Presentation to Software Quality New Zealand

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Presentation toSoftware Quality New Zealand

• Tester Certification

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Background

• I managed a Software Quality Assurance team for a
  large UK development team in the telecom industry
• In 2001 my QA team was expanded from 5 to 9
  testers with people being moved from the support
  team to mine
• These new people, although having subject matter
  expertise and good problem solving experience,
  had never received any training in testing

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Choosing Certification

• I needed to find a way to integrate these people
  into my team as well as up skill them.
• I looked at what training was available in UK at
  the time and only ISEB had a recognised
  certification
• In the next few slides I will talk about the
  benefits my team and I gained by going through a
  formal testing certification program.

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What is Certification?

• Recognized by international bodies
• Provides a learning path for further
  certifications
• Demonstrates a level of knowledge necessary for a
  person to be a professional software tester

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Employer Benefits

• Clarifies definitions of activities, capabilities
  and responsibilities
• Improves job and career path descriptions as well
  as hiring and promotion criteria
• Clarifies required knowledge and training needs
• Attracts skilled testers
• Promotes more cost-effective practice
• Helps build trust in potential clients

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Tester Benefits

• Improves the image of testers
• Increases professionalism, credibility, and
  respect
• Improves communication and coordination with
  others
• Facilitates training, professional growth,
  achievement and recognition
• Provides evidence of interest, knowledge, and
  accomplishments

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Test Manager Benefits

• Demonstrates team capability
• Builds trust in team
• Team has same understanding of process
• Allows for delegation

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End User Benefits

• More reliable products from more effective
  testing
• Helps find vendors who have a commitment to
  quality
• Ensures common terms are standardised so users
  and vendors have a reference point.

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Perceived Risks

• Lose of Staff
• Ensure that your staff are content
• Develop personal development plans
• Which is worse? Trained staff that leave or
  untrained staff that stay!
• Slows innovation (People dont try to solve the
  problem in a better way)
• Encourage self learning
• Ensure staff have access to resources like
  StickyMinds

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In Conclusion Culture?

• Certification must be part of a strategy to
  develop an effective team it should not be the
  strategy
• Certification must add value to all stakeholders
  Employers, Testers, and End Users
• A framework must be in place to analyse suggested
  improvements and a plan created to implement
  improvements.

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