,
a map won’t help.”
(Watts Humphrey)

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Good practices
• Good practices describe “Practices that have proven to
be of value in different settings”
– From testing perspective
– From Agile perspective
– For each key area
• Provide related information
• Based on practice and current setting

11. 11
PerformingNormingForming .
Evolution of Agile testing
Pioneering
Structured
Agile
Time
StructuredNotstructured

12. 12
Assessing Agile Testing
Which areas are important in Agile Testing?

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Assessment model

14. 14
Example assessment result

15. 15
TI4Agile maturity levels

16. 16
Assessment model
• There is no initial level like in other models
• Each key area has a number of checkpoints
• Checkpoints are continuous
– Next maturity level builds on previous level

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Planning & Estimation
• Work breakdown
• Plan for all activities
– Preparation
– Review
– Execution
– Retest
– Unit test
– Bug fixing
• Team effort is important

18. 18
Planning & Estimation

19. 19
Planning poker
Systeem / Module /
Programma

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Planning & Estimation - Burn-down chart
500
400
300
200
100
0
Weeks Elapsed
Remaininghours
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32

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Teamwork
• Respect and trust each other
• Commitment as a team
– Work towards a team goal
• Help each other where possible
– Multi disciplined

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Teamwork

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Pairing discussion
What are the benefits of Pairing?

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Teamwork - Multi disciplinary
• Everyone has his own specialization
• Think from the perspective of other roles
• Assist each other where possible
• Communicate your expectations
Tester
Developer
Designer
Customer

25. 25
Teamwork - Team development

26. 26
Teamwork - Keep the goal visible

27. 27
Test management
• People management
• Generic test approach / strategy
• Risk analysis
• Release planning
• Keep the big picture (birds eye view)
– Cross teams
– Cross sprints
– Cross projects

28. 28
Test management

29. 29
Test management - Generic test
approach / strategy
• Training and coaching
• Defect management
• Risk analysis
• Non-functionals
• E2E testing
• Tooling and automation
• Environment management
• Metrics and reporting
• …

30. 30
Generic test approach / strategy
Risks
Maturity
Skills
Product
Size
Time
Culture
BandwidthBandwidth
Test management - Generic test
approach / strategy

31. 31
Test automation
• Continuous integration
• At every level
• Important part of the sprint
• Risk based
• Maintainable

32. 32
Test automation

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Test automation - Discussion
Do we need to optimize the test automation at team
level or at organizational level?

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Testware
Test scripts – Test cases – Test data – Test environment
System Under Test
Software – Service – Platform - Infrastructure
Management Reporting
Projects
Changes
Patches
Fixes
Test Automation Context
Test Automation
TI4Automation

35. 35
Test automation - Continuous integration

36. 36
Defect management
• Decide when to log a defect
• Decide what to log
• Pay attention to traceability
• Use one system for all defects

37. 37
Defect management

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Defect management
• Factors that influence whether a defect is recorded
and if so, the amount of information that needs to be
recorded:
– Co-location
– Maturity of team
– Number of defects
– Organizational influence
– Drive for metrics
– Size of development
– Complexity of development

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Conclusion
• For test improvement within Agile focus on:
– People
– Development process
– Testing

40. 40
Questions

41. 41
About the speaker
Jeroen Mengerink
Polteq Test Services, The Netherlands
Jeroen.mengerink@polteq.com
http://www.polteq.com
http://jmengerink.wordpress.com
Jeroen works as a test consultant for Polteq. Next to his work for
clients, he is involved in various test innovations. His main area of
expertise is Agile, for which he is the person to talk to within
Polteq. Jeroen teaches several test courses, e.g. about Agile, SOA
and Cloud. He is co-author of the book and approach Cloutest® on
how to test when cloud computing is involved.