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Manager's Workshop
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Half-Day Tutorials: Tuesday, April 5th

    8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    1:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    1. Estimation
    2. Test Planning
    3. Requirements
    4. Process Improvement
    5. Security Testing
    1. Testing CoE
    2. Test Design
    3. Agile Methods
    4. People / Teams
    5. Mobile Applications

ESTIMATION

Estimating and Controlling Testing
Robin Goldsmith, JD, Go Pro Management, Inc.

Track 1: 8:30-12:00

Unreliable estimates are a major reason managers allocate inadequate time and resources to testing. Historically, estimating has been so weak in IT that some people simply assume it is impossible to estimate IT activities accurately. Test estimates are especially prone to problems because they often depend on other unreliable estimates. In fact, though, it is possible to estimate accurately and substantial direct and indirect benefits can result. This interactive tutorial describes key principles of effective estimating and how to apply those principles to the unique aspects of testing. Rather than viewing estimating as just a static up-front exercise, the tutorial shows dynamic techniques that effective estimators use throughout the project to control progress as well as to refine and improve their estimates and estimating skills. Exercises enhance learning by allowing you to practice applying practical techniques to realistic examples.

  • Understand the strengths and issues of top-down and bottom-up estimates
  • Reliably identify the tests and estimate the tasks
  • Learn to control test activities and refine estimates

About the instructor...
Robin F. Goldsmith, JD is President of Go Pro Management, Inc., consultancy. He works directly with business and systems professionals in requirements, quality and testing, metrics, ROI, software acquisition, and project and process management. Previously, he has held development, quality, and lead roles with the City of Cleveland, leading financial institutions, and a "Big 4" consulting firm. A member of the IEEE Software Test Documentation Std. 829-2008 Revision Committee, IIBA BABOK subject expert and reviewer, and formerly International Vice President of the Association for Systems Management, and Executive Editor of the Journal of Systems Management, Robin is the author of the Proactive Testing™ methodology and the recent book, Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success.

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TEST PLANNING

Beyond the Templates: Adaptive Test Planning
Lynn McKee, Quality Perspectives

Track 2: 8:30-12:00

Test planning appears in many forms. It may be a formal exercise focused on the development of a comprehensive, pre-emptive document labeled Test Plan. Or, it can be a dynamic, lightweight exercise constantly adapting to changes in the project and organizational needs. Templates are often developed to assure “best practices” and standardization. It is important to consider though that this standardization may restrict our ability to apply critical and creative thinking and to effectively respond to specific circumstances. With the diversity in organizations and projects, testers need to focus on effective, context driven test planning. Beyond the confines of templates and standardization, the objective remains to define a strategy for gathering insightful and timely quality-related information for stakeholders. Context driven test planning aligns the test strategy to the unique organizational goals and project specific constraints, and emphasizes the importance of adaptability. When changes occur in the project mandate or quality issues are revealed, the context of the testing changes and the strategy must adapt.

  • Review the diverse use of and common approaches to test planning
  • Examine the challenges in using cookie cutter test planning templates and approaches
  • Learn the concepts behind context driven testing and the importance of adaptability

About the instructor...
Lynn McKee is an independent consultant with 15 years of experience in the IT industry and a passion for helping organizations, teams and individuals deliver valuable software. Lynn provides consulting on software quality, testing, and building high performing teams. An advocate of the context-driven perspective, her focus is on ensuring testing teams are enabled with effective, adaptive, and scalable approaches aligned with the organization's quality needs. Lynn is an active member of numerous software testing associations, speaks at conferences, writes articles, and contributes to blogs and forums. Lynn is the co-founder and host for the Calgary Perspectives on Software Testing Workshop.

