The document summarizes a presentation given by JeanAnn Harrison and Jonathan Spurgin on best practices for testers and developers working together in an agile environment. Some of the key points discussed include setting clear goals and expectations, using respectful terminology, ensuring good communication and collaboration between teams, having testers learn the full architecture to better understand bugs, and reviewing log files together to help isolate issues.

1. XBOSoft Presents
JeanAnn Harrison & Jonathan
Spurgin
Tester & Developer Working
Together Agile Style

2. XBOSoft info
•
•
Founded in 2006
Dedicated to software quality
•
•
•
Software QA consulting
Software testing services
Offices in San Francisco, Beijing, Oslo and Amsterdam

3. From XBOSoft:
Amy
Jan
•
Join us 12/17/13
Are Bad Metrics Worse Than No Metrics At All?
Webinar with Rex Black, Mike Lyles and Jay Philips

4. Housekeeping
• Everyone except the speaker is muted
• Questions via the gotowebinar control on the right side of your screen
• Questions can be asked throughout the webinar, we’ll try to fit them in when appropriate
• General Q & A at the end of the webinar
• You will receive info on recording after the webinar

5. About the Speakers
JeanAnn Harrison regularly speaks at industry conferences
and is published in software testing magazines.
She has many years of experience with mobile testing and is
a well-known figure in the QA and software testing
community.
Jonathan Spurgin has over 25 years experience in software
development for various industries, including several startups; two in the medical device realm, CardioNet and
Medipacs.
He earned a BSEE from San Diego State University. He is
currently Director of Software Development for Etaluma, a
startup company producing fluorescent microscopes.

6. TESTER & DEVELOPER
WORKING TOGETHER
AGILE STYLE
REAL STORIES ABOUT A HIGHER QUALITY
MOBILE MEDICAL SOFTWARE PROJECT
Jean Ann Harrison & Jonathan Spurgin
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

7. TODAY’S AGENDA
• Goals & Keys to Success
• Learn the Architecture
• Terminology, Tone &
Collaboration
• Log Files
• Individual Contributions
• Summary
• Collaboration Expectations
• Questions
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013
• Bugs Found – What Happened

8. EASY GOALS TO SET - KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Check your ego at the door & Bring a sense of humor to the table
• Start with an attitude neither side is the enemy – testers want to help
developers shine, developers want to help testers better understand.
• Work together on flushing out requirements early in the process
• Have Testers spend time learning design & programming concepts
• At least one team member from Dev & one team member from Test must
understand how entire system works including
hardware, firmware, network communication etc.
• Keep focus on stakeholder goals & expectations
• Remember to collaborate & inspiration will natural follow
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

9. TERMINOLOGY, TONE &
COLLABORATION
• Words like “Breaking the software”, “Attacking”, “fails to do…”
• Be disciplined to remain polite, respectful and diplomatic
• Get rid of the Negativity, Sensitivity, Defensiveness
• Keep your eyes, ears and mind open = inspiration strikes
• Timing – when to approach Dev
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

10. INDIVIDUAL
CONTRIBUTIONS/COLLABORATION
• Set an apt to work together and separate
• Set goals during collaboration for individual work times
• Balance out time to work alone
• Ask for help from Development to plan out your tests
and what tests they would recommend
• Respect & Recognize individual contributions
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

11. COLLABORATION
EXPECTATIONS
• Appoint one contact person on each team to work directly
with each other can lessen interruptions for team
• Write requirements prior to design
• Testers & Dev write/work out requirements together
• Involve other stakeholders to help write requirements
• Testers’ role is to help the Development team look brilliant
• Management must encourage and enforce cooperation
between Development and Testing Teams
• “It’s better to over-communicate than undercommunicate”
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

12. “IT’S THE
HARDWARE”
• Testers jump too quickly to present/write up a bug.
• Testers need to spend a bit more time testing to isolate problems.
• Developers need to listen to the tester instead of dismissing
• How we communicate with one another
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

13. HEY TESTERS: LEARN THE
ARCHITECTURE
• Ask to participate in Code Review
Meetings
• Present a particular functional
situation, ask about system behavior
expectations.
• Discover expected benchmarks
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

14. LOG FILES – HOW TO LEARN MORE
• Work with Dev to have log
files contain information to
help isolate problems.
• Log files can help you to
understand sequence of
behavior behind the scenes
while using the functionality
• Before reporting errors, shut
off log files to replicate
• Von Heisenberg & the
Uncertainty Principle
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

15. BUGS FOUND: WHAT
HAPPENED?
• Reviewed log files
• Replicated steps – sometimes with Development
• Subtract steps to bare minimum of steps to get bug result
• Add various conditions (software, hardware, firmware) to
learn more
• Rinse & Repeat
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

16. SUMMARY – WHAT WE
LEARNED
• Open, relaxed communication
• Early involvement of Testers
• Testers will need to learn the entire system including
interdependencies of hardware, firmware and
software behavior
• Development Team will need to interact with the
Testing Team directly
• Testers help to write requirements throughout the
project
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

17. QUESTIONS?
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

18. CONTACT
INFORMATION
• Jean Ann Harrison
• Jonathan Spurgin
• Twitter - @JA_Harrison
• jpspurgin@yahoo.com
• yagsyjah@gmail.com
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

19. REFERENCES
• All audio clips are from Monty Python’s Life of Brian & The Holy Grail can be found here:
http://www.intriguing.com/mp/sounds.php
Jean Ann Harrison/jonathan Spurgin copyright @2013

20. Follow us @xbosoft
Questions: services@xbosoft.com

21. Thanks for attending
Hope to see you soon