Test Process Improvement: A step-by-step guide to structured testing [Hardcover]

Tim Koomen (Author), Martin Pol (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201596245 | ISBN-13: 978-0201596243 | Publication Date: June 7, 1999 | Edition: 1

"If competitiveness is an issue in your market, IT will be vital, and this book will help you to deal with the problems it will bring along." Henk W Broeders, Executive Board, CAP Gemini "I was introduced to TPI and suddenly the penny dropped...This was quite a revelation...I recommend that you try the ideas suggested in this book...use the TPI method to improve your test process." Stephen K Allott, Senior Consultant, ImagoQA Ltd "The application of TPI enables us to raise our global testing organization to the next professional level. I am absolutely convinced that everybody using TPI in a similar way will experience the same added value." Dr Hans Voorthuyzen, Global Manager Product Testing Group, Baan Software testing is an essential part of software development but many organizations regard it as an uncontrollable part of the process and find it difficult to take steps to improve it. In Test Process Improvement, Tim Koomen and Martin Pol give practical suggestions for improving the testing process in a gradual and controlled manner, with realistic goals in terms of quality, lead time and costs. The book describes and explains the Test Process Improvement (TPI) model, tried and tested by numerous professional testers, which provides a structured framework to be used either for improving an existing test process or for developing a new process from scratch. The authors use their in-depth knowledge and extensive experience to provide practical guidance and a framework that enables the reader to adapt the model for use in his/her organization. If you are involved in testing software systems and are aiming to implement a successful and structured process, you will find this book an invaluable resource.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Written for the reader with a little background in software engineering and test management, Test Process Improvement is an innovative guide to improving how your organization tests software. It's got plenty to offer any test engineer or manager.

This short yet densely packed text outlines the Test Process Improvement (TPI) model for software testing. While there are other testing models available today (like the Testing Maturity Model, or TMM), the authors suggest that TPI offers more detail than its rivals. TPI measures testing effectiveness in 20 "key areas," in such categories as test strategy, metrics, tools, and communication, plus defect and test process management.

After a short overview of the kinds of testing in use today, the book delves into each of these 20 areas in considerable detail with criteria for up to four levels of effectiveness (labeled "A" through "D"). By working through these categories, an organization can both gauge its current testing process and make it better with the book's "improvement suggestions." You'll appreciate this text most if you have some interest in software engineering. (The authors, who are Dutch, write clearly, but this is by no means light reading.) There are plenty of easy-to-digest tables and lists, which will be most practical for the busy testing professional. Other useful sections include a concise tour of testing tools and the Test Management Approach (TMap), which shows how to integrate test management into the larger process of software design.

In all, Test Process Improvement can give any testing engineer or manager some practical ways to work more effectively. This is a groundbreaking blueprint for improving software testing. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Overview and guide to Test Process Improvement (TPI), types of testing, pitfalls for successful testing, measuring your organization's test maturity, 20 key areas, levels, checkpoints, suggestions for improvement, implementing TPI within your organization, TPI and the project life cycle, test planning and project estimation, metrics, advantages and limits of testing tools, test and office environments for improved testing, communication, reporting, defect management, managing the test process, evaluation, low-level testing, and Test Management Approach (TMap)--a proprietary strategy for structured testing.

