DEV Community: Lejlahadzimahovic

How Testers can benefit from Shared Knowledge

Lejlahadzimahovic — Thu, 11 May 2023 06:31:28 +0000

Let’s start our journey into the world of knowledge and QA testing with this question:

What is knowledge?

Definition of knowledge noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary: “the information, understanding, and skills that you gain through education or experience.”

By understanding this definition, you can see how necessary knowledge is for individuals and enterprises.

Now about some well-known types of knowledge; how we can define knowledge types, and their use:

Common, Individual, Personal, Organizational, and Shared Knowledge

Common knowledge is group knowledge. Common knowledge is the facts that an average educated person knows and doesn’t need to check (you can easily find them in 5 or more different sources).

Now, when talking about individual knowledge, we are talking about knowledge that belongs to only one person. To have personal knowledge, you must gain it through practice and experience. Habits are part of personal knowledge too. This unique knowledge possession is often hard to share with others.

Organizational knowledge is altogether something different. For an enterprise to gain organizational knowledge, one must have employees with unique individual knowledge.

And there is one more “catch”: an organization must distinguish people’s tacit and explicit knowledge. If you have a lot of employees with tacit knowledge, it is an asset to your company. But this knowledge can’t be shared, can’t be recorded, or taught.

On the other hand, explicit knowledge is personal knowledge you can write down or record. Meaning that once it is stored in a database, it can be shared, so it becomes shared knowledge.

With this transition, individual “explicit” knowledge becomes organizational knowledge.

So to summarize it in a few words:

To establish shared knowledge, the organization needs people with explicit knowledge.

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1. Enterprises, knowledge, and QA Testing

There are two main approaches to how organizations manage their knowledge base. The first one is the “enterprise knowledge management” approach, and the second is a “knowledge base organization”, the KBO approach.

Looking from the point of the QA community, the KBO approach to the development and success of a company is interesting. I will explain why this is the case:

KBO — Knowledge-based Organization encourages people to learn, develop new skills, and share them among their team. Bear in mind that the KBO Company is ready to invest in new knowledge, experience, new ideas, “exploration” of mistakes, and day-to-day training.

For a company to maintain its KBO approach, all new ideas, skills, and tools must be tested. And this dynamic environment is a great opportunity for any QA tester, either Senior QA testers or QA testers just starting their career, to thrive.

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2. Knowledge Base

Now, to manage “something”, that “something” needs to exist in a company. And it is a reason why every company needs to build its knowledge base.

The right approach to understanding the knowledge base is to look at it as a collection of documents, information, answers from the FAQ, instructions, and how-to-use guides. All this data is kept, arranged, and sorted in one place, the company’s knowledge base.

This knowledge base is of great help for a company in a time of expansion and growth since new employees will have the ability to use shared knowledge. It is also an excellent place for testers to see how some software, tools, or products, were developed.

Luckily, to create a company knowledge base, you can use various tools and software. Creating manuals, such as technical manuals, training manuals, or white papers is quick and easy using tools.

The knowledge base is of great help for every team in the company, including the QA team. It is important to define the level of access for users of the knowledge base. With this, the company will ensure that only competent users can edit content in the knowledge base. And this is the way to keep the knowledge base accurate and up-to-date. Others will use this base as a place for seeking solutions to problems, and as a place to learn from.

From a QA perspective, look at a Knowledge Base as a company library.

Imagine this scenario: you just started as a tester on a new product for an established company. You need to test the usability and help find bugs before its release to the market.

If that company has a knowledge base, you will have access to information about other product development in that company. Seeing recorded cases of previous “problems” in product development will be an excellent starting point for testing the new product. And it will help you, as a QA tester, with writing the test cases.

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3. Knowledge Management

By now, you know “what is knowledge” and how different types of knowledge can be used. Now let’s see what is important for an enterprise to successfully manage knowledge.

The below steps are the most important to have top knowledge management in a company:

1) Real-time knowledge

You are probably familiar with a term that defines real-time: “speed at which a computer receives and processes information” (Britannica Dictionary definition). A knowledge base needs to have its data or video recordings inserted and updated in real-time.

To have an up-to-date knowledge base, information flow in the knowledge base needs to be undisturbed and quick. A real-time knowledge base will allow users to have access to any information without delay.

2) Make knowledge management a dynamic one

Another step is managing a dynamic knowledge base in the company. In a dynamic knowledge base “data and set rules” are changing over time. A dynamic approach will make your knowledge base one that has a learning curve. QA teams will be able to delete or disable bugs and recognize changes made in a knowledge base over time.

3) Importance of the right knowledge storage place

Storage place is extremely important. There is a huge difference in accessibility and storage capacity if you use cloud-based or on-premises storage places for your knowledge base. For managing a usable knowledge base conduct deep research about available options and prices for knowledge storage places.

4) Using the right KM solutions

Carefully decide which KM solution to use in your company because the complete development of your knowledge base will depend on this step.

With Knowledge Management software or KM, you will save and store the knowledge of your organization and your employees in one place.

Advanced KM software can turn team conversation into actions so lasting knowledge will be built, and all ideas will be saved. All information flows, from ideas to product documentation to blogs, can be organized in one place.

Use the KM solution that integrates with the software and tools you already use, and you will instantly see performance improvements.

5) Use integrations

A great approach in knowledge management is to use integrations. Use integrations that can be easily blended into the existing company system. Integrations that are easy to use would be welcomed by all employees. Employees who have worked for a long time in the company will easily accept smaller changes in the existing system and be more willing to share their knowledge.

6) Protect employees’ private data

Use KM systems that will protect your employees’ private data. When sharing information and knowledge, your staff must be confident that their private data is 100% protected and safe from intruders. QA teams will make this possible, by constantly testing knowledge base safety.

7) Use AI

Use AI and automation. Data transfer, collecting, and recording will be faster, and you will reduce time waste by implementing automation in your knowledge base management approach.

Now, let me show you what you need to choose the right KM approach. You can use these four “pillars” as a starting point:

– Accessibility

Make your company knowledge base accessible to all employees, this way you will encourage them to share knowledge and skills. “Locked” knowledge base is of no use to anybody.