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TESTING VALUE

Creating Value with Your Testing
Selena Delesie, Delesie Solutions

Track 3: 8:30-12:00

Many testers mourn the dismal state of their role within the company, not valued, not respected, and often excluded from important project communications. Sometimes we forget that our role as a tester is to provide a service to our organization, which means we serve our stakeholders needs not the other way around. If we don't meet the needs of our stakeholders, we are unable to add value for the company. If we don't communicate in a way that connects with those needs, we are unable to demonstrate that we are adding value. Attend this tutorial to share and learn how to get stakeholders clamoring for your project involvement, respecting your opinion, taking responsibility for quality as well, and truly valuing the work you do. You'll soon be able to guide testing in your company toward a brighter future.

  • Learn to tailor testing information to the needs and interests of stakeholders
  • Understand context-specific testing is important
  • Discover how to transform into a service provider

About the instructor...
Selena Delesie is a consulting software tester and agile coach, the owner of Delesie Solutions. Selena has been managing and coaching on software, testing, and agile practices for a range of leading-edge technologies for 10 years. She facilitates the evolution of good teams and organizations into great ones using individualized and team-based coaching and interactive training experiences. Selena is an active speaker, participant, and leader in numerous industry-related associations and conferences. Selena is a published author and writes her own blog.

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PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

'No Time' Approaches for Quality Improvement
Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, PhD, Advantage Leadership, Inc.

Track 4: 8:30-12:00

Too often improvement of software and quality assurance related processes have failed even when people had initial management support. There are several common root causes for this problem including lack of institutionalization, lack of demonstrable ROI, lack of defined and measurable processes, and burdensome, slow moving methodologies. Yet, the basics of processes improvement as proven by Deming, Juran, Ishikawa, and others are readily accessible, do not require much time to apply, and can be deployed by an individual or small informal team without elaborate overhead. In this tutorial you will learn both guerilla quality improvement techniques and guerilla marketing techniques to help you make an effective appeal to you management. You will learn practical approaches to documenting, improving, and measuring your processes, as well as demonstrating ROI to management. You’ll learn how to apply these successful approaches officially and unofficially. You'll receive a resource list including free or low-cost tools, templates, and guidelines. You’ll leave with your own personal guide to action specifically tailored to your situation.

  • Get improved results from improved processes by applying GSEP
  • Learn how to demonstrate ROI to management for improved process initiatives
  • Develop your personal guide to action

About the instructor...
As President of Advantage Leadership, Inc., Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, Ph.D., CSQA, works with companies to improve the quality and productivity of software-related efforts. She helps IT organizations assess the current situation and create strategic plans to engineer successful processes, establish business-oriented measurement, and improve bottom-line results. She works with both technical and managerial staff to discover hidden costs and demonstrate ROI. Rebecca has successfully established three QA organizations; she has an international client base, and is the author of books on improving software quality and strategic planning including Get Great Requirements, The Hard Job of Making Software Work: Building the QA Function Step-by-Step, Success Planning: A 'How-To' Guide for Strategic Planning, and Conventional Wisdom: How Today's Leaders Plan, Perform, and Progress Like the Founding Fathers.

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SECURITY TESTING

How Hackers Do It: A Guide to Security Testing Web Applications
Rafal Los, Hewlett-Packard

Track 5: 8:30-12:00

Security teams face an ever-increasing volume of complex web applications that require "security testing." QA analysts can provide needed support and enable security testing much earlier in the development lifecycle, but not without the proper training. This tutorial is aimed at QA analysts who want to learn how hackers break into web applications and how to use that knowledge to assist security teams. You will be provided a foundation for understanding web application security testing from identifying potentially vulnerable targets to basic attack strategies and advanced tools based hacking techniques.

  • Learn how to build security testing into existing QA testing processes
  • Examine the most common web application defects
  • Understand the concept of "negative testing"

About the instructor...
Rafal Los is the Web Application Security Evangelist for the HP Software & Solutions business at Hewlett-Packard. Rafal is responsible for bridging gaps between security technologies and business needs. He also focuses on demonstrating business value from risk reduction through measurable gains in enterprise web application security solutions on behalf of the HP Application Security Center group. He has spent over 10 years in various facets of information security and data protection, building programs at companies ranging from startups to Fortune 50 enterprises. Rafal is a frequent speaker at security conferences and quality events. He contributes regularly to organizations such as the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and others promoting education, openness and standards.

