Adding Value to QA and
Testing Processes
"Great
class! (I) learned some techniques that I can't wait to
implement on the job!" - T.
Michael Milligan
"Great
presenter! Appreciated the knowledge sharing and humor!" - Debbie
Logan
3 Days - 16
Topics!
This course is designed for
people who want to learn creative and efficient ways to add increased
value to their QA and testing processes. Each module addresses
different areas of focus in which QA and testing can add definite value
to what is currently being done. The benefit of learning and applying
this information is that testing efforts can be optimized, QA resources
can be effectively leveraged, and organizational assets protected.
This session is appropriate for
QA professionals, test professionals, software developers and managers,
and systems support professionals.
The workshop contains several
team-based exercises which focus on having the participants brainstorm
solutions for case study examples.
Who Should Attend
- IT Managers
- QA Managers
- Test Managers
- User Managers
- Business Analysts
- Software Developers
- System Support
Personnel
- Test Analysts
- Testers
Return on
Investment
- Learn how to design
tests in new and creative ways.
- Learn how to get
the most testing value from minimal resources.
- Learn how to make
the transition from manual to automated testing.
- Learn how to test
and clean systems that are "dirty."
- Understand how QA
and test professionals can add value to disaster recovery processes.
- Learn how to
understand and manage risks in a very balanced way.
- Get the most out of
your existing investment in testing and how to leverage that investment.
- Advance your career by
reinforcing your testing expertise.
The
program requires only basic IT knowledge or experience. Testing
knowledge or experience is not a pre-requisite.
Program
Information
This course is presented on
an in-house basis only unless offered as a special public course. Contact us
for information about how to bring this course into your organization.
Topics
Day 1 - Creative
Test Planning
Module 1 -
Retrofitting Requirements (1 hr.)
- What is
Retrofitting?
- How to Define
Requirements After Development
- Frameworks and
Standards for Requirements
- How to Create Test
Cases from Requirements
- Incremental Testing
Module 2 -
Testing Dirty Systems (1 hr.)
- What is a Dirty
System?
- The Process for
Testing Dirty Systems
- Structural Analysis
Tools
- Reporting the Test
Results
- Guidelines for Improving Dirty
Systems
Module 3 -
Security Testing (1 hr.)
- What is Security
Testing?
- Key Points for
Security Testing
- How Testing Fits
Into an Enterprise Security Process
- A Security Testing
Process
- How Hackers and
Crackers Think
- The Five Phases of
an Attack
- Verifying and
Validating the Protection of Sensitive Information
- Security Testing
Tools
- Books and Other Resources for
Security Testing
Module 4 -
Usability Testing (1 hr.)
- What is Usability
Testing
- Why Do We Need
Usability Testing?
- How to Perform
Usability Tests - A Five Step Process
- Tools for Usability
Testing
- Other Helpful Resources for
Usability Testing
Module 5 -
Testing Commercial Off-the-shelf Products (1 hr.)
- What is COTS?
- The Challenges and
Risks of COTS Applications
- The COTS Lifecycle
- Roles and
Responsibilities for COTS Testing
- Two Views of
Quality - Producer and Customer
- COTS Evaluation vs.
Assessment
- A COTS Testing
Framework
- The Role of
Requirements in COTS Applications
- Additional Resources
Module 6 -
Integration, Interoperability and Compatibility Testing (1 hr.)
- Terminology
- The Scope of Testing
- Risks and Special
Considerations
- A Process of
Integration and Interoperability Testing
- Variations on the
Process
- Levels of Test
Environments
- Compatibility, Integration and
Interoperability Testing with COTS Products
Day 2 - The Role
of QA and Testing in Preparing for the Unexpected
Module 7 -
Planning for the Unexpected (30 mins.)
- The Objectives
- A Framework for
Contingency Planning
- Terminology
- The Disaster Life
Cycle
- How QA and Testing
Can Add Value to Contingency Planning
- Basic Principles
Module 8 -
Business Continuity Planning (1 hr.)
- The Key Idea
- Common Mistakes
- Main Objectives of
BC Planning
- What's at Risk?
- How the Picture of
Disaster has Changed
- What's Important
for Business Continuity
- Things Management
Needs to Know and Do
- The Role of QA and
Testing in BC Planning
- How to Test BC Plans
- Characteristics of
a Good BC Plan
- Elements of the BC
Plan
- The Planning Process
- Reviewing Service
Level Agreements
- Taking Care of Data
- Maintenance,
Training and Testing
- Resources
Module 9 -
Disaster Recovery Planning (1 hr.)
