What can we learn from comparing Deming’s 14 Points for Management and Crosby’s 14-Point Quality Improvement Plan? Which will help us more to improve quality? W. Edwards Deming first presented his 14 Points at a conference in 1978 in Tokyo[1] and published his 14 Points for Management in 1982[2]. Philip B. Crosby published his 14-point …
Tag Archives: QA
Gaining a knowledge of React is helping me automate tests
React is an open-source User Interface (UI) JavaScript library created by Facebook. I am doing some React tutorials to help me better understand the UI and what I am learning is helping me to automate tests. The React tutorials I am doing are here: https://react.dev/learn. The tutorials include exercises that can be done in a …
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Writing test automation standards is a journey, not a destination
I have started to automate tests in Playwright with TypeScript. I am now writing standards for the tests. I view writing the standards as a journey because I am adding to the standards as I learn more. I have started to create these standards because: I have found lots of useful advice in testing and …
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Why I don’t record automated tests
Recently it was pointed out to me that Playwright has a test generator and that I could use it to record tests. Many automated testing tools include a tool or extension that can be used to record tests. I don’t find them useful. My experience of using tools to record tests is that they record …
A review of “Black-Box Testing” by Boris Beizer
In “Black-Box Testing” Boris Beizer describes a number of useful techniques that can be used for black-box testing. He defines black-box testing as “the testing you do when you put yourself in the software user’s place to verify that it behaves the way it’s supposed to”.[1] Each testing technique is described in a chapter which …
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Are you testing output and outcome?
There is a discussion in the DORA Community about “the problem with DORA metrics is that they focus on maximizing outputs rather than outcomes”. Some people have argued that Dora metrics will reward teams with a high number of commits, which would be considered ‘output’ but not reward teams whose commits benefit customers, which would …
Automated tests do not have to be flaky.
When I create or maintain an automated test I use a “learning loop” so that I learn from the test results. This enables me to create stable test packs that return accurate results. I automate tests with Playwright using TypeScript and with the low code tool Ghost Inspector. The “learning loop” is the same for …
How a lone tester can work across teams
I am a lone tester and I work with two development teams. It is not possible to give both teams one hundred per cent of my time. If I don’t have a structure as to how to support both teams I can end up being pulled in multiple directions. The structure I use is that …
A review of “The Art of Software Testing”
The Art of Software Testing is a book that I often refer to. The book contains valuable views on how to approach testing and clear descriptions of some test case design methodologies. It was first published in 1979 by Glenford J. Myers and an updated third edition was published in 2012. The book starts with …
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How can you improve the testability of your product?
Teams whose focus includes testability are more likely to be high performing.[1] Good testability will “minimize testing costs”[2]. Testability can also be seen as one of the factors that determine quality. When the testability of a feature is discussed people often ask what is meant by testability. The clearest definition of testability I have found …
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First Thoughts on a System of Profound Testing
W. Edwards Demings’s System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK) is a valuable framework for leadership. SoPK provides a view, which Deming called a lens, “by which to understand the organisations we work in”[1]. The SoPK is “a framework for applying best efforts to the right tasks”[2]. There are four parts to the SoPK: The theory that …
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OpenAI contains tools that can help us with test automation
I often write javascript to manipulate the browser either as bookmarklets or as part of automated tests. OpenAI contains two AI tools that can provide solutions if I get stuck with a programming problem. OpenAI is a research organization focused on developing artificial general intelligence through natural language processing, robotics, and machine learning. Through OpenAI …
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A review of “Total Quality Control – the Japanese Way” by Kaoru Ishikawa
Kaoru Ishikawa was a significant figure in the development of quality in Japan. In his book Total Quality Control – The Japanese Way he describes many of the ways that Japanese businesses achieve quality. His book contains many points that are useful to testing professionals. He wrote that the very essence of Total Quality Control …
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Use a cause-and-effect diagram to achieve consensus when defining quality
When I gave the talks on “What is quality” I found it was not possible to provide a definition of quality on which everyone would agree. I recently read a book by Kaoru Ishikawa which included him describing quality using a cause-and-effect diagram[1]. It occurred to me that using a cause-and-effect diagram to describe something …
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Don’t forget to test the steps in the Help documentation!
I test the steps in the Help documentation for the functionality that I am testing. It is easy to forget to test the examples in Help. Testing the steps used in Help can be useful in more than one way. It is important that the steps described in Help ‘work’ because they are what the …
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