– Collaboration

A great approach is to create a Learning Hub within your knowledge base. Users, like employees, customers, or stakeholders will be able to ask questions, get different answers and learn from various examples. Open communication is the best way for knowledge sharing and knowledge management. Testers will have the opportunity to collect the user experience of the products and use this info when creating test cases.

– Customization

Try to make your knowledge base customizable. Management of knowledge will be more efficient when your database is customizable. When you begin with establishing the knowledge base, experienced employees, who are in your company from the beginning, will fill the foundation of the knowledge base. As time goes by, new employees, customers, or users will add their knowledge. By allowing customization, the knowledge base will be flexible and easy to manage.

– Recognition

Successful knowledge base management must include recognition of innovations and best-practice ideas. With a recognition approach, employees will be willing to share their knowledge, knowing that you appreciate it. Set a reward system to fit your company culture, or try some new ways of recognition.

I will list in short some other important components of knowledge management. In knowledge management you will need:

People — to lead 2. Processes — to be defined 3. Content — the right one 4. IT tools — to connect the right content to the right people 5. Strategy — ask yourself this question “How to use KM to meet the company needs”

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4. ERP, QA Testing, and Knowledge Base

In this part let me share my experience on why having a knowledge base is important, and what happens if the company doesn’t practice knowledge management.

A couple of years ago, I accepted a new job, in the Supply Chain Management department (Sales dep.) of the automotive industry. And my journey with implementing ERP and testing began. If you are not familiar with ERP software, let me quickly explain what is ERP, and where is used.

“Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is defined as the ability to deliver an integrated suite of business applications. ERP tools share a common process and data model, covering broad and deep operational end-to-end processes, such as those found in finance, HR, distribution, manufacturing, service and the supply chain.” — Gartner Glossary

ERP Software Systems are developed for large enterprises. ERP is tailor-made, and can’t be customized. Implementing an ERP software system in a company with a long and successful history isn’t easy.

“Critical challenges include disbanding the project team very quickly after implementation, interface issues, lack of proper testing, time zone limitations, stress, offshoring, people’s resistance to change, a short hyper-care period, and data cleansing.” — Menon

The first obstacle would be in the case when the company doesn’t have a knowledge base. To implement any new process or product, you can use ERP Test Environment. And that is great, in regards to ERP systems. But, those systems are non — customizable from a user point. To work with ERP, you must strictly follow a set of rules. For an advanced user of ERP, you need to be a tester too.

And to successfully introduce and test the processes in ERP, you would need a company knowledge base. And if a company doesn’t have a knowledge base and doesn’t practice knowledge management, the ERP system won’t work properly. If the company doesn’t have a knowledge base, all knowledge, skills, and experience will belong to a couple of employees. Then “life happens”, and years of experience and knowledge disappear.

To use the ERP system, companies must have a knowledge base and manage knowledge properly. These are the advantages:

– In the knowledge base, documents, recordings, drawings, and test cases are stored and available for learning.

– When the company is in transition and development, the QA Tester can easily pull out useful info from the knowledge base. The new product will be developed with ease and would meet customer requirements

– Using the company knowledge base, the new product will be branded. All inputs will come from previous internal designs.

– By using already recorded processes and test cases, redundancy is eliminated. QA Tester will dedicate time to testing new product features.

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To wrap this up:

Personal knowledge is power, but shared knowledge is even more powerful. Everybody will benefit from the right knowledge management approach in a company. As a person who inputs their knowledge into a knowledge base, you will have the opportunity to use shared one to improve your work even more.

I am a huge supporter of automation. Especially in testing, since once it is successfully set it saves a lot of time. I can see that there is a concern that automation will erase the knowledge of how to test manually. But with the knowledge base and knowledge management, knowledge of manual testing and experiences would be stored and recorded.

Include testing in your knowledge base, and share the importance of software testing, it will certainly push enterprises to become better.

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A Complementary Approach in Testing: Static and Dynamic Testing

Lejlahadzimahovic — Wed, 10 May 2023 06:58:33 +0000

If you are a tester or software developer, you probably know how important it is to deliver high-quality products in a fast and efficient way to end users. That’s why continuous testing is becoming a key practice in the software development lifecycle. Continuous testing is the process of testing software continuously throughout its development and deployment stages, ensuring that it meets the requirements and expectations of the users and stakeholders.

In this article, I will talk about static and dynamic testing; two complementary testing techniques that can help you improve the quality of tested software. Static testing is checking the code, design, and documentation without executing the software. Dynamic testing is testing the software by running it and observing its behavior.

Both techniques have advantages and disadvantages, but when used together, they can provide a more comprehensive and effective testing strategy.

Importance of Continuous Testing in an Enterprise

But how can you achieve continuous testing in your enterprise? What are the tools and techniques that you need to implement successfully? In this blog post, I will explain how dynamic and static testing plays a crucial role in continuous testing for enterprises, and how they can help you improve your software quality and performance.

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Dynamic testing vs static testing

Dynamic testing and static testing are two types of software testing that have different purposes and methods. Dynamic testing is the process of testing software by executing it with various inputs and scenarios and checking its behavior and outputs. Static testing is the process of testing software by analyzing its code, design, documentation, and configuration, without executing it.

Both dynamic and static testing are essential for continuous testing, as they can help you identify and fix defects at different stages of the software development lifecycle. Dynamic testing can help you verify the functionality, usability, reliability, security, and performance of your software, while static testing can help you improve the quality, maintainability, readability, and compliance of your code.

How Dynamic and Static Testing Support Continuous Testing

Continuous testing requires a high level of automation and integration of different tools and processes. Dynamic and static testing can support continuous testing by providing fast and accurate feedback on your software quality and performance, enabling you to make informed decisions and take corrective actions.

Dynamic testing can support continuous testing by:

– Automating your test cases and test suites using tools like Selenium, TestNG, JUnit, etc.
– Integrating your test automation with your continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines using tools like Jenkins, Bamboo, Azure DevOps, etc.
– Running your tests in parallel on different environments and devices using platforms like LambdaTest.
– Generating test reports and dashboards using tools like Allure, TestRail, ReportPortal, etc.
– Monitoring your software performance and availability using tools like AppDynamics, New Relic, Dynatrace, etc.

