EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2010 presentation on Test Accounting by Dirk Van Dael. See more at: http://conference.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/

1. EuroSTARCopenhagen 2010
Dirk van Dael, Capgemini
TEST ACCOUNTING

2. Sounds familiar?
I had this issue before?!
I can’t find it in the design!
What is in the current release?
This worked fine last week!
Users will not like this!
Test everything again?
Do you understand this requirement?
…

3. Some causes
No proper impact analysis
Vague responsibilities
Ambiguous requirements
There are no processes
Test data is not maintained
Release notes are missing
No priorities available
…

4. Some solutions
Where to start?
Lessons learned don’t seem to change?!
Accept imperfections?
Or learn from other disciplines?!
The art of communicating...

5. Accounting (a definition)
Accountingis the art of communicating financial informationabout a business entityto such users as shareholdersand managers
Test Accountingis the art of communicating product en project informationabout an it entity to users such as stakeholdersand managers?

6. Example balance sheet

7. Results (profit-and-loss)

8. Balance sheet (year +1)

9. Accounting provides
Control (e.g. bookkeeping, overview)
Ownership (e.g. accounts for actors)
Message (e.g. management information)
Priority (e.g. ‘fair value’ pricing)
Alignment(e.g. product lifecycle)
Scope (e.g. currency denomination)

10. COMPAS for projects
Control (e.g. bookkeeping)
Ownership (e.g. responsibilities)
Message (e.g. knowledge transfer)
Priority (e.g. business priority)
Alignment(e.g. lifecycle organizations)
Scope (e.g. impact analysis, scope control)

11. Ownership
Creating a functional design:
Responsible:Functional analyst
Accountable:Project leader
Consulted:User, Developer, Tester!
Informed:Business owner

12. Alignment
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Agile projects are more successful!
Me
My team
My project

13. Scope
Disciplines using the same unit of scope!
Design
Smart -
UseCase
Build
Module
Test
Test unitScope
•Menus
•Pages
•Buttons
Interfaces offer:
•unit of scope
•unit of workScope control!

14. Control

15. Message 1
Page EuronextFund Service
Test Cases are ORD50P10
Is in Menu Fundsand Test Unit ORD50
Smart Use Case is UC-185.FND (8 pages)
Has one button and Action word Order
Test estimates 27 hours (design 18, execution 9)

16. Message 2
Test Case ORD50P10
Design status Test scripted (T) (UC-185.FND)
Build status Test executed (T) (change tested, 1 defect (B203), priority B)
Business process P12 Funds Transfer (not yet available, has 1 regression test case OVZ40P10)

17. Lifecycle overview of changes and results
Clear responsibilities for all disciplines
Value and status via product coupling
Instant impact analysis and issue handling
Ease of delegation and economies of scale
Basis for ‘knowledge management’
COMPAS Accounting