In this blog series we talk to test professionals from various industries. At Testersuite we like to hear the various visions on the subject of testing and what occupies a test professional. In this edition of Let's Talk About Test meet Wendy Bruin, test specialist at Staedion via Squerist.
"Stick to the facts and keep looking tough"
I am Wendy, living in Zaandam with my partner and I am the mother of two boys, Jesse (16) and Tibbe (13). Furthermore, I love reading and cooking.
No, I wanted to be a writer. That didn't work out, but who knows, maybe one day I'll write a book about testing, haha. I wanted to study literature, but in the end I started working quite early. While working, I moved on to the testing profession.
I originally came from IBM. There, I did not work in an IT role but in an IT environment. At IBM, I ended up in a position where I was already unconsciously doing a lot of testing.
At another employer, I became a FAT tester and then a test coordinator. As a result, I started to manage other testers. This is how I came into contact with senior testers. That was the moment I thought, this is what I want! That is where my career as a test professional started.
Naturally, I came into contact with TMAP, SQL and certified agile testing. By working with developers and devops, I also got to know the technical side. That was the moment for me to start looking in other kitchens. This is how I ended up at Squerist.
Setting up your process well makes the development process better. That is something I strongly believe in. It means working transparently with the right people in the right place. Within housing corporations, you are always dealing with multiple suppliers and test environments. The trick is to get them to talk to each other. Doing the right things with the right resources and the right people. That is a challenge.
"I work best as a cooperative foreman".
That is why I think test specialist is the right word for my job. I am in the middle of the field and manage people better that way. Managing also means that I help people in their test work. I am testing with my team at Testersuite at the moment. I enjoy doing this. I try to get people on the right train. This is sometimes difficult, but it helps people to gain insight and to understand the importance of testing. I work best as a cooperating foreman.
Increasing awareness of the importance of good testing. There is more emphasis on this now and it is taking shape.
We use Testersuite for that. When I started at Staedion, Testersuite was already available. Because of the simplicity of Testersuite , I quickly mastered the tool. As a result, I can now show that it is not double administration but actually supports the process. It creates transparency so that people see the usefulness of a test management tool.
No, because Testersuite is not complex. With the documentation in Testersuite I was able to master it myself very quickly. It is user-friendly. The steps that my predecessor had already done in Testersuite also helped.
Of course it helps if you have a testing background. Sometimes I think, why does Testersuite choose a certain way of working? But on the other hand, you have to agree beforehand how to register things in Testersuite . And then it becomes fun! And if something doesn't work, we do it differently again. Trial and error, so to speak.
Being transparent. In a housing association, you have numerous suppliers, functional administrators and end users. With Testersuite you get a grip on the situation and you remain transparent. That is the biggest win for me. How many defects are there, what are the defects, are we in control, have we forgotten things, etc... Through my experience I do have a helicopter view, but for others this is also important. That is where Testersuite helps.
As-we-speak, I am working with two suppliers who I have also given access to our Testersuite environment. One supplier has its own tooling so we register twice. The other supplier is fine with only using Testersuite .
We know that Testersuite has an API. For the future, we need to think about which links we are going to make and with which tools and suppliers.
Yes, it is. A chain consists of several software suppliers. We have the overview and the supplier does not know what we need. He does not know our (critical) business processes in detail. So we always do a FAT and a GAT ourselves.
Landing tests is getting better and better. The next step is automated testing. Especially on business critical processes which you want to know do not fall over. But you need to keep this small.
In addition, you are going to test around it. This is done manually. With a well-scripted regression test set, you can additionally apply exploratory tests very nicely.
We are in talks to make this happen.
Start small. Make sure that testing is well understood by everyone. Work out small sets with a maximum of 15 scripts that cover the happy flow. Then it becomes an oil slick that spreads.
It is important that the regression test has a proper place in the development team. In this way the maintenance of the scripts is immediately included. In this way, your test set remains up-to-date.
I am pragmatic and not inclined to work everything out in steps. More of an exploratory-testing kind of person. It would be nice if that became more prominent in Testersuite. It's also because I often test from memory and do a lot based on experience. That also plays a role.
"As specialists, we must ensure that we remain T-shaped"
Difficult question. You hardly know what technology is coming at us. As specialists, we must ensure that we remain T-shaped. You have to keep up with the developments that are coming your way. The testing profession is becoming broader. Test automation will play a more important role, but manual testing will remain.
What you see strongly is that testing is often an end station. That means you always have a certain pressure and have to keep looking tough. Stick to the facts. Stick to what you think needs to be tested to ensure quality.
I experience it that way and work according to that principle. That way you can always explain why something needs to be tested. Stick to your story and explain it without becoming that grumpy colleague. Then they start to see your strength and that makes the testing process beautiful.
No.
Let's talk about test!
Do you have interesting experiences in the testing profession that you would like to share? Let's talk!
Sign up for Here for the latest Testersuite news.