Static testing can support continuous testing by:

– Analyzing your code quality and complexity using tools like SonarQube, Code Climate, Codacy, etc.
– Detecting code smells, bugs, vulnerabilities, and technical debt using tools like PMD, FindBugs, Checkstyle, etc.
– Enforcing coding standards and best practices using tools like ESLint, Prettier, StyleCop, etc.
– Reviewing your code changes and providing feedback using tools like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.
– Documenting your code and design using tools like Javadoc, Doxygen, Sphinx, etc.

Continuous testing is a vital practice for enterprises that want to deliver high-quality software in a fast and efficient way. Dynamic and static testing are two types of software testing that play a crucial role in continuous testing for enterprises. By combining dynamic and static testing techniques and tools in your software development lifecycle, you can improve your software quality and performance significantly.

Complementary testing techniques are methods that can be used together to enhance the quality and coverage of software testing. They are not meant to replace each other, but rather to supplement and support each other.

Using dynamic and static testing techniques in continuous testing ensures that the software is well-designed, well-coded, well-tested, and well-delivered. It can also save time, money, and resources by avoiding rework and reducing risks (According to a survey by GitLab, 82% of respondents said they release code faster with continuous testing). I hope this article will give you some insights into how dynamic and static testing plays a crucial role in continuous testing.

Now, I’ll try to explain how static and dynamic testing can be used together as complementary testing techniques, and the benefits of doing so. Let’s get started!

Static Testing -What is and when do we use it?

Static testing includes testing all software components or systems without actually running them. It is known as “static” because we run this type of testing without executing the code. Testers often use several techniques to conduct static testing. These include review, inspection, walkthrough, and static analysis.

One of the main benefits of static testing is the early identification of defects. When you can catch errors before the actual code runs, be sure it will save significant time and effort for developers. You will see that static testing is especially useful for testing large or complex code to avoid time-consuming debugging later on.

Static testing can also reduce the overall testing time required for a project. Since it does not involve executing the code, it can be much faster than dynamic testing. Static testing is beneficial for projects with tight deadlines or limited resources.

Besides saving time and effort, static testing can also improve the quality of the code. When you identify and address defects early in the development process, in the end, developers will have a product with fewer bugs. This is a clear path to increase customer satisfaction. And even cost savings by avoiding the need for rework or debugging once the software is in use.

Despite its benefits, there are also some limitations to static testing.

One of the main limitations is the scope of the analysis. Static testing can only identify defects you can see without executing the code. Some defects will only occur when the code is running and thus will not be detected through static testing.

Another potential issue with static testing is the risk of false positives. It means they can identify a defect that will not harm the actual running of the software. So, you will waste your time investigating and addressing these false positives.

In addition, using static testing tools, you can only analyze the code or design available at that time to you. When you don’t include certain parts of the code in the analysis, defects in those parts probably won’t be identified. All this can result in limited coverage and potentially missed defects.

Overall, static testing is an important part of the software development process. Use static testing in combination with other testing techniques like dynamic testing. Static testing will give you a comprehensive view of the software and help developers produce a high-quality product.

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How to Successfully Run Static Testing?

To successfully run static testing, you should:

Identify the goals and scope of the testing by asking:
-What do you hope to achieve with the testing, and what parts of the code do you want to focus on?
Choose the appropriate techniques and tools:
-Depending on your goals and the characteristics of the code, you may want to use one or more techniques and tools to perform the testing.
Set up the testing environment:
-This may involve installing and configuring necessary tools or setting up a code review process.
Execute the testing:
-This may involve manually reviewing the code or running automated tools to analyze it.
Review the results and take any necessary actions:
-This may involve fixing identified issues, updating the code to meet style guidelines, or making other improvements.

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Dynamic Testing -What Is and When Do We Use It?

Dynamic testing is a testing method of evaluating the behavior of a software application or system by executing it and observing the results. This type of testing is also known as “run-time testing” because it involves running the code and interacting with it while running.

One of the main goals of dynamic testing is to identify defects or bugs in the code that may not be detectable through static testing methods, such as code review or static analysis. Dynamic testing is often used together with static testing and provides a more accurate evaluation of an application’s quality.

There are several types of dynamic testing, including:

Unit testing: This involves testing individual units or components of the code, such as functions or methods, to ensure they are working correctly.
Integration testing: This involves testing how different units of code work together as a system.
System testing: This involves testing the entire system (including all its components and interfaces) to ensure it’s working correctly.
Acceptance testing: This involves testing the system to ensure it meets the requirements and expectations of the end user.

Dynamic testing is run by a tester or a team of testers, creating test cases and executing them against the code. These test cases may involve inputting specific data into the system and verifying that the output is correct (or interacting with the system in various ways and observing the results).

One of the main benefits of dynamic testing is that it allows testers to exercise the code and identify defects that may not be detectable through other methods. It also helps testers confirm that the code works correctly in a live environment.

Dynamic testing can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, as it requires executing the code and interacting with it in various ways. You must understand the code and the system requirements to create effective test cases.

Despite these challenges, dynamic testing is a crucial step in the software development process and can help to identify and fix defects before releasing software to users. By thoroughly testing the code and ensuring it is working correctly, developers can improve the quality and reliability of their software and provide a better user experience.

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How to Successfully Run Dynamic Testing?

To successfully run dynamic testing, you should follow these steps:

Identify the test scenarios:
– Determine the specific actions or scenarios you want to test in the software. For example, test the login feature, the search function, or the checkout process.
Prepare the test environment:
– Set up the necessary hardware, software, and data you need to run the tests. This might include installing the software on a test machine, setting up test accounts, and preparing test data.
Execute the tests:
-Run the test scenarios and observe the software’s behavior. You can use a tool to automate the execution of the tests and record the results.
Analyze the results:
-Review the results of the tests and look for any defects or issues identified. If any defects are found, they should be documented and reported to the development team for resolution.
Retest:
– After the defects have been fixed, you should retest the affected areas to ensure that they are working correctly.

