IS YOUR ORGANISATION FIT FOR PURPOSE?

applying software testing to organisations

Mike Sutton@SSQTB.

Malaga. 2017

Startup Founder. Partner & Practitioner“I help technology companies become more

effective at meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools to reduce risk, increase

joy, create knowledge and get good stuff shipped.”

23 11 ~200 ~2200years in

techyears as a

coachteams helped

people supported

Helping teams and individuals build resilience, their own good

habits and responsibly own their working process

Helping organisational leaders develop modern, human centric strategies for knowledge work

based industries

Spark Communities of Learning

Advise management teams and executives

Mentor agile teams and their support structures

I help to bring focus on the need for continuos learning within and

outside practice. For competence and joyful fulfilment

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

Mike SuttonAgile Coach and Improvement Partner

“I help technology organisations become more effective in meeting their business goals by applying simple and effective tools - that reduce risk, increase value and create knowledge - and by nurturing a culture of open and joyful collaboration.

WHAT NOW?Leave inspired.

Discover a simple 7 step approach to testing your own organisation

Explain the elements of the approachDescribe the concept of

Testing Your Organisation

Feel provoked

AS AN EMPLOYEE, I NEED TO BE PAID EVERY MONTH, SO I CAN MEET MY LIVING COSTS

WE PUT A LOT OF ‘TRUST’ IN ORGANISATIONS BASED ON VERY LITTLE EVIDENCEWe assume someone else has checked them out

We hope they will be ok

WE ALREADY TEST SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES

AND BUSINESS PROCESSES. WHY NOT ORGANISATIONS?

Mystery Shoppers Software testing

Crash Test Dummies Failure testing

SOFTWARE PRODUCTS AND ORGANISATIONS ARE REALLY SIMILAR

Have UsersExhibit Testable Behaviours

Designed for a Purpose

ComponentisedMake Assertions

Have Stakeholders Have ContextMalfunction

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR ORGANISATION?

What does it aim to do? What does it say it does?

What does it actually do? What do its observers perceive it does??How can you check it does

what it says it does?

WHO ARE YOUR ORGANISATION’S

USERS?Who is it useful to?

IN WHAT WAYS DO ITS USERS NEED YOUR ORGANISATION

TO BE USEFULHow is it useful to them? Under what context?

HOW GOOD DOES YOUR ORGANISATION HAVE TO BE?

What are the users willing to tolerate?

What standards is it held to?

What standards does it hold itself to?

WHAT ASSERTIONS DOES YOUR ORGANISATION

MAKE?What statements of fact or belief

does your organisation make

Are they reasonable?

Are they valid?

EVERY EVENT IS A TEST CASE AND EVERY DAY IS REGRESSION TESTING

Human Systems Tested Daily Bugs emerge

Continuous stream of opportunity

Risks and uncertainty are better managed

AN ORGANISATION TESTING APPROACH

1. UNDERSTAND YOUR CONTEXT

example:

We build communication network solutions for enterprises and retail consumers

We are in a highly competitive space with intense competition for both market share and talent.

Our greatest competition comes from smaller but more responsive players in South East Asia

We work with specialist partners who manufacture components for our hard ware devices.

Our products are subject to multiple sets of moderate to very strict regulatory control.

What do you do? Who are you doing it with? What is the nature of the landscape?

2. DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE

example:

Our purpose is to create create 100% growth for our shareholders within 3 years

And be rated #1 Place to Work by > 90% of our Employees by December 2018

And consistently have a Net Promoter Score of at least +50

And Make It Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic,Time Related

3. DISCOVER YOUR USERS

example:

Our employees want a safe and fair place to work, that will help them grow.

Our suppliers want a partner who pays them on time and offers them opportunities to improve their business.

Our Customers want the reliable products and solutions and responsive after-sales support.

Who they are and what they want from you. (ps. validate both the users - that you have them, and their needs - that they have them!)

4. EMERGE YOUR ASSERTIONS

example:

We provide a fair environment for our employees to learn and grow

We pay our suppliers on time and give them feedback on how to improve the chain.

We have the lowest prices in the market for the products we sell

We do not spy on our employees

We do not tolerate harassment of any kind of our employees

What statements are you making about users’ needs and the purpose? (ps. validate that they are fair and reasonable)

5. DEVISE YOUR TESTS

Feature: My employer provides a fair environment for employees to learn and grow

Scenario: Established employees can attend conferences

Given I am an established employee of company X

And I want to attend Useful Conference Y

And there are no project limitations

When I request sponsorship to from my manager

Then sponsorship is be granted.

What tests can validate each assertion?

(ps. these must be created from the users perspective)

6. PLAN, EXECUTE AND TRACK YOUR TESTS

Feature: My employer provides a fair environment for employees to learn and grow

Scenario: Established employees can attend conferences

Given I am an established employee of company X

And I want to attend Useful Conference Y

And there are no project limitations

When I request sponsorship to from my manager

Then sponsorship is be granted.

What do you need, who will run them, what happens if they ‘fail’

Mike will apply to attend SSQTB by March 15th.

He will make sure:

- there is availability

- there is no critical project work

Jose to AgileTD (Dec 2016)

Suzanna to QCon (Mar 2016)

7. MAINTAIN YOUR TESTSImprovement is not a one time deal - iterate.

Retrospect, review, refactor, retire, renew, repeat regularly (ok - I ran out of ‘R’s).

WHAT NEXT?Start the conversation at work

- ask questions, seek answers

Create your own reasonable assertions about your organisation

Whatever you do

Do not Do Nothing.

Start the conversations here - ask questions, share stories

Expect more from the world of work

Join the movement!

https://improvework.slack.com/

THANK YOUI’m doing a workshop on

how to practically test your organisation.

Join me. I’ll show you how.

@mhsuttonhttp://mhsutton.me