Outsourcing arrangements are established on the basis of a contractual partnership, with both parties having a vested interest in the success of the relationship. Success can be viewed differently by the outsourcing provider and customer, however, making the use of objective, quantifying service level metrics instrumental to the success of the contract. Learn how to properly identify and develop service level metrics required to support both business and technical deliverables.

While revenues, cash flow, and earnings are vital statistics of a company's well-being, they're the by-product of what the company actually offers up as a product or service. Therefore, if the offering doesn't produce ROI for the customer, it doesn't represent a viable business opportunity. In this session, take a look at testing from the perspective that it's a service provided to your company. Since testing impacts not only your company, but also your company's customers, then you, as a tester, must provide and prove ROI to succeed in a business environment. Having the ability to discuss, define, manage, and demonstrate the ROI of testing is an invaluable skill. This session gives you the information and tools you need to define and demonstrate models of testing ROI, then translate them into upper management's terms.

Don Gray recommends Measuring and Managing Performance in Organizations by Robert D. Austin. The book is not a five-step program toward measurement success; instead, it gives an in-depth look at what makes or breaks measurement systems. The book presents information in an intuitive way; if you understand algebra and simple logic, you will understand what Austin is presenting.

Technical Editor Brian Marick uses a fairy tale format to warn software professionals against using easy-to-acquire numbers in place of human judgment.