Here is a simple chart comparing static and dynamic testing:

FEATURE	STATIC TESTING	DYNAMIC TESTING
Definition	Testing done without executing the code	Testing done by executing the code and interacting with the software
When performed	Typically earlier in the development process	Typically later in the development process
How performed	Manually or using automated tools	Manually by a tester
Focus	Finding defects in the code	Verifying that the software functions correctly and meets the requirements of the users
Efficiency	More efficient and cost-effective	Less efficient and more costly
Identifies	Issues that may not be detected during dynamic testing (e.g. design flaws, security vulnerabilities)	Issues that may not be detected during static testing (e.g. performance, compatibility issues)
Can be done by	Anyone with knowledge of the code	Trained tester
Can be done on	Any type of software	Functional software
Results	Report	Pass/fail results for each test case

I hope this chart helps clarify the differences between static and dynamic testing! Let me know if you have any questions.

Real-Life Examples

Example of a Static Testing Case:

A developer is working on a new feature for an e-commerce website. The feature allows users to upload and edit their product listings. As part of the development process, the developer writes a set of requirements and creates a design document that outlines the overall architecture and design of the feature.

Before the developer begins writing code, a team of testers conducts a static testing review of the requirements and design document. During the review, the team identifies several issues and concerns, such as:

– The requirements are not clear and need to be revised.
– The design document does not adequately address security considerations.
– The design document does not include a detailed description of how the feature will handle errors and exceptions.
– The team provides feedback to the developer, who revises the requirements and design document to address the issues identified during the review. Once the revised documents are reviewed and approved, the developer can begin writing code for the new feature with confidence that the requirements and design are sound.

It is just one example of how you can use static testing to identify and correct defects and issues early in the development process, improving the overall quality and reliability of the software.

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Example of the Dynamic Testing Case:

Dynamic testing is a software testing method while it’s running. Here is an example of a dynamic testing case:

Imagine you are a software tester for a company that has developed a new e-commerce website. One of the features of e-commerce is the ability for users to search for products and add them to their shopping cart.

– To test this feature, you could use dynamic testing methods by creating test cases that involve searching for items and adding them to the shopping cart. For example, you could search for a specific product, add it to the cart, and verify that it appears in the cart as expected.
– You could also test the checkout process by adding multiple items to the cart, entering payment and shipping information, and verifying that the order is successfully placed.

Dynamic testing allows you to test the software realistically and interactively, ensuring that it functions properly and meets the requirements of the end users.

The Key Differences Between Static and Dynamic Testing

Static testing is a type of testing done without executing the code, while dynamic testing involves executing the code and interacting with the software.
Static testing is typically done earlier in the development process, while dynamic testing is done later.
Static testing can be done manually or using automated tools, while dynamic testing is typically done manually by a tester.
Static testing is focused on finding defects in the code, while dynamic testing is focused on verifying that the software functions correctly and meets the requirements of the users.
Static testing is typically more efficient and cost-effective than dynamic testing, as it does not require the time and resources to set up and execute test cases.
Static testing can identify issues that may not be detected during dynamic testing, such as design flaws or security vulnerabilities.
Dynamic testing is better at identifying issues that may not be detected during static testing, such as performance or compatibility issues.
Static testing can be done at any stage of the development process, while dynamic testing is typically done towards the end of the process.
Static testing can be done by anyone with knowledge of the code, while dynamic testing is typically done by a trained tester.
Static testing can be done on any type of software, while dynamic testing is typically done on functional software.
The results of static testing are typically in the form of a report, while the results of dynamic testing are typically in the form of pass/fail results for each test case.

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Let’s Conclude,

Static and dynamic testing are methods for ensuring the quality and reliability of software. Static testing is a type of testing that we do without executing the code, while dynamic testing involves executing the code and interacting with the software.

Static testing has several advantages. It is typically more efficient and cost-effective than dynamic testing, as it does not require the time and resources to set up and execute test cases. You can use static testing at any stage of the development process. In addition, static testing can identify issues such as design flaws or security vulnerabilities.

Dynamic testing also has its own set of advantages. It is better at identifying issues, such as performance or compatibility issues. Dynamic testing allows you to test the software realistically and interactively, ensuring that it functions properly and meets the requirements of the end users.

Overall, static and dynamic testing are both important to ensure the quality and reliability of software. Use both testing methods to identify a wider range of defects and ensure that the software is fully tested and ready for use. So next time you’re testing software, don’t forget the power of combining static and dynamic testing!

How can enterprise QA leaders project manage the entire lifecycle of testing?

Lejlahadzimahovic — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 10:38:53 +0000

These are the points we will discuss in detail in this article:

How to come up with a central strategy
Necessary Soft skills
How to integrate people with different technical backgrounds into this culture
Metrics to keep an eye on

Before I answer this question, I feel the need to guide you on this topic in more detail. We all know that QA leaders are responsible for one testing project at a time and lead one QA team, while QA managers traditionally manage the complete QA process in an enterprise.

Allow me to show you why it is important that QA leaders acquire knowledge of project management, and then be able to manage the entire lifecycle of testing.

First, let me explain what project management is and what the lifecycle of testing is.

1. Project management process in a couple of short steps

– Concept, definition, and planning
To start any project, including a QA project, first, you will need to make a draft of the project itself. Make a short, one-page list of the project’s key points.
Then set a project definition (do your best to answer these questions Who, What, Where, When, and How). With those answers, write a project description on how you will achieve project goals and the purpose of this project.

After the project is approved next step in project management is project planning.
When managing the project manager needs to plan every detail, from the start of the project to the project finish. Every detail and every project step must include resources needed, cost estimations, duration of every project step, and successful leaders must predict possible problems in project implementation.

– Implementation
The Key feature of project management is project implementation. The first step in successful project implementation is a team meeting, where the manager will explain the details of every step of project implementation. In this meeting, listen to questions of your team members and then solve issues from the project plan that aren’t clear to team members.

– Monitoring and controlling
Managers must monitor project progress, make sure every step of the planned project is finished, and control the quality of tasks done during this project.

