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Testing Challenges in an Agile Environment
Biraj Nakarja
Sogeti UK
28th October 2009
2
Agenda
Introduction
Traditional / Agile Testers– Scenario 1 – Waterfall to Agile– Discussion
Offshore Testing– Scenario 2 – Testers to Eastern Europe– Discussion
Waterfall / Agile methodologies– Scenario 3 – Merging Methodologies– Discussion
Questions
Introduction
About me– 7 years Testing Experience in Government, Online Travel, Online
Gaming and Telecoms Industries– 5 years Test Management using Agile, Waterfall, V Model
methodologies– Certified Scrum Master
About today’s presentation– Testing Challenges in an Agile Environment, with particular focus
on: The Characteristics of an Agile Tester – does the role of the
traditional tester become less influential in an Agile Environment?
Agile Testing Using Off Shore Capabilities – Does Off Shoring in Agile actually save you money in the long run?
Merging Agile with other Methodologies on the same project – Can this work or is it a train crash waiting to happen?
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The ‘Traditional’ Tester
One dimensional – Functional or Automation or Performance
Used to working with defined specifications/documentation
Expects that the given documentation satisfies system
requirements
Expects to test on software that is ‘Dev Complete’
Focuses on checking that software is fit for purpose as per
specification
Has little interaction with the ‘Business’
Most commonly involved towards the end of the SDLC
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The Agile Tester
Could be argued as a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)
Understands Functional, Automation and Performance Testing
Expected to be involved throughout the lifecycle
Able to estimate and forecast, and deliver against these estimates,
advising on risks and trends
Able to react to rapidly changing requirements and priorities
Collaborative working with developers and end users
Facilitating communication between technical and business
stakeholders providing continuous feedback and decision support
Helps to define acceptance criteria
Ensures best practice
Flexible in their roles and responsibilities
Support early validation of requirements
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Scenario 1 – Waterfall to Agile
An organisation using Waterfall decides to move to an Agile
way of working. It employs 2 ‘Functional’ Testers with 3 years
experience each, and 1 automation tester who is building an
automated regression pack from detailed test scripts.
Questions:
Does this team have the right skills to become Agile testers?
Do they become less influential (or even redundant) in an Agile
Team?
Does an ‘Agile Tester’ actually exist? – Why is it so hard to
recruit such testers?
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Offshore Testing
Reduces Cost
Reduces Time to Market
Allows for Flexible Resource Models
Usually means Less Onshore Management Overhead
Defined Scope, Fixed Tasks
Variation of Skills
Allows for extended periods of execution due to time
differences
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But Agile Requires…..
A collaborative team on site, in the same location
Participation throughout the SDLC
Team spirit with ‘unified’ ownership of deliverables
Multi-skilled members
Flexible roles and responsibilities
Experience
Communication
Tools/Artefacts/Progress Metrics
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Scenario 2 – Testers to Eastern Europe
As part of a company wide drive to reduce costs, the CTO makes a
decision to outsource all testing to Eastern Europe – including the
Testers in their Agile Scrum team.
Questions:
How does an Agile team manage with it’s testers in a different
location?
Can they still foster the team spirit that Agile advocates?
How do they effectively plan, distribute and track progress as a
team?
Are they really saving money in the long run?
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Waterfall Methodologies
Longer Term Projects with define scope and structured change
control
Able to estimate and forecast dates for fixed scope at the
onset
Promotes detailed planning and scheduling, with defined
documentation to compliment
Produces defined outputs and reporting metrics
Less likely to advocate a sense of team ownership – ‘relay’
mentality passing the baton from one team to another…
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Agile Methodologies
Less Planning, More Doing
Chooses to do things in small increments meaning faster
deliver of smaller functions
Shorter timeframes focusing on immediate goals only
Working software is primary measure of success
Involves the user throughout the lifecycle
Estimates collectively with team ownership of goals and
deadlines
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Scenario 3 – Merging Methodologies
An organisation embarks on a new project in which two teams
are involved in providing different components of the solution.
One team uses Waterfall as their method of delivery, the other
only knows the Agile way of working and shows reluctance in
switching to a different approach.
Questions:
At some point the two components needs to be integrated. How
do you align short term and long term deadlines?
How does one manage the project effectively with differing
levels of end user participation, documentation, inputs, outputs
and reporting?
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Questions?
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