Putting Theory Into Practice: Test ManagerTwo days
The transition from senior test analyst or test team leader to test team manager is not easy. The relatively straightforward planning done by a TTL is extended by the need to schedule re-testing and regression testing and complicated by strategic and political considerations. This course identifies and develops the skills of strategic planning and responding to change at project level.

There are two case studies and the objective of the course is to provide delegates with the skills to create a meaningful strategy for each. The strategy will be presented to management and will be subjected to the typical management analysis and demands.

At the end of this course test team leaders will be able to create a test strategy. They will also have a much better idea of where their career is taking them. The emphasis is very much on the professional tester with more than just test planning and design skills.

This course is designed to be mostly workshop and to cover some of the key issues that anybody doing any sort of test management for a software based application should know. It is designed for test analysts with reasonable experience of doing actual testing.

Objectives:
To cover all the key issues in order to be able to prepare, present and modify a meaningful test strategy.

To provide a practical approach for those who wish to be able to create test strategies and provide the periodic status reports necessary for senior management decisions.

Intended for
Test team leaders and test managers.

All staff who will create a test strategy and monitor the work of the testers against this strategic test plan.

The real world constraints might include changes of business objectives, re-assessment of risks, time pressures and politics.

Key points Why create a test strategy and what is strategic test planning?

What strategic planning is, why a test strategy is needed, how strategic planning is done, who should be involved, what are the cost issues, how test strategies are documented and what standards apply.

Revision of definitions and the testing model, the testing strategy, the test plan, general test and a test case.

The generic test process (GTP), entry and exit criteria; the process; define strategy, plan the work, analyse the test objects and objectives, design the tests, schedule and execute the tests.

Setting test strategies and checking that the test objectives will meet the risk containment and business success objectives within the time and budget constraints. The high level nature of test strategies.

Business objectives conflicting with test objectives.

Risks and benefits

Change and configuration management

Use of tools

The system development plan and the typical involvement of the test manager

Rôles and responsibilities especially who does what testing

The rôle of the tester within the acquisition, supply and development processes.

Checking the strategy. The planning needed once the strategy is in place. The need for a skilled testing team.

The periodic reporting and the assessment of progress within the chosen strategy.

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