– Closing and evaluating
Once the project is completed, it is time for the manager to close this project. The first step in project closing is project evaluation. Evaluate the project with your team in a joint meeting, and consider this a first evaluation. If everything is in order and you are satisfied with the project, write a final project evaluation and close the project.

2. Software testing life cycle (STLC)

– Requirement analysis
In this first stage, the QA leader will need to evaluate requirements for this specific testing project and define requirements they can test. Those requirements can be features of the software (functional features) or reliability, speed, and availability (non-functional features).

– Test planning
Test planning is an important part of the QA lifecycle. With the right plan, STLC will be successful. Here QA leaders will prepare the budget for the testing project and estimate the efforts needed to complete this project. In this stage, it is necessary to include types of software testing and optimal testing tools; and assign roles and responsibilities to the test team.

– Test Case Development
In this STLC part, test team with the QA leader will prepare test cases (test scripts if automation) and test data. After test cases are written, the QA leader will review them and create a requirement traceable matrix (RTM). RTM is a document that maps and traces any user requirement using given test cases.

– Environment Setup
The environment setup includes all software, hardware, and network configuration that the test team will need to execute prepared test cases.

– Test Execution
With test plans and using test cases, testers proceed with testing. Bug reports are made for the development team to act upon them.

– Test Closure
During the test closure phase, testers will analyze and discuss the current test cycle. Then they will identify new strategies for future STLC that will remove obstacles in the test cycle, so the best practice will be shared and included in future projects.

Now, you can see that stages of project management and the Test Life Cycle have a lot in common. First, you need to have a plan, implement (develop) that plan, monitor the process, and in the end, close and evaluate the project or test.
After this introduction, we can continue our journey:

How to come up with the central strategy

QA managers define goals, but objectives (detailed goals) are something that QA leaders need to pay attention to when creating the central strategy for STLC. This is how they can use the SMART technique to achieve it.

1. Define Quality Objectives using SMART

To define quality objectives these objectives need to be measurable. To write measurable objectives, the easiest way is to use a technique known as SMART. This is how this technique works:

S/ Specific (objective draft needs to be written clearly and with all specifics explained)
M/ Measurable (set metrics for measuring all quality objectives achievement)
A/ Attainable (Quality objective needs to be achievable, but they have to be interesting and challenging for your testing team too)
R/ Relevant (your set objective must be of value to the QA team working on it as well as for the tested software and development team)
T/ Time-bound (needs to have a set deadline)

The next steps for creating a successful central strategy are:

2. Roles and Responsibilities

Now, a QA leader needs to define roles and responsibilities for each testing team member. Keep in mind that every tester must have a part in a testing cycle that will meet their skill set. Also, staff training is an important part of the central strategy.
Developing new skills or learning to use new tools in the testing project will ensure an up-to-date test team. Testers who work on their knowledge will be able to detect bugs in the early part of product development. And early stage efficient testing is something that QA is moving to now.

Other steps the QA leader must finish to have a central strategy are the implementation of a QA plan, examination of results, making necessary adjustments, and keeping the team in the loop.

You can see that the QA leader’s role is not only in preparing the test cases, picking the right tools, etc. If you ask “why not?” only one answer comes as the right one: the QA leader needs to manage the team. To successfully manage the team, QA leaders must have Soft skills. After explaining “what are Soft management skills”, we will explain how to implement this whole process with a team of people with different technical backgrounds.

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Necessary Soft skills

To be a QA leader, one needs to have the required soft skills. If you can’t effectively communicate with your testing team, you may put the project at risk. Without problem-solving skills, the testing project timeline may be impacted negatively. In short, without soft skills, your project can fail.

1. Leadership
Don’t confuse leadership with management. Leadership is when you can inspire your team members. These team members will trust your guidance and your project ideas. If you as a QA leader have the right leadership skills, it will empower other members of your team, they will see you as a source of authority and knowledge, somebody who can guide them and teach them at the same time.

2. Communication
Having strong communication skills, verbal or written, is something a QA leader must possess to manage projects from start to finish (entire lifecycle of testing). Communications skills will help your testing team understand all requirements of testing projects. Keep all communication channels open using email, test documentation, and test cases. They need to be up to date and available to your team all the time.

3. Problem-solving
Even if you prepare the perfect plan, you can’t eliminate all risks during test execution. And this is why having problem-solving skills is necessary. As a QA leader, you must act quickly and reasonably without panic. Every project life cycle has challenges, and with strong problem-solving skills, you will be able to address and solve unexpected issues and help your team to move things up.

4. Teamwork
The success of any project is in teamwork. By recognizing the importance of teamwork and acting accordingly, test projects will be finished on time, every team member will feel appreciated, and the complete team will have high morale. So maintain a positive teamwork environment.

5. Conflict resolution
Every QA leader must know how to address and handle conflict among team members, other people in the organization, or external sources. Even if there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” conflict resolution strategy, there are a huge number of resolution strategies that exist. You will need to know how to apply them in your specific conflict case, and that’s an important skill.

How to integrate people with different technical backgrounds into this culture

1. Opportunities for creativity and problem solving
When you work in a team with people from different technical backgrounds, use that as an enormous advantage. Integrating people with different experiences, skills, and insights into your working culture will help your team to see problems and opportunities from different angles. Diversity increases innovation, creativity, and strategic thinking because teams with people from different backgrounds can draw upon their unique experiences and a wide range of knowledge to spark some new, innovative ideas. So when you integrate people into one team use all the soft skills we pointed out previously, and explain to those people all mentioned advantages that working in a diverse team will have to their successful work.

2. Decision-making is smarter
Teams of employees from different technical backgrounds and cultures come with a wider range of knowledge sources and experiences. This diversity can help them make more educated decisions, leading to better work results for the complete team.

Those teams work smarter together, are more innovative, and are more socially aware. The team where you integrate diversity is known to process facts more carefully, which is a significant factor in making smarter, data-driven decisions. So point this out to all team members also, and they will embrace diversity.

In my opinion, these are two enormously unique and positive outcomes for QA leaders when they work with a team of people with different technical backgrounds.

