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	Testing Business Systems: From Inception To Acceptance
	Testing Business Systems: From Inception To Acceptance

Course Outline and Objectives
Course Philosophy and Approach

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	2 days

Subject matter experts, quality analysts, test engineers, test managers, quality engineers, project managers, end-users responsible for acceptance testing, developers, and anyone who is interested in assuring that an evolving business system is built with the appropriate level of quality to avoid costly production problems.

Our instructors have extensive experience in applying these techniques on projects with business experts from a wide variety of fields.

BTI The Testing Challenge
BTS Selecting a Solid Testing Strategy
BTP Proper Test Plans Prevent Poor Performance
BST Static Testing: Defect Avoidance versus Defect Detection
BTE Test Engineering: Knowing Where You’re Going
BTX Test Execution: Testing made Real
BAT After the Testing: Lessons Learned

This course is designed to enable subject matter experts who do not have an IT background to evaluate and test an evolving information system. It explains how to plan, structure and execute testing efficiently and effectively from a business perspective.

Business System Testing

	enables developers, quality engineers, end-users and testers to develop and execute more effective tests
	focuses on the real problem area of business system testing
	does not require any previous knowledge about information technology
	bridges the gap between end-users who want working systems and IT professionals who are trying to deliver what the end-user needs and wants


	Components of Testing

	A test plan encompasses a set of test scenarios and cases that are designed to reduce the business risk of deploying the technology to the end-users. Test steps are documented in test scripts. Test strategies, test plans, test cases and test scripts are components of your testing methodology. You need a consistent approach for developing each component individually and for maintaining it as an integral part of your test environment.

printer friendly syllabus

Course Outline and Objectives

The Testing Challenge
Module BTI : Duration ~ 1 hour


	Is testing the developers' job or the subject matter experts'? Since neither has the knowledge and experience of the other, it is of necessity a mix. Assessing the true value of the information system in the context of the business world is a full-time job that requires qualified and motivated people who want to prove that the technological solution works well enough to be worthy of your organization’s trust.

		What Is a Business System and Why Do You Care?
		When Should Business System Testing Start?
		How Do You Define the Major Testing Activities and Deliverables?

		Understand the Role of Developers and SME’s in Testing
		List the 7 Major Steps of a Well-Defined Testing Methodology
		Recognize Unit, Integration, System, and Acceptance Testing

Selecting a Solid Testing Strategy
Module BTS : Duration ~ 2 hour


	Testing is not something that happens after the system is developed and before the end-users see it - it is an on-going sequence of activities that start the day the project is initiated and end when the solution is in production. This requires an assessment of business risks, the underlying technology, organizational structure, the development process, and the people who are impacted by the solution.

		What Do You Have To Consider in Selecting a Testing Strategy?
		Do Web-Based And/Or Client/Server Technologies Influence the Strategy?
		Does Your Organizational Culture Play a Role in How You Test?

		Determine the Critical Business Factors That Define the Strategy
		Select the Appropriate Type of Coverage To Reduce Business Risks
		Defend the Need For Software Testing Based On Business Risks
		Use Requirements Management Principles To Focus the Test Effort
		Assess Technology Impact, I.E., Web-Based, Client/Server, Mainframe

Proper Test Plans Prevent Poor Performance
Module BTP : Duration ~ 2 hours


	Test planning flushes out the details of how to implement your selected testing strategy. From developer-based unit testing to end-user acceptance, your testing techniques have to adapt to fit the evolving state of the solution. The nature of testing at each stage has to be properly understood to make the most of whatever opportunities are presented for identifying and eliminating potential problems.

		When Do You Need Performance, Usability, and Configuration Testing?
		What Does a Good Test Plan Encompass
		Who Does Unit, Integration, System, and Acceptance Testing and When?

		Define the Strategic and Scheduling Components of a Test Plan
		Optimize Your Testing Resource Usage
		Create a Test Plan That Is Synchronized with Your Strategy
		Assemble the 17 Key Elements of Effective Test Plans

Static Testing: Defect Avoidance versus Defect Detection
Module BST : Duration ~ 2 hours


	Instead of waiting until the developers make the errors to start detecting them, imagine you could eliminate them before they happened! Static testing covers every aspect of assessing the decision-making process that defines the solution under development before software is ever produced. Walk-throughs, inspections and reviews are all different dimensions of this powerful, money-saving, testing concept.

