The document discusses setting up an Agile Support Center (ASC) for test and maintenance. It outlines three main reasons for establishing an ASC: 1. To enable reuse of knowledge and testware across teams through centralized management. 2. To facilitate flexible resourcing by efficiently using available testing time through approaches like insourcing, outsourcing, and hybrid models. 3. To provide a single point of communication for coordinating testing activities between the ASC and Scrum teams via techniques such as standardized ticket workflows and periodic planning adjustments.

1. Setting up
an Agile Support Center
for Test & Maintenance
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2. Expertise Manager Test Automation
Senior Automation Specialist
10+ years of experience in TA & PT
Board Member ATI Europe
Initiator Test Automation Day
e: bernd.beersma@squerist.nl
m: +31 6-11010659
tw: @bbeersma
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3. Expertise Manager Testing
Senior Test Manager
Trainer
10+ years of experience in Testing
e: erik.bits@squerist.nl
m: +31 6- 10157172
tw: @erikbits
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4. Waterfall
versus Agile
Increasing test
effort
Testing versus
Checking
Functionality
versus
characteristics
Product backlog
#SQASC

5. Waterfall versus Agile
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6. Individuals and Over Process and tools
interactions
Working software Comprehensive
Over
documentation
Customer Contract
Over
collaboration negotiation
Responding to Over Following a plan
change
Waterfall versus Agile
#SQASC

7. Earlier involvement of testers in the project
Flexible approach
Boundaries between test & development vanish
Joint quality awareness
Benefits of Agile
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8. Lack of documentation
Changing requirements, flexible approach
Testing ‘what is’ instead of ‘what is expected’
Joint quality responsibility
Focus on functionality
Limited knowledge of test automation
Increasing test effort
Risks caused by Agile
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9. Increasing test effort
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10. Increasing test effort
1.
2. We need test automation
Limited knowledge of TA within the teams
3.
4. Scope creep from ICT & Process to ICT
5. Focus on functionality
Backlog sprint 1
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11. Iteration 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3
Hardening
Single Point of Communication Ticket: This is a (test) work assignment in response to
(ASC)
a perceived risk of a quality attribute (functional or
characteristic)
Checklist
Tickets Tickets A ticket passes the following phases:
Tickets
1. New: A ticket is submitted to the ASC
2. Approved: A ticket is accepted by the ASC
Regression Sprint 1 3. Analyzed: The ASC has determined the impact,
the approach and turnaround.
Ticket
4. Scheduled: The ticket is scheduled
Regression Sprint 2 test activities are being executed
5. Started: The
All communication between the ASC and the The test is performed
6. Executed: Scrum
Agile Support Center
team takes place via one person. 7. Delivered: The ticket is transferred to the sprint
This person also
team
Maintenance
Departement
participates in the planning sessions
Ticket
Agile Support Center
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12. Ticket = mini-testplan
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13. Ticket = mini-testplan
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14. 1.
Increasing test effort

2. We need test automation 
3.
Limited knowledge of TA within the teams

4. Scope creep from ICT & Process to ICT 
5. Focus on functionality 
Definition of Done
#SQASC

15. Testing versus Waterfall
Checking
versus Agile
Functionality
versus
characteristics
Increasing test
effort
Product backlog
#SQASC

16. Testing versus Checking
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17. <Y2K
Functionality versus characteristics
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18. Functionality versus characteristics
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19. Functionality versus characteristics
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20. Functionality versus characteristics
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21. Functionality is still important,
characteristics are increasingly
important……..
Functionality versus characteristics
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22. Efficiency
Usability Portability
9126
Reliability Maintainability
Functionality
ISO 9126 ISO 25010
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23. Performance
Efficiency
Usability Portability
25010
Reliability Maintainability
Functional
Suitability
ISO 9126 ISO 25010
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24. Performance
Efficiency
Usability Portability
25010
Reliability Maintainability
Functional
Compatibility
Suitability
ISO 9126 ISO 25010
#SQASC

25. Performance
Efficiency
Usability Portability
Reliability 25010 Maintainability
Functional
Security
Suitability
Compatibility
ISO 9126 ISO 25010
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26. 1. Not all tests can be automated, still manual tests
2. Synchronization between ASC and Scrum team
3. Shift from functionality to characteristics
4. Limited knowledge of characteristics in the teams
5. Awareness is created, but what about execution?
Backlog sprint 2
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27. Iteration 0 Sprint 1 Sprint 2 Sprint 3
Single Point of Communication (ASC)
Checklist
Tickets Tickets Tickets
Process: Regression Sprint 1
☑ The SPOC brings the Ticket
characteristics to the attention Regression Sprint 2
Agile Support Center
☑ determine initial test capacity
Performance Test Sprint 1
☑ determine initial planning
Maintenance
Departement
☑ adjust / calibrate the planning Ticket
SecurityTest Sprint 1 SecurityTest Sprint 2
according to sprint backlogs
☑ Preparation of the detailed
planning based on the Agile
tickets
Tickets
☑ Periodic evaluation and
adjustment
Aut. Regression Performance Security Test
Other Agile Support Center
Testing Testing Testing Environment
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28. 1. Not all tests can be automated, still manual tests
2. Synchronization between ASC and Scrum team 
3. Shift from functionality to characteristics 
4. Limited knowledge of characteristics in the teams 
5. Awareness is created, but what about execution? 
Definition of Done
#SQASC

29. Waterfall
versus Agile
Testing versus
Checking Increasing test
effort
Functionality
versus
characteristics
Product backlog
#SQASC

30. 3 Good reasons for an ASC
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31. Reuse of knowledge
For everyone
Central Testware
mgmt
Size does not matter
The amount of work does
Flexible
resourcing
How to organize?
Reuse of testware
Insourcing
Outsourcing
Reuse of tooling
Efficient use of Hybrid
Available time
For Whom (what’s in it for me)?
#SQASC

32. #SQASC