A couple more tips you need to use as a QA leader so the process of integration will be more successful:

– Be fair and identify potential bias
– Value all of your team members equally
– Promote opportunities for career advancement
– Educate your team members on diversity and enforce respect
– Support workplace collaboration
– Offer flexibility, and respect all beliefs equally

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Metrics to keep an eye on and use as the advantage

As testers or QA leaders, you are familiar with QA metrics and their role in the test cycle (tracking the status of testing activities, measuring product quality, team efficiency, and their role when determining how to optimize the testing process).

But please be aware as QA leaders that two projects can have identical metrics but completely different meanings for those projects. Don’t use only metrics numbers to evaluate your testing team.

QA leaders can use metrics to complete the testing lifecycle successfully and improve the testing team’s performance.

Use Base metrics and Calculated metrics to achieve the following:

Use QA metrics that you, as a QA Leader, easily estimate the effectiveness of testing methods used. This will help your team successfully carry out every new release cycle.
QA metrics will give you examples of typical software behavior, and your team can learn which patterns and bugs are repeating in similar products.
Use QA metrics to understand how your team works during test execution and to what extent they are successful with completing the project.

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Final thoughts

I hope I explained well how a QA leader can manage the complete lifecycle of the testing project in an enterprise. We can conclude that to do it successfully, the QA leader must learn and apply new knowledge. Understand similarities in project management and STLC, learn soft skills, and recognize all advantages of working with a team of testers from different technical and cultural backgrounds. In the end, I explained that QA metrics, even only represented as numbers, can show a lot more about managing a team and completing the testing lifecycle to the QA leader.

I hope you enjoyed this learning journey with me and that we will soon continue exploring other topics related to testing and QA.

How to Recognize and Hire Top QA / DevOps Engineers

Lejlahadzimahovic — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 08:52:19 +0000

With the rising demand for new services and technologies in the IT, manufacturing, healthcare, and financial sector, QA/ DevOps engineering has become the most important part of software companies. Below is a list of some characteristics to look for when interviewing a potential candidate.

In the presented list, you will find important but mostly overlooked skills and traits.

Also, at the end of this list, there is one point that you, as an employer must fulfill.

Fundamental knowledge gaps

Looking at the skills of today’s engineers, you will be impressed that they can spin up complex cloud infrastructures easily. Even with structures with a large amount of complexity in Cloud computing, for them it doesn’t even matter if it is an IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service); PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), or SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), they can do it with ease. And don’t get me wrong, this is important for an engineer.
But when looking for top engineers, one question arises: do they understand the underlying fundamentals (or if you prefer — basics) of the computing infrastructure they use in this process?

These are examples of the basic knowledge that any engineer has to know and you need to cover them in your interview with the candidate: network technologies (routing, IP addressing, TCP/IP fundamentals), how servers work and boot, basics of databases, and how they work, encryption and data stores. Also, any top QA/DevOps engineer needs fundamental knowledge of coding languages, data structures, and algorithms, source control, testing procedures, debugging knowledge, operating systems, etc. It seems a lot, but we are talking about basic knowledge, and not about experts in all these categories.

Every day you will have some configuration issue or some low-level problem that will occur. This “small” issue can cause huge usability problems, even stoppages or site crashes. If you have engineers with basic knowledge, that fundamental knowledge will usually solve the problem.

How often did you witness a simple reboot was enough for the system to continue running smoothly? Having an engineer who clearly understands the difference between performing a simple “shut down” vs. “restart”, will be at some point, very important for your team.

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Formal training vs. experience

Formal training will help when an engineer starts working. But usually, that is not enough for one to become a top QA/DevOps engineer or take full responsibility for the product platform operations.

To have certificates and attend classes, online courses, and boot camps is a plus, but you can’t “learn” experience.

When you look for QA/DevOps engineer, don’t undermine engineers without formal training. If one has over 20 years of experience in the industry, surely lots of skills are gathered over the years. Top QA/DevOps engineers must have the experience necessary to lead, operate, and debug. You will see that during some major incidents when stress levels are high, having experienced engineers will make a huge difference. They will be able to quickly take the lead and find solutions from their previous experiences.

In those cases, prepare and conduct interviews that can show the technical skills of every candidate.

Be careful of “Know-it-all” engineer

Progress and changes in technology happen quickly. The top skills one has today can be irrelevant tomorrow. And that is a reality we all need to acknowledge. Try to find and recognize candidates that like to explore and learn new things. Look for engineers who always try to figure out how to make things work better. The ones who are willing to test things multiple times to find the right solution are better candidates. Those engineers are a better choice than ones that stick to what they learn in formal training and are not willing to change or adapt their minds. So many different tools are developed and available today for one to use. Top QA/DevOps engineers will be willing to spend their time researching and reviewing tools to find the right one for the particular job.

Top QA/DevOps engineers will embrace new tools and automation, and see the advantages of using new solutions.

Communication skills

Don’t overlook the communication skills of potential candidates. This is important since QA/DevOps engineers will need to schedule a meeting to talk about any relevant issues to clear things up with a team. They would need to communicate with customers and product owners to explain developments or problems with the product.

QA/DevOps engineers must be able to write clearly, and the text needs to be meaningful. The team needs to understand what they are saying, listen to it, and ask questions. This is important for a team to understand the requirements that are needed from them. QA/DevOps engineers will mainly work with the development team. And if they have good communication with other team members, the project will run better, and the job will be done correctly.

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Particular personality traits

You cannot just test candidates for QA/DevOps engineers against a “best set” list of traits and then look for only ones that have all boxes from that list checked. Every candidate is a person who has a different personality and a wide range of interests. There are extroverts and introverts; some are very opinionated, and others are not; some easily accept new environments, and some need a quiet place to come up with the best ideas. The list is a never-ending one.

The right candidate needs to be the one that has the right skills needed for a job. The top QA/DevOps engineer who is the right pick for your company fits right into your company’s mission. Also, needs to have good communication skills and traits to get the job completed on time.

Focus on what will be needed from a person from a work perspective, and don’t defer from the company mission and culture. Be aware of personality traits that can become a huge problem. Try to eliminate in the first interview, candidates with inflexible opinions or ones that are so introverted that any kind of communication is difficult. Look for problems in extreme personality traits.

