Dec 22 2008 10:31AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
Software testers,
tester,
Certified Tester,
software testing certificate,
testing certification
A Testing Certification is an individual tester’s asset rather than the organization’s asset as it increases the employment chances of the individual without apprehensively adding any substantial value to the tester’s job requirement. Definitely, the tester’s skills are enhanced (a bit) with this certification, but there is more increase in his expectations from the organization. Why a tester who is doing well at his job would go for a certification thereby compromising with his performance at job as he will be required to pay attention to studies and learning to acquire this certification. The certificate that is attracting him is for his own sake. Ofcourse, when it is an organization’s requirement to train their testers or display on board some certified testers, the initiative and drive for certification to the individual testers will start from the organization itself.
Certification is not bad. It is an exposure to a new learning. But the testers who get attracted to acquire a certificate have a different goal than a new learning or for the sake of organization. But if the intention is merely to acquire a relevant certificate for a tester, it can be examined by the organization by offering him a course relevant to his job with no certificate at the end of it. This step will display the real interest of a tester, whether he is individual oriented at this juncture or organization oriented.
Dec 19 2008 10:06AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
Software testers,
tester,
Certified Tester
At the time of recruitment of a tester, the biggest question in front of Quality Manager is to decide on certain factors related to the qualifications, certifications and experience of the candidate. The balance of all three is important. But if there is a demand to sacrifice one (or two) amongst three of these requirements, which can that/those be? Let us take them one by one in the perspective of Quality Head.
Qualification do matter, so the candidate must be having the basic IT degree (or if degree in some other stream, then that degree has to be relevant to IT, and the prospective candidate should be holding an advance IT diploma). When we are talking here of qualifications, we are talking about IT qualifications and not specific Quality/Testing related qualifications, which we would be considering in Certifications.
So, qualifications being the basic criteria, now there is a battle between the certifications or experience. Let us assume here we have three sets of resumes of the candidates. All sets have similar qualifications, and are differing on the basis of Certifications and Experience parameters. First Set of resumes is having Certified testers with no experience, so they are fresher certified testers candidates. Second set is certified testers with good experience in testing (say 2 plus years of experience). And the Third set is group of experienced testers with no certifications. Experience with this group of testers may vary from 2 to 5 years. Definitely the first set expectations in terms of salary would be lower as compared to second and third set of people, whose expectations would be almost at par.
In my view, appointing a tester with basic qualifications and some experience will be better than taking a tester with basic qualifications and certifications but less experience. Certifications, if any required, can be acquired by the tester during the job at a later stage.
Dec 15 2008 9:55AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software,
Software testers,
software development,
softwaretesting,
tester,
Project Development
Hey my dear Tester, what you are doing is a tremendous effort in streamlining the business of your organization. It is you who understands the business requirements of your customer, learning their business rules, understanding the product built by your development team to cater to those needs, testing the product and finding the lacunae in the product, helping developers to understand those lacunae, and finally testing those fixed lacunae.
So you are playing the key role between the two extremes, the customer who is demands, and the developer, who supplies. It is important to mention here that your role is the most vital bond between the two. Infact during testing, you have to act as a dummy for customer, and examine the product as per customer’s perceptive. Now let us look at the strategy following which you can feel PRIDE in your work, and make your organization realize that. First of all testing should be a mission for you and for each of your mission, you have to be passionate. Your passionate mission every time is to find out the holes in the pot called the software product. Work with development team in collation rather than isolation and move together towards the path of reconstruction. Drive side by side rather than driving in the opposite directions. During development and testing, you and the developer have to work in a manner that if one reaches out a hand, the other clasps it. The final goal is not to pinpoint each other mistakes or shortcomings, but is to find them out and fix them to deliver a strong product to your customer and ultimately expanding your organizations business.
The product has to have the firm roots, and minimal changes, for which right understanding and development by the developers is important. You have to teach this lesson to your developers that any wounds even after complete healing will always leave scars.
