Quality Intelligence: Embedding the Customer Voice to Drive Excellence
Quality is more than just a gate for software engineers, testers, and Agile teams - it’s a direct line to customer success and business outcomes. Yet many Agile quality practices still focus on defect detection rather than leveraging Quality Intelligence (QI) to re-envision customer experiences, accelerate learning, and create true differentiation.
This paper explores how functional experts like QA engineers, test automation specialists, Agile testers, developers, and Agile leaders can partner to:
- Integrate the Voice of the Customer
- Leverage Intelligence for Proactive Decisions
- Reimagine Agile Testing as Strategic Learning
- Bridge Quality and Product Management
Through real-world examples and actionable takeaways, this paper provides a playbook for transforming Agile testing and quality practices into a competitive advantage, where quality becomes a driver of product strategy, customer trust, and enterprise value.
Paper | Presentation
Kristine O'Connor
Kristine O'Connor spent several years in the United States Navy before entering the software industry in 1998. Starting her journey at the help desk for a hotel software company, she quickly moved into software testing, finding a home for her process-driven thought process, customer-centric mindset, and knack for tools. For over 18 years, Kristine has filled various software quality roles, from manual software testing to a Sr. QA Project Manager and Agile and DevOps practitioner in a Fortune 4 organization. In 2018, she dipped her toes in the coaching water and transitioned into the role of certified Agile Coach (ICC-ACP), ultimately achieving her Scaled Agile Practice Consultant (SPC). Kristine has supported organizations such as Aetna, CVS Health, Bank of America, Northrop Grumman, NASA, and more.
Kristine is a Sr. Agile Transformation Consultant with Agile Rising, where she works as a Coach, mentor, Agility Health facilitator, and SPC, helping people, teams, programs, and organizations adopt Agile and Scaled Agile practices and processes. Her passion is enriching the mindset and practices needed to transform into a learning organization and empowering the functional tester in a mindful and intentional way.