Blast from the past: BDD Lessons Learned

No time left at the end of the sprint for proper testing

In the Agile Testing Linkedin Grp the following was posted:

No time left at the end of the sprint for proper testing

Designers tend to add and change code until the end of a sprint, not leaving enough time to do all the agreed testing. At the start of a sprint, we assign rough time estimates to user stories, taking both design and test activities into account. Some tests are automated and run during the night.
However, other tests need manual preparation of data and partly manual execution and result analysis. There is also some amount of exploratory testing involved. During the sprint, there always seems to be a reason not to deliver yet to test: fixes, improvements and design updates. At the end of the sprint, little time is left for manual testing, far too less for running the tests, analyzing and repairing eventual bugs, retest and results logging.
What advise do you have for me, so that I can claim and really use a fair amount of the sprint time for testing?

With a follow up post of:

What I called 'delivery' is not a heavy weight process wall. It is just a oral notification in the team stand up meeting that some story is ready for test. Our way of working is pretty much in line with all points you mention: except for point 5. "Testing is a fair amount of the sprint if done well". I think 1 day left for testing out of a 2 week sprint is not this 'fair' amount. The pattern that I have to cope with is: several user stories are coded in parallel and they tend to be 'ready for test' all at the same time, that is: 1 day before sprint end. The tester is involved in functionality and architectural discussions during the sprint and prepares test data and test scripts, ready to 'push the button' when a story is ready.

My (currently unpublished) comment (with minor changes):

So, based on the info you've provided I'm going to make a bunch of suppositions along with ask a number of questions.

1. Is there a definition of 'done'? Does it include testing? If so, it seems like it's being ignored?
* If it is being ignored are there retrospectives held? What happens when this is brought up?
* Is the issue being recognised by the rest of the team?
* Is it being recognised and cared about?
* Are the powers that be aware?

2. Are the stories broken up into tasks? If so is it possible to test the tasks?

3. If what you are working on is broken up into (small) stories and setting aside the late adjustments there should be a constant stream of stories coming through, if not, has this been looked at? If so, what was the outcome?

4. Is it possible for team members to pair? IE testers and devs, ba's and testers, ba's and devs, etc.

5. Is there a visual representation of story process? Visible by everybody?

6. Is this way of working new to the team/company? Was there help making the transition? If there was, were they any good? Were any new people with more experience in this way of working hired?

7. Are you/the testers prepared to play hard ball? You can't possibly test a sprints worth of work in a day, so don't try.

8. How are the late adjustments getting into the story? They should be judged on value and as a team decided on whether or not they get into the sprint. Failing that then a story/stories can be dropped to allow for changes.

9. Is there a scrum master type role? Is he/she someone who has gone and gotten the CSM or are they experienced?
* Experience is very hard to judge, how is it done?

10. Is there a way to prepare test data through automation?

11. Is there any skill sets lacking in the team in general?

It doesn't seem like you have a testing issue, you have a team/culture/mindset issue.

I'd like to know what I've missed?

 

 

Inbetween talks - Agile Dev Practices 2013

So #agiledevprac has been and gone.

I had a great time.


During the Monday my fellow speaker Ant and I had a chance to hang out with Maik Nogens.

Maik's a great guy, if you see him (you can't miss him, he's 8ft tall, although everybody looks 8ft tall when they are standing next to me) say hi.

We had a walk around Potsdam and sampled a couple of Bratwurst.  This is my second time in Potsdam and I think it's a great place, nice, quiet and picturesque.

On the first night there was a speakers dinner at Walhalla.

Jose stood up and gave a short speech welcoming everybody.

The food itself was OK, the company was great.

Ant and I had both chosen a fish dish which came with bacon sauce. BACON. SAUCE. How could you not?!

We'd been waiting and looking forward to it for weeks. We'd been imaging all sorts of amazing creations.

It was one of the biggest disappointments ever. It is a cream sauce with bits of bacon in it.

Ant and I shared a table with a number of people and we spent the most time talking to Ray Scott and Vagif Abilov.

I've come across Ray and Vagif before in my travels but have never had a chance to sit down and have a proper talk.

It was great to do so.

After dinner there was a short visit to the hotel bar and then off to sleep.


Over the next few days there were:

• Pop-up coding dojos.

• Conversations all around with people from the world over.
• I would love to list the names of everybody I had a conversation with but there are too many.
• Ant drank his first ever full pint of beer, followed by his second, and third, etc.

 

• A social dinner event complete with improv comedy troupe.
• Ant and I were on the same table and again had a number of diners with us. During dinner we spoke mostly with Ray Scott and Krystian Kaczor. 
• After the meal we spoke with a few more people.
• A group of us went for a meal, sat down and realised none of us speak German.
• We had 2 English guys, 1 Hungarian, 2 Spanish guys and 3 Russians.
• Luckily, one of the waiters spoke Russian so we were able to get a meal organised.

 

Unfortunately I didn't get the names of two of the (Russian) guys at dinner, the rest are:

@carlosble

@brightoniant

@ooobject

@gasparnagy

@vgaltes

It was great to catch up with some people, meet new people, have some great meals and have some great discussions.


In my opinion, over the next few days there were some good talks, some OK talks and some talks that didn't quite work.

Conferences are essentially a meeting of people who want to contribute, teach, learn and share.

It's not just attending the talks.

Make the effort to meet new people and talk and you will get untold value from a conference.

Reasons to come to Agile Dev Practices

Program Overview

1. I'll be there.
2. Good mix of sessions.
3. Good mix of tutorials.
4. Good range of subjects.
5. Did I mention I'll be there?
6. Good range of workshops.
7. My colleague Ant will be there.
8. 25% off with code ATDC4P_025.
9. Potsdam/Berlin is great.
10. Markus can sign 'ATDD by Example: A Practical Guide to Acceptance Test-Driven Development' for you.  
11. You can talk to Gaspar Nagay, main contributor of the open-source .NET BDD tool, SpecFlow. 
12. Ellen can sign one of her books for you.
13. You can talk to Chris Matts and Olav Masssen.
14. Díaz & Hilterscheid have put on a great event.
15. You can talk to people who make software from all over the world, share your stories. 
16. You can teach.
17. You can learn. 

There are more reasons, what am I missing?