Testing Challenges in an Agile Environment

Biraj Nakarja

Sogeti UK

28th October 2009

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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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