WELCOME

QA/QC SOLUTIONS

PUTTING QAI TESTING PRACTICES

INTO ACTION

PRACTICE OBJECTIVE
To test means to assess or determine status. A
practice is defined as knowledge put into action. This
section collects testing knowledge from QAI member
organizations and converts that knowledge into step-bystep testing practices, which can then be put into action
by QAI member organizations.

The testing practices in this manual contain only

the testing tasks which derive the greatest payback.
They are designed around the Pareto concept, which
states that 20 percent of anything will provide 80
percent of the benefits. Thus, carefully selecting the 20
percent of the testing tasks that provide 80 percent of the
testing benefits will assure high-payback testing
practices that are easy to use.

This section is designed to provide you:

An overview of this section of the manual;

The structure/format used to present
testing practices; and
A six-step process for putting the testing
practices into action in your organization.

The testing practices in this manual, with the

exception of this section, are divided into the following
four categories:

SOURCE AND CATEGORIES OF

TESTING PRACTICES

1)

Testing Management and Planning

Practices - These are the practices used
by testing managers to manage and control testing; and practices used to determine what to test and how to test it.

2)

Testing Execution Practices - These

testing practices are designed to accomplish a specific testing objective; for example, testing project estimates, creating
test data, and so forth.

3)

Testing Analysis and Reporting Practices - These are practices which record
the results of testing, analyze those results, and report the results.

4)

Testing-related People Practices - These

practices define the roles, responsibilities,
and relationships among the parties involved in testing; for example, practices
on topics such as how to get concurrence
on when to stop testing prior to beginning
test execution.

The testing practices in this manual come from

one of four sources:

Donated testing practices - QAI member

corporations donate internally developed
testing practices. When a testing practice
is deemed one of the "best of the best," it
is included with only minor changes. The
changes will be primarily in the structure
of the practice. (NOTE: A major source
of these member-donated testing practices
will be testing practices judged the best of
the best by the advisors for QAI's annual
testing conference.)

Consolidated testing practices - These

practices combine the better parts of two
or more member-donated testing practices.

Research results - When good testing

practices to meet a specific memberidentified need are not available, a solution will be developed by QAI's research
committee.

Written by a testing expert - Periodically, QAI will contract with a testing

expert to write a practice in an area for
which that individual has expertise.

Copyright 1997 Quality Assurance Institute Orlando, Florida

PUTTING PRACTICES INTO ACTION

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QA/QC SOLUTIONS
conducted to uncover the missing end user requirements early in the development process, and
to ensure that all involved parties interpret these
requirements consistently.

NEED TO CUSTOMIZE TESTING PRACTICES

Three types of customization need to be done
before most of the testing practices in this manual can
be effectively executed in your organization:

Language customization - The terminology used in these testing practices is that

contained in this manual's glossary of
testing terms. If these definitions are inconsistent with the terminology used in
your organization, you will need to
change the terms to conform to your organization's vocabulary.

A standard must be:

Format customization - Each testing

practice in this manual is presented in the
format described in this article. If your
organization uses a different format for
your practices/procedures, you will need
to customize it to your format.
Expansion/change customization - The
practices, as written, include only the
tasks that have high payback. Through
usage experience, your organization may
want to expand the number of tasks and/
or change the methods for performing the
tasks. This type of customization should
be an ongoing process.

A tester's workbench is shown in Figure 1. The

format followed in this manual to describe a testing
practice is based on the tester's workbench. Each workbench has the following components:
Policy - States WHY the
process existsits purpose. A policy indicates
intentions or desires
(desirable attributes of
process performance or
outcomes), and should
link to the organizations strategic goals and
objectives and support
end user needs/requirements. It should also be
measurable.

Measurable - Must definitively

establish whether or not the policy
has been met.

Attainable - Given current

resources and time frames, it must
be reasonably able to comply with
the policy every time.

Critical - Must be considered

important/necessary, not a "nice to
have," in order to meet the intent
of the policy.

Example: Requirements must include the test

transaction needed to validate that the requirements have been correctly implemented.

THE TESTER'S WORKBENCH

Standards - States WHAT must happen to meet

the intent of the policy. Standards often relate to
a deliverable produced in the process, but may
also relate to the task procedures (i.e., the time
frame or sequence) that must be followed.

Inputs - The roles, responsibilities, and

associated people skillsets needed to execute a
process. Major roles include suppliers, owners,
and end users.
Example: Proficient in using a capture-playback
testing tool.

