“Follow-your-nose” testing – questioning rules and overturning convention

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Is testing really keeping up with the advances of software development? Are our testing approaches evolving as quickly as the new technologies, or are we being left behind, using the same methods and techniques as we did a decade ago?

Testing needs to get more innovative, find new ways to test more efficiently and effectively, and to better adapt to each unique context. The first step is to realize that testing is not about finding answers, but about asking questions. Nobel laureate Dr. Michael Smith advocated “follow-your-nose research” in his field, biotechnology; he was willing to pursue new ideas even if it meant that he had to learn new methods or technologies. Similarly testers should do “follow-your nose testing”, exploring new approaches and questioning old habits.

This workshop suggests an approach for test planning that encourages innovation and overcomes barriers to quality. Through a cogent discussion of ideas around brainstorming, collaboration and creativity, you are provided with new insights that can help you revolutionize the test industry! Working in smaller groups we explore different examples of test challenges we have experienced ourselves, covering topics ranging from tools and environments to methodologies and teams. Using our new tools for encouraging innovation through collaboration, we try to come up with revolutionary suggestions for how to address these challenges. Focusing on asking the right questions, we might also come up with a few answers.