The Role of Testing: Quality Police or Quality Communicator?

An underwear advertisement in 1985 featured the dedicated and thorough Inspector 12 saying, “They don't say Hanes until I say they say Hanes.” Historically, software testers have been called on to perform a similar role―preventing defective products from reaching customers. However, software development is not underwear manufacturing. The specifications are less clear and the acceptance criteria more complex. Why then do organizations continue to place acceptance decisions in the hands of testers? Because they lack the information required to make a sound decision. Mike Duskis presents one way out of this mess―empower the organization to make acceptance decisions with confidence. This requires a move away from producing binary pass/fail test results toward gathering, organizing, and providing the information which the business needs to assess product risk and quality. Learn strategies and techniques you can use to stop playing the inspector role and begin to position yourself as a provider of critical information.