Be proud of yourself, be proud of your work, and be proud of your organization… always…
Your work should speak that you are feeling PRIDE in your job, and last but not the least… make your organization PROUD of you. Testing is really a challenging job, and it is you who is doing it. Your organization already feels that you are the best resource available for this purpose.
Dec 12 2008 10:10AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software testing,
software,
Software testers,
developer,
software testing tips,
tester
As a human being we limit ourselves in how much we learn. The learning process is initiated based on certain facts like curiosity, need of the hour, intelligence, openness and related requirements. A tester being a human being carries all the limitations of bounding himself of these facts and thus sometimes may not be able to learn completely about a product that he is going to test as a new testing project. As a human being we tend to learn only the things that we are bound or forced to learn. That bounding or force may be internal (passion, habit, urge, eagerness) or external (work requirement, business demand, customer pressure, management requirement).
A tester for that sake should, at this juncture, think of him as an inhuman, away from all these sensitivities. Then he will not be limiting himself to any boundaries as mentioned above and will be able to learn or know maximum about the software, product or project he is going to start.
After all the accuracy and coverage of testing he carries on the software or product will depend on how much he has learnt or how much knowledge he has gained about this software or product beforehand.
The same thing applies to a developer also before starting development of new software or enhancing existing software in context to understanding the customer requirements and business needs.
Nov 28 2008 9:55AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software quality assurance,
software testing,
Project Management,
software,
software quality,
Quality Assurance,
software design,
Software testers,
SDLC,
software qa,
software deployment,
developer,
softwaretesting,
STLC,
tester,
software requirement
‘Create’ means the first time effort to generate a harmony between a tester and a developer working on the same project. ‘Build’ is the next stage after create to harmonize the professional relationship between a tester and developer. This step will bring the strength in the relationship. ‘Maintain’ is not only the sustenance of this healthy relationship which can be termed as ‘sweet’ harmony, but also calls for an effort from both ends to ‘keep on improving’ this bonding. To create, build and maintain an everlasting harmony between the testers and developers, here are some tips:
1. Share: Sharing is a two way process. Both the sides need to share equally, transparently and openly. The development team needs to share the customer requirements, business rules, relevant documents, design plan, coding, system built. On the other hand the tester needs to share his observations on all these, and the results of his testing. Share problems, thoughts and success together.
2. Raise an Alarm: Tester and developer require raising an alarm in case of any shortfall in above sharing required from both ends. Developer also needs to raise an alarm in case of inadequate testing or if testing is getting delayed due to any reason.
3. Act Jointly: Tester should sit with the developers while they are on job i.e. designing system, and similarly developer whose product is being tested preferably should sit with the tester while he is testing the product. This support will not only strengthen the process and product but will make it more secured.
4. Avoid Protectionism: On the work front, be it of a developer or a tester, it is important to prevent the spread of protectionism and to promote transparency or openness across the organization. If this is not handled properly, it may lead to depression and incoherence across.
5. Accept Framework: Accept each other’s work framework and respect it by heart.
6. Resolve crisis: In case of any crisis on any front leading to adverse effect on the project, take all necessary measures jointly, timely in a coordinated manner. Be more than willing to act in this regard.
7. Tester is a bridge: Tester is a bridge between developer and customer for the purpose of smooth and defect free delivery of product to the customer.
8. Be a great contributor: To achieve great success, be a great contributor in your respective fronts.
9. Encourage: Encourage each other.
10. Remember: Always remember that you have joined hands to achieve a common goal. A good harmony always brings in the ‘success’
Nov 26 2008 10:11AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software quality assurance,
software testing,
software,
software quality,
Quality Assurance,
Software testers,
software implementation,
software qa,
Bug,
software testing tips,
softwaretesting,
tester,
software requirement,
software release
A new software release for testing could be a new product or major changes in the existing software. In either case the bugs report should have a new version number for control purposes. Although in case of a new release of existing software, the existing bugs can be referred to but that does not mean to check only for those bugs.
