Start up challenges for Agile Testers

Latest Whitepapers | Resource Centre | January 12, 2012

By Leanne Howard
Account Director, Planit Software Testing

ABSTRACT: In this paper I have selected a few of the key considerations that need to be in place in order to set yourself up to succeed with Agile.

Having worked with number of agile teams as a Scrum Master, Product Owner and coach for both internal and client teams, I have noted some common challenges for Testers. I thought that it would be worthwhile to share some of these with you so that you would hopefully not need to share the pain.

Change the mindset
The first, and I think the hardest in most instances, is to change the mindset of the tester. There are distinct patterns of behaviour that are exhibited, often split by the seniority of the tester. Let me try to explain what I mean for those of you that have not seen this happen as drastically as me, for those that have, you will know what I mean.

First the more senior testers: they are probably more entrenched in the traditional methods. Seventy page Test Strategies and/or Plan which take weeks and weeks to prepare. A work breakdown structure probably in Microsoft project which has hundreds of dependencies, duplicated in an excel spreadsheets or some Test Management tool lab for at least the test execution, with names against each test. Do you get the picture? Or are you seeing yourself? Frighteningly this is how they think you plan. Once the Strategy / Plan is signed off, off you go ( or in worst come cases this is only signed off just prior to production when it is completely out of date, as it has not maintained ). Apologies for the extreme picture, but this is one I see all too often. In summary in traditional environments they have been taught that big up front plans is the only way to work so therefore the only thing they know. Agile is different as it relies on “just in Time Planning”. It has to be said that I have seen good Test managers in traditional projects doing continuous planning reacting to the risks identified or residual risks, however this is rather and they probably do not update their Test plan only the project plan.

The first thing they find difficult is that pages and pages of plans are not required. A one page or couple of slides are good enough. The more important aspects of planning are to have the ongoing discussions about the stories (the requirements regardless of how they are recorded) as they are picked off the backlog and elaborated to understand better. The plan is a living artefact and the activity planning is ongoing as details become clear, risks are understood and impediments are highlighted and hopefully resolved. This is not just the remit of the one individual, the whole team has responsibility to contribute based on their level of knowledge and expertise. So now the new paradigm is to learn how to do “Just in time” planning. Key point here is the whole team concept and that measure (KPI’s) are now team based no individual centric. Again a different paradigm.

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