Every software project can benefit from some sort of metrics, but industry studies show that 80 percent of software metrics initiatives fail. How do you know if you've selected the right set of test metrics and whether or not they support your organizational goals? Alan Page offers methods for determining effective and useful test metrics for software quality and individual effectiveness and presents new studies showing correlation between certain metrics and post-ship quality. Alan provides examples of how commonly used metrics can be easily misused and offers helpful tips for implementing the right test metrics for your project and organization. Find out what can cause metrics projects to fail and what you can do to avoid being part of the 80 percent failure statistic.

Organizations that want to automate their testing generally go through a number of stages before they reach maturity. Whether you are about to begin your journey or are well under way, it is important to know where you are going and where you could go. In automating test execution, many organizations stop short of achieving their maximum benefits. This presentation looks at six levels of maturity in test automation and includes a self-assessment test to see where you are. It is important to have good objectives and realistic plans to achieve them. But in automating testing, these often seem very plausible at first but are not well expressed or are unrealistic. This presentation covers typical problems and examples of unrealistic automation plans and objectives. Leave with advice to help you have a successful journey to test automation.

We have all heard of the accidental project manager, but how about the accidental irocess improvement manager? If you have fallen into the role of process improvement, there are tips and tricks to help you navigate through sometimes treacherous waters. As a former quality assurance manager, Sandi Oswalt returned from maternity leave to be told she had a new job--process improvement. In response to her question about the goals for process improvement, her boss simply said, "Hmmm? . . . Just improve." Fortunately, things got better from there for Sandi and eventually for the organization. Sandi shares some important insight from her first year: trust is key-sanitize information and ask permission; data speaks volumes-back conjecture up with basic metrics; let people find their own solutions; change is hard and takes time; all the mandates come from management; and finally, don't give up!

Looking for a systematic model to help improve testing practices within your team, department, or enterprise? Recently, Lee Copeland has led several, major test process assessment projects for both small and large test organizations. Whether you are chosen to lead an assessment project within your organization or just want to get better at testing, join Lee as he shares insights he has learned-beginning with the importance of using a proven assessment model. Lee discusses the pre-assessment preparation required, including reviewing documentation and choosing interview candidates, tips for interviewing using a questionnaire, analyzing the data you gather, writing an assessment report, and delivering your findings in a way that will be understood and acted upon.