Measurement and Metrics

Tutorials

TG SOLD OUT! Testing Metrics: Project, Product, Process

Rex Black, RBCS, Inc.

Tue, 04/09/2013 - 1:00pm

One of the most challenging problems that test managers face involves implementing effective, meaningful, and insightful test metrics. Data and measures are the foundation of true understanding, but the misuse of metrics causes confusion, bad decisions, and demotivation. Rex Black shares how to avoid these unfortunate situations by using metrics properly as part of your test management process. How can we measure our progress in testing a project? What can metrics tell us about the quality of the product? How can we measure the quality of the test process itself?

Concurrent Sessions

T4 Bad Testing Metrics—and What To Do About Them

Paul Holland, Testing Thoughts

Thu, 04/11/2013 - 10:30am

Many organizations use software testing metrics extensively to determine the status of their projects and whether or not their products are ready to ship. Unfortunately most, if not all, of the metrics in use are so flawed that they are not only useless but possibly dangerous—misleading decision makers, inadvertently encouraging unwanted behavior, or providing overly simplistic summaries out of context. Paul Holland reviews Goodhart’s Law and its applicability to software testing metrics.

T5 Snappy Visualizations for Test Communications

Thomas Vaniotis, Liquidnet

Thu, 04/11/2013 - 12:45pm

Do you struggle to find the best way to explain your testing status and coverage to your stakeholders? Do numbers and metrics make your stakeholders’ eyes glaze over, or, even worse, do you feel dirty giving metrics that you know are going to be abused? Do you have challenges explaining your strategy to fellow testers and developers? Visualizations are a great way to turn raw data into powerful communications. Thomas Vaniotis presents eleven powerful visual tools that can be created easily with simple materials around the office—sticky notes, graph paper, markers, and whiteboards.