From the Back Cover

Software Engineering / Testing Test Process Improvement A practical step-by-step guide to structured testing Tim Koomen Martin Pol ¿If competitiveness is an issue in your market, IT will be vital, and this book will help you to deal with the problems it will bring along.¿ Henk W Broeders, Executive Board, CAP Gemini ¿I was introduced to TPI and suddenly the penny dropped...This was quite a revelation... I recommend that you try the ideas suggested in this book... use the TPI method to improve your test process.¿ Stephen K Allott, Senior Consultant, ImagoQA Ltd ¿The application of TPI enables us to raise our global testing organization to the next professional level. I am absolutely convinced that everybody using TPI in a similar way will experience the same added value.¿ Dr Hans Voorthuyzen, Global Manager Product Testing Group, Baan Software testing is an essential part of software development but many organizations regard it as an uncontrollable part of the process and find it difficult to take steps to improve it. In Test Process Improvement, Tim Koomen and Martin Pol give practical suggestions for improving the testing process in a gradual and controlled manner, with realistic goals in terms of quality, lead time and costs. The book describes and explains the Test Process Improvement (TPI) model, tried and tested by numerous professional testers, which provides a structured framework to be used either for improving an existing test process or for developing a new process from scratch. The authors use their in-depth knowledge and extensive experience to provide practical guidance and a framework that enables the reader to adapt the model for use in his/her organization. If you are involved in testing software systems and are aiming to implement a successful and structured process, you will find this book an invaluable resource. About the authors Tim Koomen is a professional tester for IQUIP Informatica B.V. in the Netherlands, where he is a member of the R&D team covering issues such as automated testing and testfactories. He is currently advising organizations on how to improve their testing processes using the TPI model. He regularly presents at conferences and training sessions throughout Europe. Martin Pol has over 25 years of experience in structured testing, currently working as an R&D manager with responsibility for development and innovation of testing methods for IQUIP Informatica B.V. and GiTek Software N.V. in Belgium. He was involved in the development of the structured testing approach, TMap, and the creation of TPI. He is a highly regarded speaker at conferences and training courses throughout Europe and the USA, having twice chaired EuroSTAR. He recently received the European Testing Excellence Award for his contribution to the field of testing. [barcode box] Visit us on the World Wide Web at: http://www.awl-he.com/computing http://www.awl.com/cseng Back of Jacket

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (June 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201596245
• ISBN-13: 978-0201596243
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Software Design, Testing & Engineering > Testing
  • #70 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Software Engineering > Design Tools & Techniques

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practical way to reach CMM level 3, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Test Process Improvement: A step-by-step guide to structured testing (Hardcover)

If your job is to manage the test process in your company or in a project this book will be very helpful. There are many questions in the book, which helps to find out the level of the test process in your company. You find practical hints what to do to improve your test process. These hints are not of that kind: "Use test method xy or buy test tool ABC". The hints are concrete and helpful descriptions what to do. The TPI model is especially developed for improving the test process. It supports the definition of small, controlled and practical improvement steps, based on priorities. The TPI model is independent of other Software Process Improvement models and can be used regardless of the fact whether an organisation tries to improve the total software process or just the test process. If you try to use the CMM Model to improve your test process you will soon discover that it does not offer much help. It contains too little detailed insight and it is difficult to define a gradual improvement path for the test process. The TPI model offers the necessary details and can be very helpful to reach CMM level 3 regarding testing activities.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For mature, stable test organizations, May 18, 2002

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Test Process Improvement: A step-by-step guide to structured testing (Hardcover)

This book provides a coherent process improvement approach for software testing. It provides a model that supports the assessment of strengths and weaknesses of an existing software testing process and an approach for developing and implementing remedial action to rectify the weaknesses. As such this book is not useful to organizations that have not achieved a mature and stable testing process because the model will not apply. If you are seeking a book that will get your processes stable you will find "Systematic Software Testing" by Rick D. Craig and Stefan P. Jaskiel a better place to start.

However, if your processes are stable this book is among the best because it stays focused on improving the testing process and does so in the same manner that SEI's CMM does for software development. In fact, the TPI approach in this book is cross-referenced to the CMM, which gives you an approach that can be viewed as a testing maturity model that aligns nicely with the CMM (including the newer CMMI). This is one of the strong points of the book and TPI.

Another thing to know about this book is that it's written more like a specification than a narrative. Some readers may find this difficult, but if you are involved in mapping the TPI key process areas to the CMM (or SPICE, Bootstrap or PSM), you'll appreciate the format. Also, the book views TPI as a subset of software process improvement, and software process improvement as a subset of TQM. While the authors focus on the software testing process, they do not isolate it from the bigger picture. This allows you to view then entire quality process as a coherent whole when you're assessing the software testing process and developing improvement strategies.

I personally think this book adds considerably to the software testing body of knowledge, and that the approach the authors give is both practical and sensible. If you work in an organization that has a stable testing process or is at CMM level 2 or above this book is essential reading.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wery useful method to rely on, June 26, 2001

By 

Mattias Nordin (Stockholm, --- Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Test Process Improvement: A step-by-step guide to structured testing (Hardcover)

As a senior test engineer consultant I was asked to do a investigation on how we had worked in the test team in a project, and provide feedback to the QA organization. I was using this method and found it wery helpful! This book, unlike most other books with this subject, goes straight to the problem and and is not focused on the number of pages...