Building and Managing a Test Team (CTM #4) or (CSTP Elective) or (CSTAS Elective)

This course covers area 4 of the Test Management Body of Knowledge (TMBOK) requirements. This course also counts as an Elective towards the requirements of the Certified Software Test Professional certification and the CSTAS certification.

For costs and cities where this course might be offered, please see the right border of this page or to bring this course to your test team at your location, contact our Education and Professionals Services Group.

Concepts

An effective test team plays a central role in any software organization. The test team needs to have a combination of well-developed and balanced technical as well people skills in order to be successful. Building and managing high caliber, high performance software test teams is an extraordinarily difficult task and requires seasoned management experience in addition to unique technical expertise and leadership. A successful test team must be capable of utilizing innovative and cutting-edge tools and techniques in order to meet its objectives, and to provide non-stop assessment of quality of the product under test. The team must have a charter based on a long-term vision as well as the ability to respond quickly to demands for short-term assignments often with expectation for daily or hourly turnaround schedules.

This class focuses on the challenges software organizations face in building and managing a test team. The class is designed for both novice as well as experienced test managers and technical leaders, and is taught by an instructor who has real world experience building and managing software test teams.

Participants will learn:

• Understanding the role and function of a test team within a software engineering organization
• How to create a vision and a charter to be successful
• The skills that a test manager must have in order to perform his/her job effectively
• How to understand and gain insight into the differences between ‘Building a Team' and ‘ Team Building '
• Techniques to motivate technical contributors and keep them motivated
• Appraisal of short vs. long term challenges a test manager faces in doing his/her job
• Required administrative functions
• Specific practical knowledge essentials for building and managing a test team

Outline

• The Role and Function of a Test Team
• Characteristics of an Effective Test Team
• Building a Test Team
  • The Starting Point
  • Test Manager's Role and Responsibilities
  • Planning and Budgeting
  • Hiring and Training
  • Defining Responsibilities and Expectations
  • Defining the Work
• Managing the Test Team
  • Effective Management Techniques
  • Management vs. Leadership
  • Motivation, Teamwork, and Productivity
  • Reviews and Performance Evaluations
  • Retention and Turnovers
  • Terminations and Layoffs
  • Managing the expectation
• Class Workshop
• The Future of Software Testing
• Review and Conclusion
• References