Seniority vs. minor tasks and teamwork culture

Here is another important thing to look for in your candidates. When any crisis occurs, will they be ready to jump in and help the team in every task to get the job done?

This is important for teams of all sizes. Bear in mind that tasks that some senior staff will consider minor are equally important in taking projects to the finishing line(tasks like writing documentation, test cases, reviewing logs, creating checklists, etc.).

All the above make a good case for a company to have a team that comprises both experienced and junior engineers so that your QA/DevOps team will be well balanced.

This will allow a leading QA/DevOps engineer to balance seniority issues and teamwork. Encouraging senior staff members to act like mentors will allow them to be appreciated, and not feel threatened by new team members.

Researching skills

Please don’t confuse researching with learning. A good engineer will be willing to learn, but to do that, they will require an already prepared topic and literature.

In other cases, top QA/DevOps engineers will be willing to research to find answers to questions or problems. And then to learn it.

An experienced person will know how to conduct research. Either on the internet, in company manuals or maybe to ask some of the team members.

Not everybody knows how to research on the net; you need to “ask” the right question to get the right answer. And that is a skill too, one you will need from top QA/DevOps engineers.

Understand the importance of time management

Time management is an important process in any role, either technical or non-technical. Top QA/DevOps engineers as leaders in teams, must understand the basics of time management.

But understanding and knowing how to implement them is an altogether different issue.

For QA/DevOps engineers implementing time management means knowing how to prioritize tasks to ensure there is enough time available to complete every project. The quality of the end product depends on good time management skills.

Ask your candidates to present you with quick drafts on how to manage time, what is the purpose of time management, and how will they organize the time of their teams to meet a deadline, but also deliver quality.

This will also help you to recognize top candidates for QA/DevOps roles.

Develop and offer a competitive compensation plan

Finding a top QA/DevOps engineer is a challenging task for a recruiter. So be aware when preparing to hire one for your team, you will need to offer them a good enough compensation plan so they will not choose competition above you. Salary range, flexibility in the daily schedule, work location, and equity need to be among your listed competitive benefits. Also, prepare a package that offers professional development and a job description that represents a challenge for them so they will accept the job at your company.

Bear in mind that the roles in the hiring industry have changed. Now employers have to attract top candidates. So balance well between what you are looking for and what you can offer to a Top QA/DevOps engineer as an employee.

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Final thoughts

When we talk about top QA/DevOps engineers, having good skills, resourcefulness, creativity in solving problems, and thorough knowledge of the “engineering profession” are essential.

I believe that a good DevOps, in addition to the necessary knowledge of the fundamentals in the IT world, should know, research, and be interested in the “precedents” that will lead them to solve the problem sooner. Now, something like that requires years of experience, but also endless curiosity to find new methods and ways to remove certain obstacles.

Moreover, when we talk about maintaining good interpersonal relations, certainly a company should hire a person who will bring some new, positive energy. A company needs QA/DevOps engineer who would be able to function within a team because software companies nurture teamwork. In such cases, the final product depends on each computer, or the developer sitting behind that computer.

When it comes to personality traits, I think it is not crucial whether a person is an introvert or extrovert, because both types of personality can contribute to solving problems. Although an extroverted person may be more “bold” when it comes to using ways and methods of solving problems, it is often the case that such a personality type cannot focus and stay on something for a long time. This can result in frequent “jumping” from method to method and not implementing the one method until the end, which ultimately leads to an unsolved task. On the other hand, introverts, although by nature closed and withdrawn personalities can persist until the end in one method of solving the problem. And if the chosen method fails, only then do they decide to switch to some other methods. Extroverts are more daring in trying numerous ways of solving problems, but introverts are more persistent to see a certain method to the end.

Finally, when it comes to team management, it is very important to take the lead in time management, because we all strive to do a certain job as quickly and efficiently as possible. When it comes to QA/DevOps, as already mentioned, good skills, resourcefulness, and creativity in solving problems, all entail several qualities related to time management. Top QA/DevOps engineer knows how to organize work and time, how to solve a problem in a creative, fast, and efficient way, and find a way to communicate well with the team.

Developers and Bugs — why are they happening again and again?

Lejlahadzimahovic — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:24:45 +0000

Entering the world of testers, one question started to formulate in my mind: “what is the reason that bugs happen?”.

And I am quite positive that you will, after reading this article, find the answers I provide useful for you as testers and QA engineers. Do consider them as tips you can easily implement too.

Also, I decided to share some insights into different ways of thinking (usually referred to as mindsets), why they are important for developers, and how they can be important to testers.

So let’s begin with our new journey, with bugs, developers, testers, and knowledge.

Humans and code writing

The below-stated reasons are so common that everyone in any business sector probably repeats them every day. In some jobs, this can be time-saving, helpful, and even inspiring, but for developers, it is a clear path for constant bugs in their code. And also, for testers, these seven reasons are prone to cause mistakes in the testing process and test case fallouts. But understanding them can help testers quickly find bugs and point developers to where the errors are in the code.

Copy-Paste

There are a minimum of two reasons why copy-pasting is creating bugs when coding. First of all, the copied part of the main code must precisely fit the destination where it’s pasted. Copy-paste can be a very bad solution in writing code since the probability of missing a bit of code is almost 100%. When reading the written code again (with copy-paste parts), the brain keeps jumping over the identical words and commands, so it just assumes they’re fine.

The second reason is: Maintenance of code is difficult. And, inserting a copy-paste code with an existing bug when editing your written code, is something that will happen. One copy is modified and bug-free, and if you are not very, very careful, the other copied one, won’t be bug-free. That’s one of the explanations behind the DRY principle.

“Don’t repeat yourself” (DRY) is a principle of software development aimed at reducing the repetition of software patterns, replacing it with abstractions, or using data normalization to avoid redundancy.

Rush

When we feel there’s no time to do something to achieve a perfect result, we panic and try to see a completed picture instead of the small parts that are making that picture. It is generally an efficient trait of our brain since it permits us to finish out the foremost tasks achieving an approximated result. And that’s fair enough if we are not talking about coding. However, coding is all about precision in small tasks (more than seeing the complete picture). So, details matter in coding, and developers must devote time to every detail and finish all phases of creating code.