Figure 1. Workbench Concept

Example:
A requirement review session is

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QA/QC SOLUTIONS

of the workbench and highlight the significant

input, procedures, and deliverables.

Procedures - Describes HOW work must be

done; how methods, tools, techniques, and people
are applied to perform a process. There are implementation procedures and check procedures.
Procedures indicate the "best way" to meet standards.
Example: 1) Scribe: Use the XYZ tool to enter
the requirements. Generate a list of any open
issues using the XX template. 2) Leader: Walk
through the requirements, paraphrasing each
item. Address each open issue, assuring its
resolution.

Deliverables - Any product or service produced

by a process. Deliverables can be interim or
major/external. Interim deliverables are produced within the workbench, but never passed on
to another workbench. External deliverables may
be used by one or more workbench, and have one
or more end users. Deliverables serve as both
inputs to and outputs from a process.

Input Products (i.e., input standards) - The

deliverables that are needed to perform this testing practice.

Implementation Procedures - The tasks that

need to be performed to execute this testing procedure.

Check Procedures - The quality control checks

which, if performed, will determine whether or
not the implementation procedures have been
performed correctly.

Deliverables (i.e., output standards) - The

outputs produced from the testing practice.

Usage Tips - Guidelines for the tester on how to

best perform the testing practice.

PROCESS
FOR
PRACTICES

Example: JAD Notes (internal), Requirements

Specification (external)

KEY CONCEPT:

THE TESTER'S WORKBENCH IS USED TO EXPLAIN HOW THE

TESTERS PERFORM. THE "CHECK WORK"
PROCEDURE IS THE WORKBENCH THAT
BUILDS THE PRODUCT/DELIVERABLE BEING
TESTED.

The testing practices will use the tester's

workbench as the basis for the testing practices format.
Each testing practice will be organized in the following
format, and contain the information described below:

Testing Practice Objective (i.e., policy) - The

purpose for which the testing practice is designed.
Note that in process management terminology
the testing practice objective is, in fact, the testing
policy for that specific workbench.

Step 1 - Identify and Document Your Testing

Need

Step 2 - Match Available Testing Practices to

Your Testing Needs Using Operative Words
Select one or more testing practice(s) that match
to your testing needs. The testing practice objective section should provide you the information
you need to make that match. Note that in some
instances you may only need part of a QAI testing practice, while in other instances you will

Testing Practice Workbench - The workbench

will be used to graphically illustrate the structure

PUTTING PRACTICES INTO ACTION

TESTING

The testing practices in this manual are designed

to meet specific testing needs. An important part
of usage will be to match your needs to the needs
addressed by specific testing practices. Thus, the
first step is to determine your testing
needs/requirements and document them. The
documentation need not be extensive, but should
include operative words that describe your need.
Sample operative words in testing include plan,
analyze, prepare, and report.

FORMAT USED FOR TESTING PRACTICES

THE

The following six-step process is designed to

assist you in converting the knowledge contained in a
specific QAI testing practice into an effective and doable
testing practice for use in your information services (I/S)
organization. The six steps are:

Tools - Aids to performing the process.

Example: CASE tools, checklists, templates, etc.

USING

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QA/QC SOLUTIONS
need all or parts of two or more testing practices
to meet your testing needs.

Step 3 - Develop A Customized Testing

Practice for Your Organization
Using the three customization areas described
earlier in this article, rewrite the testing practices
to meet your organization's specific testing needs.
Note that you may want to use the practice as is
for learning and understanding the testing practice, but customization is necessary to transfer
ownership of the testing practice to your organization's testers.

Step 4 - Market to and Train Your Testers in

Using the Customized Testing Practice
Two tasks need to be done to reduce resistance to
using a customized testing practice: marketing
and training. Marketing focuses on how the new
testing practice will make the testing process
easier and reduces the resistance of not wanting
to try new practices; and training reduces resistance associated with fear of failure by providing
testers with the skillsets needed to use the new
practice effectively.

Step 5 - Install the Testing Practice

The testing practice should be installed using
your organization's process for installing processes. This process is usually developed and
managed by a process management committee/standards committee. Once installed, usage
should be mandatory for the testing objectives
addressed by the testing practice.

Step 6 - Support the Testing Practice Usage

One or more individuals should be designated to
provide support as needed for testers using any of
the adopted testing practices. These individuals
act as a help desk for the use of the testing practice. Support is needed for two reasons. First, it
improves testers' confidence by knowing assistance is available if needed; and second, the
individual supporting it will have the usage and
experience/knowledge to continually improve the
testing practice.

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PUTTING PRACTICES INTO ACTION