		What Is the Difference Between a Walk-Through, an Inspection, and a Review?
		How Can You Increase the Number of Defect Detected By Static Testing?
		Who Is Responsible For Implementing and Conducting Static Testing?
		What Types of Errors Are Common and How Can You Find Them?

		Reduce the Cost of Software Development Through Early Detection
		Determine When To Use Walk-Throughs, Reviews, and Inspections
		Select the Appropriate Approach For Evaluating Critical Deliverables
		Evaluate Business Requirements For Testability
		Evaluate Drivers and Stubs For Testing an Evolving System Or Release

Test Engineering: Knowing Where You’re Going
Module BTE : Duration ~ 2 hours


	No two tests are created equal; some find more errors than others. Test engineering describes tests, documents the setup criteria, scripts the execution steps, and establishes how to quickly evaluate whether the solution passed the test or failed. The best tests are those that will find critical errors in the least amount of time.

		How Can You Develop Tests Before the Software Is Finished?
		Which Tests Are More Likely To Identify Errors and Why?
		How Can You Test If You Have No Requirements?
		When Do You Need To Create a Test Script?

		Mix and Match Sources of Set-Up Test Data For Maximal Coverage
		Apply Equivalence Classes, Boundary Values and Probable Errors
		Create Audience-Focused Test Scripts To Maximize Repeatability
		Identify the Minimal Set of Cases To Achieve Defined Testing Goals

Test Execution: Testing made Real
Module BTX : Duration ~ 2 hours


	The test team initiates test execution when they receive their first working component and finishes it when the goals defined in your test strategy have been achieved. Test execution is an iterative process that restarts after any change to the evolving solution. Properly executed testing minimizes the number of iterations needed to create a working solution worthy of being implemented and deployed to the business community.

		What Is the Difference Between a Test, a Test Case, a Test Scenario, and a Test Condition?
		You’ve Found a Defect; Now What?
		How Do You Classify and Categorize Bugs To Decrease Your Testing Effort?

		Create an Effective Problem Report To Aid Defect Removal
		Use Defect Categorization To Reduce Test Execution Time
		Capture Critical Test Execution Information Consistently
		Organize Tests For Efficient Execution

After the Testing: Lessons Learned
Module BAT : Duration ~ 1 hour


	Testing, like most processes, is best learned by experience. Unfortunately, all too often, we neglect to document significant dimensions of the experience and are forced to learn them again and again. Intelligent tracking of the testing effort, bugs detected and corrective actions taken will augment the learning process and avoid making the same mistakes next time.

		How Do Testing Statistics Help You Improve Your Testing Methodology?
		How Can You Change Your Organization’s Approach To Testing?
		What Kind of Automated Tools Can Expedite the Testing Effort?

		Evaluate Business Requirements For Testability
		Prepare and Conduct Quality Assurance Walk-Throughs
		Validate the Completeness of a Defined Set of Test Cases
		Test Whether the Requirements Solve the Business Problems
		Cross-Reference Test Cases To System Requirements

Visit our Business System Analyst Bookstore
for books on the topics covered in this seminar.

	Methodologies ( Information Engineering , Miscellaneous , Structured System Development , System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) )
	Object Oriented ( Business Objects , Object Oriented Analysis , Object Oriented Design , Object Oriented Modeling , Object Oriented Testing , State Transition Diagrams , Unified Modeling Language (UML) , Use Cases )
	Test Management ( Defect Tracking , Miscellaneous , Test Planning , Testing Methodologies , Testing Tools , Validation & Verification )
	Testing Phases ( Acceptance Testing , Configuration Testing , Integration Testing , Performance Testing , System Testing , Unit Testing , Usability Testing )
	Testing Techniques ( Black Box Testing , Object Oriented Testing , Regression Testing , Test Cases , Test Data Engineering , Walkthroughs , White Box Testing )
	Usability Engineering ( Prototyping , Task Analysis , Miscellaneous , Usability Testing , User Interfaces )

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