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Optimize the Current Testing Process for Enterprise Mobile Applications
One-size-fits-all testing does not work – test for a mobile-specific context.
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Contributors
- Henry Muccini, Assistant Professor in Computer Science, University of L’Aquila, Italy
- Mike Lyles, Sr. QA Manager – Performance, Automation, & Service Virtualization, Lowe’s Home Improvement
- JeanAnn Harrison, Software Testing & Services Consultant, Project Realms, Inc.
- Sohail Iqbal, QA Lead/BA, MCAP
- Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, Research Assistant, Politecnico di Torino
Your Challenge
- Your team has little or no experience in mobile testing.
- You need to optimize current testing processes to include mobile.
- You need to conduct an RFP for mobile testing tools.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- One-size-fits-all testing won’t work for mobile. The testing tools are fragmented.
- Mobile offers many new test cases, so organizations can expect to spend more time testing.
Impact and Result
- Identify and address gaps between your current testing process and a target state that includes mobile testing.
- Establish project value metrics to ensure business and technical requirements are met.
1. Assess the current testing state
Determine a starting point for architecture and discuss pain points that will drive reusability.
2. Determine the target state testing framework
Document a preliminary list of test requirements and create vendor RFP and scoring.
3. Implement testing tools to support the testing SOP
Create an implementation rollout plan.
Guided Implementations
This guided implementation is a four call advisory process.
Call #1 - Go/No-go on moving forward with optimizing testing for mobile applications
Get off to a productive start: determine what components across people, process, and technology need to be considered for the project. Review your test optimization project charter. Develop a strategy to secure stakeholder approval.
Call #2 - Document your current testing state and design your target state testing process to include mobile
Assess your mobile-optimized target state for testing: once all considerations for all testing requirements provided by Info-Tech’s Reference Framework have been identified in your SOP, Info-Tech will review your optimized target state visual SOP and discuss potential pain points, risk, and mitigation.
Call #3 - Develop a project plan to optimize testing for mobile apps
Review the major milestones in your project plan: receive Info-Tech’s input on your strategy for project steps, such as integration, legacy apps migration, security, configuration, and end-user training.
Call #4 - Post-implementation review
Monitor and review your metrics and test optimization plan: discuss the lessons learned from the implementation and tips to improve your operations for testing.
Book Your Workshop
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Assess the Fit for Test Process Optimization
The Purpose
- Understand mobile testing pain points.
- Evaluate current statistics and challenges around mobile testing and compare with your organization.
- Realize the benefits of mobile testing.
- Understand the differences of mobile testing.
- Assess your readiness for optimizing testing to include mobile.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Preliminary understanding of how mobile testing is different from conventional approaches to testing apps.
- Understanding of how mobile testing can optimize your current testing process.
Activities
Outputs
Understand the pain points experienced with mobile testing
Evaluate current statistics and challenges of mobile testing and compare your organization
Realize the benefits that come from mobile testing
Understand the differences between mobile app testing and conventional app testing
Assess your readiness for optimizing the testing process to include mobile
- Organizational state assessment for mobile testing
Module 2: Structure & Launch the Project
The Purpose
- Identify stakeholders for testing requirements gathering.
- Create a project charter to obtain project approval.
- Present and obtain project charter sign-off.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Well documented project charter.
- Approval to launch the project.
Activities
Outputs
Identify stakeholders for testing requirements gathering
Create a project charter to obtain project approval
- Project objectives and scope
- Project roles and responsibilities
Present & obtain project charter sign-off
Module 3: Assess Current Testing State
The Purpose
- Document your current non-mobile testing processes.
- Create a current testing visual SOP.
- Determine current testing pain points.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Thorough understanding of current testing processes and pain points.
Activities
Outputs
Document your current non-mobile testing processes
Create a current state visual SOP
- Documented current testing processes in the form of a visual SOP
Determine current testing pain points
- List of current testing pain points
Module 4: Determine Target State Testing Framework
The Purpose
- Determine your target state for mobile testing.
- Choose vendors for the RFP process.
- Evaluate selected vendor(s) against testing requirements.
- Design mobile testing visual SOP(s).
Key Benefits Achieved
- Prioritized list of testing requirements for mobile.
- Vendor selection for mobile testing solutions through an RFP process.
- New SOP designed to include both current testing and mobile testing processes.
Activities
Outputs
Determine your target state for mobile testing by following Info-Tech’s framework as a starting point
Design new SOP to include testing for mobile apps
Translate all considered visual SOP mobile injections into requirements
Document the preliminary list of test requirements in the RFP
- List of testing requirements for mobile
Determine which vendors to include for the RFP process
Reach out to vendors for a request for proposal
- Request for Proposal
Objectively evaluate vendors against testing requirements
Identify and assess the expected costs and impacts from determining your target state
Module 5: Implement Testing Tools to Support Your Testing SOP
The Purpose
- Develop an implementation roadmap to integrate new testing initiatives.
- Anticipate potential roadblocks during implementation rollout.
- Operationalize mobile testing and ensure a smooth hand-off to IT operations.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Creation of implementation project plan.
- List of approaches to mitigate potential implementation roadblocks.
- Achieving clean hand-off to IT ops team.
Activities
Outputs
Develop a project plan to codify your current understanding of the scope of work
Anticipate potential roadblocks during your tool’s implementation
Operationalize your testing tools and ensure a smooth hand-off from the project team
- Mobile testing metrics implementation plan
Module 6: Conduct Your Retrospectives
The Purpose
- Conduct regular retrospectives to consider areas for improvement.
- Adjust your processes, systems, and testing tools to improve performance and usability.
- Revisit implementation metrics to communicate project benefits.
- Leverage the lessons learned and apply them to other projects.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Project specific metrics.
- Discovery of areas to improve.
Activities
Outputs
Conduct regular retrospectives to consider areas for improvement
Revisit your implementation metrics to communicate project benefits to business stakeholders
Adjust your processes, systems, and testing tools to improve performance and usability
- Steps to improve your mobile testing
Leverage the lessons learned and apply them to other IT projects
