What I hear and read about the impact of SCRUM for testing differs from success stories to fear when using SCRUM. When using SCRUM a tester might have to change his perception of testing. In these kinds of projects requirements are not that solid. Documentation is not that final. How are we able to test? How can we influence as tester a development process like this?
There are some ways we can walk, here some of my ideas:
I think the power lies in the concept that the team is responsible for the delivery of a potential shippable product. The first thing which comes up in my mind is: Make sure you are on that team. Become also on of the responsible persons. Don't be the outsider test coordinator who sit down and wait until everything is delivered.
When you are on the team you can discuss about one of the concepts of SCRUM: the definition "DONE". If it is important that documentation is available and also according certain standards you have to bring this up for discussion and see if it fits in the goals of the organization that time is spend for good documentation. The same you can do with requirements.
I'm sure that there are more opportunities to help the team, the organization and yourselves. I suggest start with these 2 basic steps first.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
SCRUM: definition "DONE" and the influence of a tester
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On Plaxo I received this comment. I think it is worth to mentioned it here. It is a comment from Anko:
ReplyDeleteHi Jeroen,
Agree with you on that, but there is more. Reading your blog I noticed another change in the paradigm of the traditional tester: we need to *take responsibility* for the product the team is going to deliver. Too long we have claimed to be independant, but in fact we were just not getting too much involved.
Second, it is not only that we as testers should define the Definition of Done with the team, but primarily ask these nasty questions to the customer. It is not up to the team to decide on the DoD, it's to the customer!
My respons to this was:
Hello Anko,
Your right about that the customer should decide on DoD. I can imagine that the team is helping to define the DoD. In that case it is importand that a tester also support the definition of DoD by measuring against company standards related to documentation and advise if it is necessary etc.
So the team can define, the customer decides.