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TESTING COE

Building a Successful Testing Center of Excellence
James Campbell, Tulkita Technologies

Track 1: 1:00-4:30

This workshop will provide a roadmap for strategizing and building a testing center of excellence within your organization. Building a TCoE is more than just knowing how to test. To be successful, an organization must know how to build a TCoE such that it aligns to the enterprise IT strategy, budgets, and the corresponding cost/ benefits associated with a TCoE. This tutorial will go into the hands on details describing how a TCoE should be built and the operating model to support its ongoing viability and success.

  • Understand the steps required to mobilize a TCoE, including the business case
  • Learn how to sell a TCoE to the business and IT stakeholders
  • Discover the success factors in operating a TCoE

About the instructor...
James Campbell has architected and designed over 45 unique TCoEs across the globe. He has completed testing strategies and roadmaps for over 120 organizations and has overseen the successful implementation of over 20 large-scale testing engagements. James previously launched and managed a North American Testing Centre of Excellence for a large global management consulting and technology company. Currently, James is the Director of Strategic Sourcing at Ontario Teachers Pension Plan where he is an industry expert in sourcing and offshore delivery, including testing. James also is the founder and executive director of Tulkita Technologies Inc., a specialized services company focused on the strategy and effectiveness of Quality Assurance. Tulkita provides its customers with specialized solutions in Test Strategy & Planning, Optimization and Training.

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TEST DESIGN

Crash Course in Test Design Methods
Peter Zimmerer, Siemens AG

Track 2: 1:00-4:30

Starting with a risk-based testing strategy, a good test design is the key for effective and efficient testing. In this tutorial, Peter will explain important principles and preconditions for test design, such as the motivation for and benefits of the design. What are the limitations and preconditions? Who are the stakeholders? Next, Peter will present a unique approach to foster the use of test design methods by delivering a systematic, structured, and categorized overview of different test design techniques, exploring several in detail. Combinatorial testing methods, in particular, will be illustrated in-depth. Additionally, Peter will provide a tool to assist you in introducing these methods to your organization. Attend this tutorial and understand not only the big picture of test design methods, but be able to use these approaches in your practice as well.

  • Get to know the benefits, preconditions, and fundamental principles of test design methods
  • Identify who should care about and use test design methods
  • Learn the tools to put these methods into practice

About the instructor...
Peter Zimmerer is a Principal Engineer at Siemens AG, Corporate Technology. He has been working in the field of software testing for more than 19 years. At Siemens he performs consulting and training on test management and test engineering practices including test strategies, test methods, test processes, test automation, and test tools in real-world projects and drives research and innovation in this area. He is an ISTQB® Certified Tester Full Advanced Level and regular speaker at international testing conferences in Europe, Canada, and USA.

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AGILE METHODS

A Test Leadership Guide to Going Agile
Robert Galen, RGCG, LLC

Track 3: 1:00-4:30

So much of moving traditional test teams toward agile methods & testing is focused on the individual tester and testing techniques. As often is the case with agility, directors, managers, team leaders, and test-centric project managers are marginalized. Not in this tutorial! Here we focus on agile testing from the perspective of the test leader. Join experienced agile test leader and coach Bob Galen as you explore the central challenges associated with agile adoption including how to transform your teams’ skills to agile practices, how to hire agile testers, practices for creating a “whole-team” view of quality by focusing on executable requirements and creating powerful done-ness criteria. Beyond tactical leadership, Bob will also explore strategies for becoming a partner in your agile adoption pilots, changes to your testing automation strategies that agile demands, and how to adjust your traditional planning and metrics to more agile-centric approaches that engage your stakeholders.

