ProjectManagement.com - Hot-Topics - Testing-Test-Management

Do We Need Brand Name Methods?

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Life gets really interesting when we start to extrapolate the brand identity concept into our project methodologies. What drives the decisions about what different organizations use? And is there any tangible benefit to choosing a "brand label" project execution approach?

What You Should Know About Kanban (Part 3)

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

If Kanban works well on specific software projects, can it be scaled to facilitate Lean throughout an organization? Here we look at how Kanban can be thought of as a general purpose change management approach for your organization.

The Path to the PMP (Part 4)

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

In the journey to PMP fitness, you have taken three decisive steps. But many PMs have not had the opportunity to participate in a suite of courses where most knowledge areas are explored from a combined approach of PMI theory and real-world application. While this can put you at a real disadvantage, it's still possible to be successful. In out latest installment, we cover Project Integration Management.

Agile: What's in It for the Project Manager? (Part 2)

Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Making a transition from what you're currently doing to an effective agile process is a project in itself--but it can easily be worth it. Let's look at what we can gain by adjusting our approach--our concluding installment looks at interpreting requirements and tracking progress, and offers some further caution and advice.

What Do Your PMs Think of Your PMO?

Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

What is your PMO's reputation among the PMs it serves? There could be a lot of distrust. Through experience, one manager discovered some potential problem areas that you may want to look at in your own organization.

Why You're Confusing Frameworks with Methodologies

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

It's surprising how many project managers don't know the difference between a framework and a methodology. It's time to clear the air and clarify the differences.

How Emergency Response Helps Project Execution

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

While many projects may not have to adopt the elements of the Federal Incident Command System, some are set up to resolve a certain time-bound resolution of organizational priorities and can reap the benefits.

Bridging the Gap Between Understanding and Experience

Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

How does a project manager bridge the gap between understanding and experience? For PMs who are starting out in the field or who haven't mastered everything under the sun, it can always be beneficial to gain practical experience in different areas so that they have a better understanding of how things should be done.

Phased-Based Governance

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Governance happens in projects all the time, and a well thought-out governance process can be a powerful project tool. In this article, we will examine why governance is necessary, where governance is most effective and how we as project and program managers can use governance to powerful effect.

Agile Governance: A Rock and a Hard Place?

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Combining agile and governance seems, at first glance, to imply boxing people in from each perspective and forcing them to chose an option that is neither fully agreeable to each. But this combination is in the best interest of both camps; learn some practical approaches to make it work.

Welcome to the World of Big Data

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

You might have heard about the "Big Data" craze. The rush is on, and like Cloud Computing it's gaining momentum fast. So what is all the fuss about? What exactly is Big Data and why should we care?

Topic Teasers Vol. 5: Agile Sales Teams

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Question: We are totally committed to agile in our production teams, but is there any way to use the agile philosophy for a sales team?

A.	Agile was written by software developers, and any attempt to move it outside of that sweet spot has proven unsuccessful.
B.	The agile philosophy is appropriate for any group that needs a flexible approach to providing increased value to the organization through a collaborative approach.
C.	Since the Scrum methodology includes software prototyping, testing and rework, salespeople must learn enough code to experience those parts of the agile process to use it.
D.	The agile philosophy is appropriate for any group that needs a step-by-step solution that can be replicated by each team in the organization to provide product consistency.

Business Process: A Lesson in Anatomy

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In an attempt to help those of you struggling with Business Process Improvement and Business Process Analysis, our expert presents these "anatomical components" in terms of a series of rules so that you can use them in your efforts.

Coherence vs. Standardization

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Standardization is the "copy and paste" method of process development. It's as bad in spreading process through an organization as "copy and paste" is in code. Copying a working instance may be a good starting point, but it's a bad destination. Creative work needs attentive thinking, even when deciding to not change the status quo.

The Happy Tester

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Being a strong tester means being critical and assertive. This ability is not easy to control and can lead to finding flaws in all sorts of everyday surroundings. How to communicate these errors and mistakes without being a first-class jerk is also difficult. Can you keep everyone's frown upside down?

Service Management from the Top Down

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Time consuming, friction inducing and potentially costly, there is plenty that you would want to avoid when properly building IT service management. Yet if you hold your nose and do it right, you can establish a strong and effective process.

Where's the Quality?

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In software development, testing is one of the most important functions. But too often, there is a fundamental problem: We aren't always testing the right things. Where's the quality? Testing is a relative exercise, not an absolute one.

The Next Iteration Agile: Re-contextualizing Agile for the 21st Century (Part 3)

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT

In this third and final installment, we will look at how agile can be re-contextualized for the business environment at large to transform not only specific projects or processes in an industry, but also entire organizations within that industry to meet the growing demand for faster project turnaround while also achieving higher quality and business value.