- The Key Idea
- The DR Planning
Cycle
- Risk Assessment
- Recovery Strategies
- Writing DR
Procedures
- Training
- Testing DR Plans
- Plan Maintenance
- What's Required for
DR Planning?
- Who Writes the Plan?
- Who Owns the Plan?
- Resources
- Exercise: Case Study in
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Module 10 - How
to Write a Security Incident Response Plan (1 hr.)
- What is a Security
Incident?
- The Incident
Response Cycle
- Why is Response
Planning Important?
- The IR Planning
Process
- A Six-phase IR
Methodology
- Components of an IR
Plan
- Tips and Guidelines
- Resources
- Exercise: Security Incident
Response Case Study
Day 3 - Testing
Better, Cheaper and Faster
Module 11 -
Tables and Arrays (1 hr.)
- How Much Effort
Should be Dedicated to Test Design?
- How Much Effort
Should be Dedicated to Test Types?
- Which Kinds of Test
Designs are Needed?
- Test Case Economy
- How to Match the
Test to the Project and Test Stage
- Producer Testing
- Customer Testing
- Decision Tables
- Orthogonal Arrays
- Exercise: Build a Decision Table
Module 12 -
Understanding Risk (1 Hr.)
- What is Risk?
- The Nature of Risk
- The Elements of Risk
- Why is Risk
Assessment Important?
- A List of 15
Computer System Risks
- Project Risks and
How to Assess Them
- Technical Risks and
How to Assess Them
- Business Risks and
How to Assess Them
- How to Use the
Information from a Risk Assessment
- Who Performs the
Assessment?
- Who Owns the
Assessment?
- Additional Resources
- Exercise: A Risk Case Study
Module 13 - How
Tools Can Help in Testing (1 hr.)
- Manual vs.
Automated Testing
- Major Test
Automation Issues
- "Top 10" Test Tools
and Their Features
- Interactive
Test/Debug
- Capture/Playback
- Comparison
- Performance
- Defect Tracking
- Test Data Generation
- Test Management
- Structural Analysis
- Coverage Analysis
- Checklists
- Steps in Selecting
a Test Tool
- Critical Success Factors
Module 14 -
Making the Transition from Manual to Automated Testing (1 hr.)
- Things to Consider
at First
- The Top Ten
Challenges of Test Automation
- Specific Things to
Have in Place
- How to Organize the
Team for Automated Testing
- Managing the
Automated Testware
- Strategies for the
Transition
- Automated Scripting
Strategies
- Helpful Ideas
- Summary
Module 15 -
Building a Testing Dashboard (.5 hr.)
- Terminology
- Valuable Test
Metrics
- Benefits of Testing
Metrics and Measurements
- What Needs to be in
Place to Capture Measurements and Metrics
- A Sample Testing
Dashboard
- Tools and
Techniques for Measuring Test Activities
- Why Track Defects?
- Tracking and
Understanding Defect Trends
- The Role of the
Defect Administrator
- Resources
Module 16 -
Process Definition and Improvement (1.5 hrs.)
- The Nature of
Processes
- Why
are Processes Important?
- A
Process Framework: The Workbench
- What
You Need to Begin Documenting Processes
- Deliverables
- The Attributes of a Good Process
- Key
Principles for Process Definition and Improvement
- Light
vs. Heavy Processes
- Popular
Process Models
- Three Phases of
Process Definition and Improvement
- Phase
1 - Build a Framework
- Phase
2 - Understand and Document Current Processes
- Interview
Techniques
- Brainstorming
- Phase
3 - Improving Processes
- Objectives
- Knowing
When to Challenge the Process
- Knowing
When to Make Process changes
- The
Approach and Process for Process Improvement
- Defining
Positive and Negative Motivations for Change
- Setting
Expectations
- Identifying
the Reasons for Process Change
- Identifying
the Impact of Process Change
- How
to Get Management Support for Process Change
- How
to Get Stakeholder Support for Process Change
Resources
- Checklists and
Templates
- Glossary
- Bibliography
Deliverables
- Course notebook
with slides, worksheets, checklists, complete examples and supporting
text
- You will have the
basic information needed to plan and execute a test of a software
application.
All
materials on this site copyright 1996 - 2009, Rice Consulting Services,
Inc.
Rice Consulting
Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 892003
Oklahoma City, OK 73189
405-691-8075