Five Ways to Get More From Your Testing
1. Move testing earlier.
Testing is intended to reveal information that can be acted upon. The earlier you get that information, the more opportunity you have to act on it. Abolish the "code complete" mindset and instead try delivering features sequentially, testing each one as you go. Use continuous integration and automated tests to build and proof every code check-in. Do performance testing early to look for bottlenecks or incorrect assumptions.
2. Use test cases to clarify requirements.
Many issues arise from developers proceeding according to misunderstood, ambiguous, or impossible requirements. Try asking for examples, test cases, or acceptance criteria before developing a feature. Some teams use acceptance testing tools such as FIT to make test cases visible and concrete.
3. Drive development with tests to create cleaner code.
Your code base can be an asset or a liability depending on how easy it is to work with. Try the test driven development technique where each piece of code is written in response to a unit test. Test driven development (TDD) results in small, loosely coupled classes with clean interfaces which are easy to refactor and extend.
4. Test your product ideas.
The best development in the world can't make your product a success in the market. Find out what appeals to customers by letting them try your product ideas early. Check with customers and users frequently throughout your project. Try shortening your product delivery cycle to gain competitive advantage.
5. Test new process ideas.
Teams become energized when they can make their work practices better. Try holding reflection workshops to elicit process improvement ideas in a positive setting. Ask your team to pay attention to what is working and what isn't. Avoid "process creep" by discarding activities that aren't providing value.
Copyright (c) 2007 Bits and Connections, LLC
Questions? Comments? Want more information? Post to Salt Lake Agile Software Development http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sl-agile/ or email me directly at kay@bitsandconnections.com.