Running a test project can be a challenge. Running a number of test projects as part of a portfolio can be even more challenging. However, most challenging of all can be running a group of projects in which every project needs to merge at a single end point. Geoff Horne considers: How does a program test manager (PTM) slice up the testing work packages and then group them by “like” types into discrete projects? How does the PTM determine the best approach for each project while maintaining the most advantageous approach for the overall program? How does each project fit into the overall test strategy? These and other questions are the everyday challenges of the PTM. Maintaining forward momentum at the required rate across many different tracks, all heading for a single end point, requires skill and experience at many levels. Join Geoff to learn how to qualify, quantify, and effectively run any size test program like a well-oiled machine.
Geoff Horne
Geoff Horne has an extensive background in test program/project directorship and management, architecture, and general consulting. In New Zealand Geoff established and ran ISQA as a testing consultancy which enjoys a local and international clientele in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He has held senior test management roles across a number of diverse industry sectors, and is editor and publisher of the recently launched NZTester magazine. Geoff has authored a variety of white papers on software testing and is a regular speaker at the STAR conferences. Married with four children, he enjoys writing and recording contemporary Christian music.
Data warehouses have become a popular mechanism for collecting, organizing, and making information readily available for strategic decision making. The ability to review historical trends and monitor near real-time operational data has become a key competitive advantage for many organizations. Yet the methods for assuring the quality of these valuable assets are quite different from those of transactional systems. Ensuring that the appropriate testing is performed is a major challenge for many enterprises. Geoff Horne has led a number of data warehouse testing projects in both the telecommunications and ERP sectors. Join Geoff as he shares his approaches and experiences, focusing on the key “uniques” of data warehouse testing including methods for assuring data completeness, monitoring data transformations, and measuring quality. He also explores the opportunities for test automation as part of the data warehouse process, describing how it can be harnessed to streamline and minimize overhead.