  • Team transformation: Identifying skill gaps and how to fill them quickly
  • Defining and executing your agile pilot including development of an agile adoption strategy
  • How to define and activate quality criteria that drives agile deliverables

About the instructor...
Bob Galen is an agile methodologist, practitioner, and coach who helps to guide companies and teams in their pragmatic adoption and organizational shift towards Scrum and other agile practices. He is currently the Director of R&D and Agile Coach at iContact, an email marketing SaaS provider. He is also President and Principal Consultant for RGCG, LLC. Bob has over 25 years of experience working in a wide variety of companies. He is a Certified Scrum Master Practicing (CSP), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), and an active member of the Agile Alliance and Scrum Alliance. Is the author of several books including Scrum Product Ownership – Balancing Value from the Inside Out..

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PEOPLE / TEAMS

Coaching as a Two-Way Relationship
Johanna Rothman, Rothman Consulting Group, Inc.

Track 4: 1:00-4:30

Coaching is one of the most important and most difficult responsibilities of leaders. Too often, people struggle and fail when it comes to coaching others. Coaches may try to impose their style on someone for whom it doesn’t fit. Some coaches try to transfer “best practices” regardless of how well they work within the organization. Other coaches only talk. Coaching is a two-way relationship between a coach and the coachee. And, not all the learning is on the coachee’s part. If a coach is not learning as they go, the coachee is shortchanged. This tutorial will explore how to recognize when you are the right coach and when you’re not. You will explore multiple coaching techniques so you can choose the one that best fits you, the other person, and the context. You will practice coaching in several ways and discover which ones you prefer, and which ones you might need to practice more. And, we’ll see how to learn as you coach.

  • Learn multiple approaches to coaching
  • Discover how to understand what the problem really is
  • See how to help everyone involved benefit from coaching

About the instructor...
With over 30 years of experience in software and hardware product development, Johanna Rothman helps managers and leaders solve problems and seize opportunities. She consults, speaks, and writes on managing high-technology product development. She enables managers, teams, and organizations to become more effective by applying her pragmatic approaches to the issues of project, risk, and people management. Johanna publishes The Pragmatic Manager, a monthly email newsletter and podcast, and writes two blogs. She is the author of several books and a host and session leader at the Amplifying Your Effectiveness Conference.

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MOBILE APPLICATIONS

The Mobile App Testing Challenge: Everything You Need to Know
Doron Reuveni, uTest

Track 5: 1:00-4:30

With new applications for BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android making deep inroads into enterprise organizations in industries as diverse and mature as healthcare, banking, and retail, the pressure to get apps built, tested, and launched has never been greater. With so much critical data flowing to smartphones, companies must ensure that mobile apps, the ones your company produces and that employees use, are stable, private and secure. The testing methods that have worked for web and desktop apps aren’t sufficient to meet the testing needs of mobile apps. The testing matrices in the mobile app world have become too multi-dimensional and complex. Depending on whether your company builds a native app or a mobile website, companies must test their apps across handset makers, handset models, locations, wireless carriers, OS, browsers and more. In this half-day tutorial, we will discuss everything you need to know about mobile app testing including a live interactive demo on how to test mobile apps.

  • Understand the differences between mobile testing vs. Web or desktop testing
  • Explore how to meet mobile’s “In-The-Wild” testing demands
  • Learn where crowdsourcing fits

About the instructor...
Doron Reuveni co-founded uTest in February, 2007. Since its inception, uTest has provided functional and load testing services through a community that includes more than 30,000 professional testers from 165 countries around the globe. He is a published author and expert in testing methodologies for web, desktop, and mobile applications. Prior to uTest, Doron was the Senior Vice President of Technology at Enigma, Inc., delivering large-scale software implementations through his global team of product managers, developers, QA professionals, and project managers. He has more than 20 years of experience delivering software applications to Fortune 500 companies as well as young, agile startups.

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