Let’s inspire, share, and grow
in all aspects of software
quality and testing

Abstract

Accessibility is widely talked about, but hardly understood! There are a lot of misconceptions about what it is and why and how it should be implemented. For the people in a position to make accessibility work, it is seen as something we should do, ought to do, a social responsibility, a moral obligation and not something that would increase revenues! The vision, the mission, and the practical and technical know-how to make accessibility work are missing. Products and services are, most of the time, only aimed and developed for the mainstream customer. The disabled deal with daily inaccessibility hazards but lack the technical know-how or the power to improve their position. In my presentation, I will show you how customer centred accessibility, or the lack of it, shapes my daily life into nightmares or sheer joy. I will also show you why and how the government steps in and forces companies and businesses to become inclusive and accessible.

Key Learnings

Accessibility is a mindset with a vision and mission. Accessibility should be a management decision. Accessibility and inclusion will increase your revenue and reputation.

Abstract

"Testers face the challenge of applying their skills in an ever-changing landscape of technologies, applications, solutions, hardware, and software platforms, as well as software testing tools, methods, and techniques. Can testers keep up with the turbulence? Rob Sabourin has been involved in all aspects of software engineering since the 1970s. While a student at McGill University in Montreal, Rob worked on early Unix kernel code and device drivers. Indeed, his first commercial software product release was the Quarto graphics system for PDP-11 computers running with Matrox bus-mounted graphics cards and Summagraphics bit pad digitizers on June 4, 1982. Rob understands that software testers can profoundly impact product quality. He will share his experience in developing real-world zero software defect solutions that stood the test of time for over 10 years in the market without ever needing to correct a field-reported defect! The essence of how testers can make a difference lies in their ability to navigate change. Rob will discuss the team dynamic, test, and programming solutions that led to this remarkable business and technological success story. In a recent count, Rob had worked with over 35 different programming languages in numerous integrated or loosely coupled development environments. Rob didn’t just learn to adapt to change – he learned to thrive on it, especially in testing, where he sees change as a crucial source of knowledge about risk. Rob will share his insights into the cyclical evolutionary changes he continues to experience as technologies evolve from general to specific and back again, from dedicated to shared and then back to dedicated, and from distributed to centralized and then to distributed again. He will also discuss fundamental computing models that can anchor our understanding of change and enable us to leverage it (technical, organizational, business, and cultural) to our advantage. Rob will describe the role of testing as part of the software engineering process, identifying which elements evolve and which remain constant. Having worked on dozens of different software development lifecycle models, Rob has yet to encounter the same approach twice. Agile, Structured, Formal, Informal, Waterfall, Spiral, and more SDLCs all seem to be implemented with novel methods to incorporate testing into the development cycle. Certainly, the terminology evolves, workflow tools change, and stakeholders demand more metrics, often presuming that testing results magically impact key process indicators. Rob will also demonstrate how his recent work in data validation models has benefited from conversational Artificial Intelligence and tools like ChatGPT, helping him navigate through intricate details and implement crucial algorithms to assess correctness and build confidence. Rob promises a dynamic and captivating whirlwind tour showing how you too can accomplish tasks – you can learn, you can evolve, and you can adapt, as long as you are grounded in essential testing fundamentals and empowered by the risks presented by the ever-evolving turbulent context surrounding our projects. As Rob says, “don’t tell me it can’t be done” – let me show you the way!"

Abstract

Automation in Testing is hard, really hard, I believe this is widely accepted as a truth. But not all automated tests are created equal, some are much harder than others. The hardest of them all, ‘end-to-end’. Especially when those end-to-end tests start at the user interface, involve 3rd parties, and may even end at a user interface. So, why is it that this is the most popular type of automated testing in practice and where does it end? In order to answer that question we need to take a look at how we got here, and if we could go back in time and alter things, what would we alter? Why did automating on the UI become the defacto approach to automated testing? Why is the adoption of smaller more targeted automated tests on other layers of systems not more widespread? But in reality, aren’t all automated tests end to end? Even though the history is the same for everyone, not everyone is living in the same reality. In this talk we are going to fly through how we got into this position and explore six key concepts that can enable everyone to understand their current reality and plan to elevate their automation game. We’ll cover testability, technical system knowledge, team approach, tools and programming skills and much more.