Principles of Evolutionary Architecture & Design for Agile PM (Part 2)

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Large-scale change of enterprise-level architecture and infrastructure presents a challenge, especially in today's networked world. Enter agile project management. In our concluding installment, we look at successful architecture and design from history, explore the challenges that come with the principles of evolutionary architecture and design--and identify a short list of evolutionary design principles.

Principles of Evolutionary Architecture & Design for Agile PM (Part 1)

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Large-scale change of enterprise-level architecture and infrastructure presents a challenge, especially in today's networked world. Enter agile project management and the ideas of refactoring and continuous improvement, which involve creating innovative new solutions for each problem encountered.

How to Use Iteration Zero (Or Not)

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Do you use Iteration Zero for your agile projects? An Iteration Zero is an iteration where you set up all the servers, make sure you have a release plan, develop a product backlog and in general do all those things that "assure" you that your project is ready to go. While not a fan, this writer admits there are times when Iteration Zero can help your project or program.

The Next Iteration Agile: Re-contextualizing Agile for the 21st Century (Part 2)

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Part 1 of this series discussed the background environment and philosophical divergences that caused agile to establish itself as an alternative to traditional project management. With that background established, it's now time to start thinking about the where agile is headed and how it will get re-contextualized for the 21st century.

The Big Chill

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT

With the steady industry shift away from custom code applications to more commercial software packages and services, IT project management practices are necessarily changing to adapt to the new conditions. Is this a glimpse into what the future holds?

Staying Ahead of the Clouds

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT

No longer a possible notion, idea or discussion point, the whole cloud concept has been getting considerable traction in mainstream IT operations. But what is up and coming for this technological evolutionary jump, and what will be needed to support it?

Project Management: What's in Store?

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT

With all that has happened in the world of project management, has the evolution of our industry seen its heyday? Have the major breakthroughs in methods and approaches been made? What about tools? Is there more to come on the technology front that will make what is available today seem antiquated and obsolete? One writer ponders what the next five years may bring us...

The Improvement Trio

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Everyone wants improvement. But do you know how to get it? Most people want to do a good job and improve. To do so requires three factors: information, time to reflect and learn, and a desire to improve.

Data Warehouse Error Audit Matrix

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Get your data warehouse into better shape! Use this matrix to find common errors and fixes for them.

Testing Tools Evaluation Form

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 04:00:00 GMT

This Testing Tools Evaluation Form details a complete description of the expected level of service and performance to be provided by prospective testing tools.

Testing Services Review Form

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 04:00:00 GMT

This Testing Services Review Form outlines major factors to consider when testing software, middleware or Web-based applications.

RFP Requirements for CBT Course Evaluations, Assessments & Testing

Thu, 04 Nov 2004 05:00:00 GMT

This template is designed to assist the project manager with creating an RFP that effectively communicates complete requirements for CBT course evaluations, assessments and testing.

Project Management Quality Policy Plan

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 04:00:00 GMT

Every project should have a quality policy in place. Here's a good place to start.

The Project Testing Environment

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 04:00:00 GMT

The key to any successful testing effort is creating a suitable test environment in which testing can occur.

Project Schedule Quality Control

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 04:00:00 GMT

Use this quality control checklist to identify all the ingredients of a healthy, flexible and dependable project schedule.

Performance Testing

Wed, 04 Aug 2004 04:00:00 GMT

Defining and measuring software quality attributes is critical to the success of any distributed application, and performance is no exception. Distributed applications must demonstrate performance in order to assure immediacy. Use this project plan to stay on top of your Performance Testing.

Project Testing

Wed, 21 Jan 2004 05:00:00 GMT

How to develop a complete testing plan and schedule.

Quality Management Systems Procedures Testing

Mon, 02 Jun 2003 04:00:00 GMT

This procedure describes the process of testing software code or products by the test team. It documents the procedure for the entire testing cycle: generating test plans, scheduling tests, conducting tests and reporting test results. This procedure applies to new development, as well as major and minor releases, including customized solutions delivered to customers.

Software Testing Principles Checklist

Thu, 18 Jan 2001 05:00:00 GMT

Do you know how to thoroughly and efficiently test the software product you have so painstakingly built? Don't risk delivering a faulty software product due to insufficient or unfocused testing. Use this list to check whether you are testing smart--or just testing!

Testing Tool Selection Form

Wed, 17 May 2000 04:00:00 GMT

Selecting the right testing tool means you must look at a myriad of factors and how well each candidate tool meets your application's testing requirements. This form will help you evaluate the candidates and select the best testing tool for your app.

Test Sign-Off Form

Sat, 05 Feb 2000 05:00:00 GMT

Has your system been properly tested by phase (unit, integration, user acceptance), and do you have the formal sign-off of approval to proceed?

Package Evaluation Test Report

Tue, 10 Jun 1997 04:00:00 GMT

What is involved in conducting an evaluation test for an application package? Here's a guide for reporting the test requirements, procedures and results.