- Understand the tester’s role in software measurement
- Learn metrics rules of thumb
- Create your own dashboard
- Learn how to estimate effectively
- Avoid metrics dysfunction
Testing is a measurement activity. Testers must constantly measure and report testing status and effectiveness make and revise estimates and help determine when the testing is completed. These are all example of test metrics. But since the purpose of testing is to measure the quality of the software product, testers and test managers must also collect and analyze metrics related to the entire software development activity.
Almost everyone that has ever attempted to compute an estimate realized just how difficult the task can be. The number of factors that can affect the estimated is virtually without limit. The key to good estimates is to understand the main variables, compare them to known standards and to normalize the values based upon their differences. This is easy to say, but difficult to accomplish since estimates are frequently required when very little is known about the project and what is known is constantly changing. Throw in a healthy dose of politics and wishful thinking and estimation can become a nightmare for software practitioners.
This course provides a background in estimation for anyone that must estimate software development or testing efforts. Analysts, developers, leads, test managers, testers and QA personnel can all benefit from this course.
