VALTIO EXPO 2008: QENTINEL'S PRESENTATION "FROM REQUEST FOR QUOTATION TO IMPLEMENTATION"
- Timing of the decision making affects to costs, and quality assurance has significance to the project's risk management
Qentinel's CEO Esko Hannula gave a lecture "From Request for quotation to implementation" at Valtio Expo 2008 event on 14.5.2008. Valtio Expo 2008 event had approximately 1500 visitors and it was also referred to in MTV-channel's economic news.
Esko Hannula spoke about timing of the decision making and how it affects costs, and the significance quality assurance has in risk management in IT projects. Hannula pointed out with examples, how pre-emptive and continuous quality assurance is both more profitable and cheaper than testing accentuated in the acceptance phase. He also pondered on how the responsibility of quality in procurement projects is divided between the subscriber and supplier. The presentation aroused questions and provoked discussion, and the conversations continued also at Qentinel's expo booth during the day.
MERITO FORUM: TESTING IN SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION, INTEGRATION AND ACCEPTANCE
- Testing facilitates the project's success, resolutions to problems that a tester faces in his work
Qentinel participated in the "Testing in software implementation, integration and acceptance" event in Helsinki at 13.5.2008. The event was organized by Merito Forum, specialized in ICT trainings. The theme of the seminar was the role of testing during the whole software development project. Qentinel's consultant Risto Paavola gave two presentations: "Tester as a Cornerstone for Success" and "Everyday Test Problems and Solutions". About his first presentation, Risto explains: "First I defined, what a successful project means. After that I told, what testing means in an organization and what kind of a role tester has. In conclusion I pointed out, how testing helps the project to succeed by comparing the benefits to the definitions I made in the beginning." Risto talks about his second presentation: "This presentation I made based solely on my own experiences, I didn't use any references. I presented a large amount of problems, to which a tester runs into in his work; as an example, there is not enough time to do testing. I also analyzed reasons for the problems and gave some suggestions how to get rid of that type of problems."
IIR TESTING FORUM '07: ALL ABOUT TESTING
- Measuring the Quality and Efficiency of testing needs support and effort
Qentinel participated in the Testing Forum '07 seminar on 31.8.2007 in Helsinki. The event's theme was "all about testing". Seminar's last day Qentinel's managing consultant Katja Kuusikumpu held workshop which topic was "Measuring the Quality and Efficiency of Testing". "Workshop was about how to select metrics, importance of interest groups, reporting and targeting reports. Measuring without meaning, effort, management support and planning is waste of time", says Katja. She describes Workshop's atmosphere: "Audience was a bit big for the workshop and it restricted little bit of interaction, but on the other hand most people were active and asked questions and told their own experiences, projects and procedures. Atmosphere was easy and nice. We heard lot of laughs and challenging other people and many funny anecdotes."
OUGF SPRING SEMINAR: DATABASES AND TESTING
- Database testing requires close cooperation between testers and technical specialists
On April 24th, 2007, Qentinel participated in the spring seminar of Oracle User Group Finland in Helsinki. At the event, Qentinel Managing Consultant Mitro Kivinen gave a presentation entitled Databases and testing. "In my presentation, I touch upon the central challenges that one faces when testing databases. Testers and developers aren't necessarily very familiar with databases. Resultantly, it would be beneficial if testing were carried out together with database professionals. Through this collaboration, testers receive technical support, while they can help the database experts in tasks such as analyzing a hardware installation. Testing databases is an art in itself. Finding a common language between testers and database professionals is the key to success in these projects", says Mitro Kivinen.
PRODUCTIVITY AND FINANCING SEMINAR: APPLICATION DEVELOPER PANEL
- Continuous development is essential for success in the testing business
Qentinel participated in the Productivity and Financing seminar held by independent advisory company Replicon in Helsinki on April 17th, 2007. The theme of the seminar was ICT Companies as Productivity Boosters: Is Europe Addressing This Business Opportunity? Qentinel CEO Esko Hannula participated in a panel discussion for ICT application developers. "Qentinel is a successful quality assurance and testing company that has been able to maintain fast and profitable growth. In the seminar panel, we talked a lot about why certain companies succeed and others don't. Qentinel's recipe for success is very simple. We always take care of the basics and constantly strive to develop all areas of our operations. As quality measurement professionals, we also continuously monitor our own process quality. In my presentation, I focus on Qentinel from the point of view of business and productivity. Software faults are business risks that affect schedules, usage and costs. Qentinel's mission is to ensure the success of IT investments", Esko Hannula says.