Key Learnings

Identify the restraints that are holding your automation game back Deconstruct the journey the industry has gone on with regards to automated testing Understand the importance of technical system knowledge in relation to automated testing Break down the mentality required to approach automating a system and how that compares to using a system Categorise different types of automated testing available to us

Abstract

Decision-making can be challenging The common advice for the trifecta is 'Pick any two', implying that you can't have it all. This is something I often encounter in business and testing, and it shapes my decisions. Consider a situation where timely delivery is more important than extensive testing. Do you work longer hours to meet the deadline? Or what about when you need to prioritize tasks? You may choose to tackle the most challenging task first, but find yourself stuck. Do you persist or switch tasks? The decision-making process quickly becomes a complex blend of choices, reasons, and circumstances. An ongoing balancing act exists between time, money, and quality, and it's always up to you to make the decisions. In my opinion, the solution lies in a combination of applying decision-making theory research and understanding our sphere of influence. This means learning what is within our control and what isn't. However, there may be instances when the choices seem equal, or it's impossible to determine which option is better. What then? In such situations, we discover who we are and what we stand for. After all, when your values are clear, decision-making becomes simpler.

Key Learnings

- Summary of HBR's decision-making theory - Understanding of a 'wise' decision - Guidance on making hard choices when options are equal - Plenty of examples of tough testing choices (and how I made good and bad decisions)"

Abstract

In this session Rob will share a story of rapid change, business agility, test case management systems of doom and gantt charts of devastation. It's a story of moving from long drawn-out testing to rapid deployments. It's a story of scale, growth and rapid delivery of value. It's a fun and entertaining journey in which Rob explains how he stopped talking about testing (to Leaders) and started talking about value. The value testing brings, the value software testers add, the value delivered for customers, the value of cooperation and good goals, the value of DevOps and automation, and importantly, the value of our precious resources of time, energy and attention. In switching his language away from testing to value, Rob was able to unlock better ways of testing, better ways of working and better outcomes for the business. And in doing so, Rob likes to believe the company they created enriched the lives of all who worked in it. Rob shares his story of going from a startup to a successful sale. From yearly software releases to weekly releases. From slow and boring testing to engaging value added testing. And a personal journey from tester to manager to Vice President. It's a story about value and how to unlock it for you, the business and your customers. The value of testing. The value of software testers. The value of growing competencies. The value of doing the right thing. The value of sales, costs and margins. The value of human intelligence to solve problems. The value of doing the basics right - and more. And of course, the value in getting rid of Gantt charts of Devastation and Test Case Management Systems of Doom. There are plenty of lessons embedded in this talk - and every single one is about value - and how testing played a fundamental part in the journey.

Abstract

Mega projects, especially large ERP implementations, are often sold as game-changers, promising efficiency, and innovation. But let's face it: behind the scenes, they can turn into a hot mess. Join me for a rollercoaster ride through the chaos of mega projects, where I'll be dishing out stories of epic fails and jaw-dropping clusterfucks with a kick-ass, no-holds-barred attitude that's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. In this high-energy and entertaining presentation, I'll be sharing real-world tales of chaos and clusterfucks that will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even shed a tear or two. We'll dive into the nightmare of tight timelines, the horror of insufficient planning, and the drama of dealing with difficult personalities that can turn any mega project into a disaster waiting to happen. But it's not all doom and gloom. I'll also be dishing out practical insights and strategies for navigating the chaos of mega projects, helping you avoid the pitfalls and emerge victorious. So buckle up, because this is going to be one hell of a ride!

Key Learnings

Mega projects, like large ERP implementations, promise innovation but often lead to chaos. This presentation shares entertaining stories of epic fails, addressing challenges like tight timelines and difficult personalities. Despite the chaos, the speaker provides practical insights for navigating mega projects successfully, ensuring a balance between engaging narratives and a focus on emerging victorious from project challenges.