1. Confidential
Communication Platforms
Efficient Communication to Stakeholders
Rev PA1 2012-01-04 1

2. Introduction
 As a tester it is critical to provide the right information to the
right stakeholders
 Different stakeholders need different information, through
different channels
 Handling this information flow is an essential part of a
testers everyday job
 Formalizing how this is done is needed in an enterprise
verification organization

3. Overview
Identify
Information
Content
Identify
Identify
Information
Stakeholders
Channels
Communication
Platform

4. Identify Stakeholders
 Every tester must be aware of their stakeholders – who bases
decisions on the material the tester generates?
 It is important to take the time to really map out which
stakeholders are relevant in your context
 Examples could be: Project Leaders, Line Managers,
Developers, other Testers, and so on

5. Identify Information Content
 When you know your stakeholders the next step is to
understand what information they need to make accurate
decisions
 This could be specific information in the test reports, or what
types of KPI and benchmarks are relevant for the
stakeholders
 Could also be the content of educational material or
information sites

6. Granularity of Information
 Just as important as the information content is the granularity
with which it is presented
 Understanding what level of detail stakeholders need is
critical
 Otherwise important information will be lost in information
overflow, or omitted by mistake

7. Identify Information Channels
 The final step is to understand how the information reaches
the stakeholders, and if this setup is optimal both to the
stakeholders and the testers
 Examples could be: test reports, mails, word of mouth,
meetings, wikis, presentations

8. Communication Platform
Attributes
 So what attributes are important to consider when setting up
a communication platform?
 Cost of providing information
 Cost of receiving information
 Information accurateness
 Speed
 Attractiveness

9. Communication Platform Risks
Setup and
maintenance
cost of the
Communication
Platform
Added gains of
having a
formalized
Communication
Platform

10. Conclusion
 The right information must reach the right stakeholders
through the right channels with the right granularity
 In a large enterprise this requires a conscious effort to
manage and must be done in a formalized manner
 Always beware of the cost of setting up and maintaining this
communication platform and compare it to the gains of
having it