Quick Start to Quality - Five Important Test Support Practices

As testers, we understand the virtues of clear equirements, effective configuration management, software inspections and reviews, project planning, and project tracking. But how does your test group influence the organization to improve in these areas? Sometimes the test group has to use shortcuts, partial implementations, and even a clandestine approach to get things done. Louise Tamres describes the practical strategies she has used to help software organizations quickly improve product quality by addressing these five critical development practices.

• Use system test cases to identify missing and ambiguous requirements
• Help people focus on defect detection, even when they do not practice formal reviews and inspections
• Shortcuts to jumpstart process improvement in an immature organization