Beware not to linger on tasks expecting ideas to blossom. It’s necessary to take the required time for each task. It is best to invest time in writing code that works than simply rushing through coding and then taking time to correct the bugs.

3.Improvisation

There are numerous ways to design software, like Scrum, Kanban, and Agile. But one thing must be common to all of them; you need to design new software without improvisation. Devote time to analyze every question in your program, and analyze patterns carefully.

Avoiding improvisations is important when you need to integrate new features into already existing software solutions. Carefully analyze the available documentation that the developers of this integration provide. It is not a waste of time, but a time saver, to avoid integration issues and system crashes.

Experienced programmers will sometimes use their intuition, such as a rule of thumb, but consider improvisation as one of the reasons that bugs are very common.

Multi-Tasking

Now, one thing that definitely can’t be used when programming, no matter how popular this expression is in the work environment. I don’t think that any job can be correctly done using multi-tasking, but that is another topic.

What programmers need is concentration. A solution for this can be to plan the workday with meeting-free hours, switch off notifications, use headphones, etc. There are some methods to stay concentrated (such as the Pomodoro method). And one more thing, avoid “asynchronous communication” meaning stop disturbing your colleagues with minor questions and work independently.

Shallowness

Consider every project important and devote your time to designing the best solution. Maybe programmers think that the project is simple, but even the simplest applications have complex solutions in them.

Programmers must understand that things like the number of application users or saved entries, the device on which the program is going to be used, and its working memory can limit created software. So keep this in mind and do your math correctly.

Overconfidence

One thing that can be the reason for bugs is when you stop questioning yourself if your code is making sense. Never stop having some healthy doubts about your code and whether it will fulfill all requirements of the implementation. Programmers with a lot of experience in creating software know the importance of this rule.

Describe in detail all features, and this needs to clarify all questions that will arise in implementation.

One more thing, try to balance insecurity and overconfidence. Since both can create problems: insecurity will make you stuck, and overconfidence will end in buggy software.

Negligence

This is something that not only programmers are responsible for. Everyone involved in software creation needs to be aware of external events. Things like network issues, missing access, and the right resources must be considered to prevent bugs and successfully run the software.

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The importance of writing cleaner code

Programming is 99% team work.

Today teams shift approaches in code writing and encourage team members to write cleaner code. The reason for that: if your code is cleaner then it’s easier to read. And it will be more understandable to other developers. And this is important for any programing language you use.

Also, software solutions are constantly updated, so when a new team member has to do updates, it will be a problem if the code is messy.

For testers, the reason is an obvious one. If they are dealing with clean code, it will be easy to spot a bug and write a bug report. Also, if a bug occurs, and you report it to the developing team, every team member will better understand the error if the code is written respecting the “rules” of writing cleaner code.

These are some points that will help in writing cleaner code:

When defining names for variables or functions, use descriptive names. Try creating syntax with variables that have understandable value for other developers. And not only in your team but for anybody who will review your code later.
Try to write functions that do only one thing. Yes, when you write your code and have the result in your head, you will write one function that does a lot of things. This complex function is clear to you, but it will be hard for somebody else to understand.
Try to take some time, and write a couple of short functions that will do one thing at a time and be easy to read and understand.
Another tip, instead of writing too many comments, write code with descriptive names. It can be harder, but be sure that it would be appreciated in the end.
When writing a comment, one needs to be understandable and have a clear message. Write your comment with information that will be useful. And this is not only that other developers will know what you did, but you will also need to go back to your code later. And after a couple of months or a year, you will have difficulty understanding what the code is doing if you don’t have a descriptive message.

The most important use of cleaner code is when you write one, testers will easily automate tests for it.

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Binary search

Now, let’s see why binary search is easier with cleaner code.

Binary search is only successful and possible to use when you have a sorted list of items. In binary search in every step, data will be reduced to half. This reduces search time significantly, and required information or piece of information will be quickly delivered to the end user.

To have a clean code and to write one, you must have a well-organized structure. The organized structure is easier to read, and as we know, binary search is only successful on codes with clear structure.

This will also reduce the time for testing, and your software will be released without bugs. Your end user will also be satisfied.

Timeless Knowledge

Now, you probably wonder what does timeless knowledge have to do with bugs? I will try to explain it in short.

The world of programming and software solutions is a fast-changing game. More and more people are driven to start their careers in this field, and it is the reason for the fast evolution of coding languages and solutions.

So much research is happening in the field of programming and software solutions, that it’s practically impossible to keep up with all the new developments that are going on.

All the time some hot new thing is out in the market, and we are prone to follow it. People just don’t want to be left aside, they aim to be in the center of the action.

But, one thing tends to be ignored. And that is the advantage of having timeless knowledge.

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What is timeless knowledge and how to identify it:

It can be derived from physical or abstract truths, like graph theory, linear algebra, and most other branches of pure mathematics.

It can be time-stationary like storytelling, leadership, and learning how to learn. In the world of programming try to transfer this to things like operating systems, computer networks, and cryptography.

To maintain timeless knowledge learn about operating systems, and use knowledge about cryptography for a better understanding of codebases. Learning communication skills will help you to be a successful team leader, and to run successful testing cycles in the world of testing and QA.

For programming these points are timeless knowledge (you know them as the basics of programming languages):

Variable Declaration
Basic Syntax
Data Type and Structures
Flow Control Structures (Conditionals and loops)
Functional Programming
Object-Oriented Programming
Debugging
IDEs (integrated development environments) and Coding Environments

And now to wrap it up:

Why is this all important to testers?

All I mentioned in this article are the most important coding basics that testers need to know. And testers and QA need to understand this to be included in all phases of software development.

The starting point in understanding software programs, solutions, machine learning, and automation is to learn the algorithm, binary code, and how machine language is evolved into today’s “modern” languages. Not to mention you will easily understand cloud solutions and AI.

I want to say — to test, you must understand how the software solution you test is supposed to work, and then you will easily find errors and write an acceptable bug report. Timeless knowledge is the foundation for learning new things. Learn basics and you will easily switch between manual to automation testing, from tester to QA team leader.