An organization relies on its QA group to qualify its products. An adequate testing can be achieved relatively easily if your product is simple and does not involve multiple facets such as software, hardware, OEM components, and industry compliances including safety and environment. A product with multiple facets has increased product qualification complexity as multiple test teams get involved. It also becomes increasingly important to assure that all facets of the product are tested and there is no unintended test efforts duplication.
The RPS group at Hewlett-Packard has developed a technique that assures a high level of test effectiveness and efficiency and yields a high quality product. The technique involves identifying the quality attributes (test types) that must be tested for a product. These test types include Functionality, Usability, Reliability, Installation/Deployment, Safety, and Regulatory and form the horizontal test vector. To make sure that the product components are adequately tested before they are integrated, a vertical test vector representing development stages including Unit, Module, Component, System, and Solution and Beyond is also established. The two vectors together yield a highly effective and efficient “Test Landscape” that is used to determine test ownership and track test status from the very early stage in the product development lifecycle to the final release. The technique is being used by the group and has made test management simple yet efficient. It has also assured the management teams that the testing is effective and efficient. The Test Landscape has become a part of the Product Development Lifecycle and is reviewed at various checkpoints during the development. The group has also developed a roles and responsibility model that assures that the Test Landscape is properly executed to yield the maximum benefit.
Bhushan Gupta has 23 years of experience in software engineering, 13 of which have been in the software industry. Currently a Test Lead in RPS, Hewlett-Packard, he joined the company as a software quality engineer in 1997 where he was responsible for identifying key process areas to reduce rework. From 2003 to 2007 Bhushan was a Software Process Architect in the Indigo Division leading agile software development, customizing lifecycles, and measuring and improving software productivity. In his current position he program manages the new product qualification for the RPS group. From 1995-97 Bhushan worked as a Systems Analyst at Consolidated Freightways and before that he was a faculty member of the Software Engineering Technology Department at the Oregon Institute of Technology for 10 years.
Bhushan has served the PNSQC as a vice president, board member, and a committee chair. He has presented at several conferences including PNSQC and actively presents at special interest groups. He also presents a 2-day workshop at the OGI titled “Engineering Software Quality.”
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