Valuable feedback, fast - Applied
The ‘Valuable feedback, fast - Applied’ workshop revolves around the same premise as the standard VFF course:
“Test automation problems almost always go deeper than just the tool. Often, they are of both a technical and an organizational nature. It would be wise to approach and address them like that, then, instead of throwing another tool at the problem and hoping this one will make the problem go away.”
In the ‘Applied’ workshop, though, we will scrutinize the test automation strategy you use in your team and/or organization. You will walk away with a thorough assessment of and actionable improvements for your context, improvements that you can start working on the next day.
What will you learn?
Well, that is hard to say exactly, because the workshop will revolve around your specific test automation strategy and the challenges you experience.
To give you an idea of what the workshop might look like, here is an abbreviated version of the outline I used in a previous edition.
As with every workshop I run, we will go over and adjust this outline to fit your specific context and desired learning outcomes.
Introduction
- Identify desired learning outcomes and manage expectations
- Introduction to the 5W1H framework
Why?
- Background on what ‘valuable feedback, fast’ means
- Mapping current feedback loops and identifying gaps and waste
Output: Concrete, measurable automation goals
What?
- Introduction to the test automation quadrant
- Introduction to the case and brainstorm: what could / should we test here? Why?
- Discussion on what makes a test good / valuable and classification of tests using the test automation quadrant
Output: A shared checklist of what defines a good test
Where?
- Challenges with automating existing (regression) test scripts
- Breaking down E2E tests and discussing of what is gained and lost
Output: Concrete steps to improve tests and your testability, and identification of what risks are acceptable, and what risks really need coverage
When?
- Discussion on when to write and test the tests, when to run the tests and when to maintain the tests
- Designing a pipeline template that can be used and adapted or extended by the teams
Output: A concrete, reusable test automation workflow in a pipeline
Who?
- What skills are required to ‘do’ test automation well?
- Mapping responsibilities - who writes and maintains the tests, and who should be informed of the test results?
- Defining good practices (code review for tests, shared patterns, internal guilds / communities of practice
Output: Actionable steps to identify and improve required skills to succeed with test automation across the board
How?
- What (types of) tools would best fit your specific context?
- What are useful metrics to track in test automation?
- Where can we (not) use AI responsibly in the steps we have covered so far?
Output: A tool use manifesto that is shared and lived by the team(s)
Who should take this course?
This workshop is for software development and testing practitioners, as well as tech and team leads, who want to learn how to be successful with test automation and how to achieve its goal of ‘valuable feedback, fast’ in their specific context.
Workshop duration and delivery
The ‘Valuable feedback, fast - Applied’ workshop takes 2 days. The wide range of exercises in this course are designed to address both the technical and the organizational aspects of succeeding with test automation. As a participant, you will:
- contribute to facilitated discussions, investigating and performing root cause analysis of your test automation problems and challenges
- deliver short presentations on your findings and advocate for your ideas
- identify actionable steps towards improving your test automation efforts
- create a shared understanding of what test automation is and how you can succeed with it in your context
Due to the experiential nature of the course, I strongly prefer running it on site, in person. The maximum group size is 25 participants. There is no minimum group size, but having at least 6 participants contributes to better discussions through a wider range of backgrounds, ideas and prior experience.
I’m interested, what’s next?
I’m happy to hear that! Click the button below, complete the contact form, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Yes, I’d like to book this course for my team!
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