Anyhow before the tester starts testing of this new release (or for that sake of any new release!), (s)he has to make sure of three certain activities:
1. Clinical review of the testing requirements
2. Known bugs (in case it is a chain release) fixed
3. Scope – customer requirements, software requirement and business rules
And above all now tester’s task is to ensure that the software (re)built is completely aligned to the above three.
Nov 24 2008 10:14AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software quality assurance,
software testing,
SOA,
software quality,
functional testing,
Quality Assurance,
performance testing,
Software testers,
load testing,
RIA,
software qa,
AJAX,
.OST files,
Software testing methodologies,
Bug Control Management,
Open Source Testing Tools,
Traditional Testing Tools,
Web2.0,
Selenium,
HTMLUnit,
TestGen4Web,
PushToTest,
volume testing,
testingtool,
testing tools
In today’s scenario when the schedules are tight, budgets are low and different technologies being used, software developers and testers are having great challenges of building/testing/releasing bug-free software by meeting all criterions. The question arises here is – how to cover all the development/testing requirements that to in such a short span of time with high rate of accuracy in development and testing. In such a scenario, the best option would be to use Open Source Test (OST) tools. And why not, when Open Source Test (OST) tools provide most economical solution and on top of it they are more flexible as compared to labeled vendor test tools (or traditional testing tools). So many big corporate organizations these days are using Open Source Test (OST) tools such as Ford, AMD and many more.
Many of the open-source testing tools support most of the technologies being used in development these days. Be it AJAX development or rich internet application (RIA) i.e. Web 2.0 on service oriented architecture (SOA), or any other web/server based application.
Some of the Open Source Test (OST) tools are – PushToTest, HTMLUnit, TestGen4Web, Selenium etc. that take care of functional testing, performance testing, load testing and volume testing. If you see all these testing are not possible to conduct manually and using a traditional testing tool would be never be a cost effective solution.
Nov 3 2008 10:11AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software quality assurance,
software testing,
software quality,
Quality Assurance,
Software testers,
software qa,
software testing tips,
softwaretesting,
tester
1.Focus on Quality Policy, Strategy, Test Plan, Test Cases.
2.Maintain heartfelt sympathies with developers who are developing Bugs (and their impact!).
3.Raise your anxiety higher for any software coming to you for testing.
4.Your first and foremost priority is to prevent the damage a bug spreads across the product.
5.Investigate the damage (impact of bug, through test cases).
6.Ensure safety of software by ensuring that you are able to catch all bugs.
7.Keep visiting developer’s den during testing to highlight the severe bugs found so far.
8.Work like craftsmen with high precision to attain micron-order accuracy in testing.
9.Be absorbed in your work and not even notice anything else happening around.
10.Be proud of your testing skills.
11.Have uncompromising approach towards ensuring bug free software.
12.Don’t worry about the rising count of bugs in the software (that ensures your job more secured).
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Oct 24 2008 10:15AM GMT
Posted by: Jaideep
software quality assurance,
software testing,
Project Management,
software,
software quality,
Quality Assurance,
Software testers,
SDLC,
software qa,
Bug,
developer,
Project Lifecycle,
software testing cycle,
software testing tips,
softwaretesting,
STLC,
tester,
Bug Management,
Bug Control Management
Bug Management and Bug Control Management are two separate aspects in software development. Bug Control Management seeks a higher maturity level in terms of organization, developers, project managers and all others involved. On the other hand, Bug Management starts in organizations with low maturity level. Organizations that attain the Bug Management level and keep it for years, stop maturing and keep a particular level of maturity sustained within them. There are organizations that move (over a period of time) from Bug Management to Bug Control Management. These organizations keep improvising and seeking improvements in their processes and procedures.
Usually a software organization life starts with software development. Gradually with the increase of business, increase of experience of developers, and increase in customer expectations an increased level of reliability in the software from all directions is expected. To cope up with this pressure, the organization creates a department called as Quality Assurance. This department takes care of testing of software, finding out bugs and getting it verified after the bugs are fixed by the development team.
Bug Control Management is a management initiative to involve all concerned to form a steering committee. The responsibility of this committee is to ensure that lesser and lesser bugs are generated in the software while development.
