Welcome to the start of the 2014/2015 season of SQDG!  We have a fabulous season lined up for you and we are kicking it off with a panel discussion on September 10th!  Hosted by Adam Geras, the panel discussion will be an open conversation on testing of Commercial Off -The-Shelf (COTS) implementations. We will discuss such questions as “What are the factors that drive the test strategy for a COTS implementation?”  ”What is the optimal approach for regression testing of service packs, version upgrades, or releases of customizations?“ “How should the implementing project handle the situation when the vendor release cycles are shorter than the implementation project release cycles?”

Though we’ll have a few questions to kick off the discussion, we want to make sure we spend time on what you care about most, so bring your questions with you!  Share your stories of COTS implementations and get feedback from our panel.  Have a COTS implementation coming up?  We’d be glad to talk about those as well. 

When agile development first gained popularity, agile meant collocated teams, including testers, programmers, analysts, and customers who were expected to perform many functions. As agile methods have spread and expanded, large organizations and those with globally-distributed teams are facing challenges with their agile deployment. Having worked with many such teams, Janet Gregory has observed ways that testing in agile teams can still help deliver a high-quality software product. Whether your agile team is part of an enterprise solution, or part of a distributed team is scattered across time zones with individuals working remotely from home, or is part of an offshore outsourced project, you’ll take away methods and tools to help develop open communication, deal with cultural differences both within an organization and across continents.

Recently, James Bach gave an overview of a concept he calls “Analytical Lag”. You can hear him describe it in this recent video from the CAST conference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLVP_Z5AoyM (description at the three (3) minute mark) or read about it here: http://www.testingcircus.com/testing-trapeze-2014-february-edition/.

Analytical Lag - the time between seeing new information and really understanding it or the context it fits within. The concept is fairly simple but could have broad implications on how we approach work, timelines and planning.

Is testing really keeping up with the advances of software development? Are our testing approaches evolving as quickly as the new technologies, or are we being left behind, using the same methods and techniques as we did a decade ago?

Agile testing needs to get more innovative, find new ways to test more efficiently and effectively, and to better adapt to each unique context. The first step is to realize that testing is not about finding answers, but about asking questions. Testers on agile teams need to get everyone involved in the test planning, exploring new approaches and questioning old habits.

In this presentation, I will suggest an approach for test planning that encourages teamwork, innovation and overcomes barriers to quality. Through a cogent discussion of ideas around brainstorming, collaboration and creativity, I will provide you with new insights that can help you revolutionize testing!

Over the last several years, Agile development has hit mainstream recognition, even though there is often uncertainty and turmoil around what “Agile development” means in theory and in practice, and that uncertainty and turmoil affects Agile projects and the people in them. James Bach and Michael Bolton, authors of Rapid Software Testing, hear testers expressing a good deal of pain over the role of the tester and the structure of testing activity in Agile projects. There are some models, such as Marick, Crisipin and Gregory’s Agile Testing Quadrants, and many people have found them helpful. However, it’s time to build on what has gone before. In this presentation, Michael Bolton will offer a review and an update of the Agile Testing Quadrants as seen through the lens of Rapid Software Testing—an agile (but not necessarily Agile) approach. Michael will show how Agile development can—and should—be infused with testing that helps to identify and defend the value of the product while reducing the costs of development.

Pranjal will be presenting a case study from his current project where he has faced some unique challenges in establishing uniform QA practices. The initial project was to implement the IBM Maximo Asset Management application and replace the JDE Asset Management module across the organization. Pranjal will share his experiences, and solutions, with resourcing issues, coaching business users and ongoing enhancements, as well as dealing with budgetary constraints in a large organization.

This case study will provide the entire journey as there were both success and failures.

Many organizations are not ready to accept the differences between exploratory testing and more traditional testing methods. As testers who have an exploratory approach to testing, it can be challenging to gain acceptance and buy-in from leadership.

As an exploratory tester, Nancy has implemented exploratory testing concepts at various organizations over the past six years. Her experience spans implementing these concepts as a tester, a test lead and also as a manager. She also has experience in selling exploratory testing to testing teams, management, leadership and senior leadership across numerous IT organizations. During these implementations, she has experienced many successful and failed attempts.

This presentation will examine the lessons learned at each of the organizations and share with attendees what worked and what didn’t, as well as how to recover when things go awry.

Join Kevin Ireland of Tiree Consulting, Nancy Taylor of Inteqna, Tory Khalil, principal of Konextz Career Services and Adriana Sveen of Modis for a discussion on how to maximize usage of recruiters in a changing job market, moderated by Randy Wetmore of PQA Testing.

As you all know, the job market is rapidly changing in step with the current price of oil in Alberta. With fewer jobs available and companies looking to pause or cancel major technology initiatives, it’s difficult to get a sense of what’s really going on in the local market. Recruiters do not have a magic ball for the job market, but they do have their finger on the pulse of who is hiring in Calgary, where potential new opportunities exist and what you can do to stay up to date with your search.

Some topics to be covered are:

• What can you do to stay competitive with your job search?
• What are best practices for approaching recruiters?
• How do you find someone who will work with you to help you navigate the hiring market?

For those looking, considering a move or just wanting to stay current with the current recruitment trends, SQDG is pleased to host a panel discussion to discuss those topics and more. If you have specific questions you’d like the panel to discuss, you are encouraged to send them ahead of time or come ready to pose a specific question to the panel.

As this is our last session before the summer break, we’ve decided it was time to let our hair down! Our last event of the 2014/2015 season will be Speed Geeking, held on Wednesday, May 20th at 5:00 pm at Ceili’s Pub on 8th Avenue.

What is Speed Geeking? It’s an exciting way to exchange ideas with your peers about topics in QA and testing, while relaxing after work in a casual atmosphere.