|
|
| |
The ISTQB™, a non-proprietary organization, has granted over 60,000 certifications in over thirty-two countries around the globe. It is the ISTQB's role to support a single, universally accepted, international qualification scheme, aimed at software and system testing professionals, by providing the core syllabi and by setting guidelines for accreditation and examination for national boards. |
 |
| |
|
During the month of May 2007, all test engineers that currently work in the test engineering department at Invensys Process Systems in Foxboro, MA, attended and successfully completed the "Software Testing Certification" training course that was delivered by Jamie Mitchell, a top expert in the testing industry.
The Invensys Company develops Distributed Control Systems for mission critical applications. Since our test engineering processes and personnel are critical to the success of our operation, the test management team mandated that all test engineers in our organization attend the "Software Testing Certification" training, take the ISTQB™ Certified Tester—Foundation Level exam, and receive a certification. The attendees included all test supervisors as well as the test engineering director. The primary objectives were to increase the level of credibility, both internally and externally, of the test engineering organization, and to establish, through this professional training, a reinforcement of many of our test approaches and processes.
Over the last ten years, our test engineering organization has evolved to support our diverse product lines and testing has become paramount. The test organization is mature in terms of personnel tenure and product knowledge. We have developed a certain amount of credibility with the developers and project managers and felt that the "Software Testing Certification" training and subsequent certification would further elevate our status as professional test engineers. From an external perspective, we expected that a test engineering organization whose personnel held test professional certifications that were internationally accepted and accredited by the ISTQB™, would be a credit to its company and a selling point for current and perspective customers.
We have developed test processes and approaches over the past years to best support our product needs. Many of the test engineering personnel blindly followed these practices without a full understanding or appreciation of why. We hoped that the "Software Testing Certification" training would bridge this gap and synchronize the understanding of all test personnel.
After the successful completion of the "Software Testing Certification" training all 27 test engineers passed the ISTQB™ Certified Tester—Foundation Level exam and received their certifications. This accomplishment was documented in the Monthly Development Newsletter for Invensys Process Systems in Foxboro, MA. Not only were our primary objectives achieved but many other benefits were realized as well.
The "Software Testing Certification" training covered all aspects of software testing, including a comprehensive overview of tasks, methods, and techniques for effectively testing software as well as the fundamental steps in the testing process: planning, analysis, design, implementation, evaluation, and reporting. It provided terminology that could commonly be used amongst the test engineering personnel.
Subsequent to the certification training, changes were instituted that enhanced the test engineering operation. For example, our system level test design was changed to a risk-based approach. We also made changes through our process improvement office that require test engineering personnel to review and approve marketing requirements (static testing). The training helped to amplify the need for earlier participation of the test personnel in the development lifecycle.
In summary, the "Software Testing Certification" training was a very positive experience for our organization and test personnel. The test engineers continue to refer to the textual material supplied and utilized the test techniques discussed. To have our entire test engineering department certified was a significant achievement and, as a side affect, morale was elevated.
Louis A. Martini
Supervisor of System Test Engineering
Invensys Process Systems
|
| |
|
|