GETTING TO GRIPS WITH IT SYSTEMS QUALITY
- Aiming for optimal quality
On March 21st, 2007, Qentinel participated in the Getting to Grips with IT Systems Quality event organized by the Finnish Information Processing Association. The topic of systems quality was addressed from the perspective of products as well as their design and implementation. Qentinel Managing Consultant Mitro Kivinen gave a presentation entitled Quality of an IT Systems Product. "Quality requirements always depend on the end use of a product or service, as well as the customer's expectations. Quality means different things to different people and in different situations; sometimes it's ease of use, sometimes efficiency. In quality assurance, one has to choose the method based on the goals of the project. Factors to consider include resources, practices, tools and schedules. Appropriately set goals also help control costs. Software that is perfect in quality is often too good, since it is expensive and won't be completed until the need for it has already passed. On the other hand, insufficient quality can bring additional expenses while damaging the company's reputation. Testing itself won't make a higher-quality product, but it will measure the level of quality. For quality assurance projects, the key questions are what, when and how we should test", summarizes Mitro Kivinen.
TIETURI TESTING 2007: DEVELOPING THE TESTING PROCESS
- Customizing test development to meet client needs
Qentinel took part in the third Testing 2007 seminar held by Tieturi in Helsinki on February 8th, 2007. At the event, subtitled Back to basics!, various testing professionals took to the stage to share their know-how. The interactive event encouraged participants to join in and discuss their own experiences on the subject. Qentinel's presentation was given by Managing Consultant Mitro Kivinen. Mitro summarizes his presentation Developing the Testing Process: "A good way to approach the testing process is to remember that testing itself does not produce anything; it helps others create better things more efficiently, more comprehensively and for a lower cost. Therefore, by developing testing, we affect countless other areas besides testing itself. Before we start with testing development, we need to know why we are testing, where we are right now, and where we would like to be. Testing can be developed in the areas of content, expertise, management and practices. Different customers naturally have different needs. Testing development makes it easier to reach goals and control costs. However, the development work must bring immediate benefits. Depending on the situation, it may be more useful to develop continuously with small steps or in larger increments at once. Everyone is free to develop their own practices further, but larger changes need management support."
IIR TESTING FORUM: THE ROLE AND EXPERTISE OF THE TESTER
- Testers need versatility and adaptability
Qentinel was a partner of the Testing Forum '07 event held by IIR in Helsinki from January 30th to February 2nd, 2007. The event brought together systems testing professionals to discuss the current challenges of the field. Managing Consultant Mitro Kivinen represented Qentinel with his presentation The Role and Expertise of the Tester. "The tester's job is a service profession, and a good tester needs a versatile set of skills. Changes in operating environments, practices and techniques require constant upkeep of one's knowledge. Whether the tester is an expert in multiple fields or a selectively focused top specialist, he or she must always understand the customer's needs from a wide perspective. The tester must be highly adaptable in responding to each situation. "The tester is subject to expectations from multiple directions. The business side expects the tester to represent the customer and their interests, while the technical organization wants him or her to help others and to clarify the limitations and possibilities of the technology. A good tester gets along with different people and can present the facts clearly and neutrally. Testing must provide continuous benefits throughout the entire lifecycle of the software. Consequently, the tester plays a key role in the quality assurance of a software project", notes Mitro Kivinen in his presentation.
LAURA DAY: TESTING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE OF A HR SYSTEMS PROJECT
- A high-quality system requires careful definition of requirements
Qentinel took part in the LAURA software theme day held by Uranus Consulting on January 18th, 2007. Qentinel Managing Consultant Teppo Koskinen discussed various topics related to IT systems procurement in his presentation Testing and quality assurance of a HR systems project. "Software quality means fulfilling the customer's expectations and needs. In order to have a system that meets your requirements, the software vendor must be briefed clearly about what is expected of the solution. Quality assurance can only be carried out once the purpose and goals of the system are defined clearly. Quality assurance means reducing quality-related risks beforehand, and testing is a tool for accomplishing this. Continuous communication between customer and vendor throughout the entire project is essential. In a procurement project, plans are always subject to change. Common pitfalls include insufficient monitoring, not addressing some requirements, and not considering the entire lifecycle of the system. Focusing on defining the needs and expectations of the system will help in getting a high-quality end product", Teppo Koskinen says.
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