QWE2002 Paper VT5 Dr. Martin J. Wieczorek (SQS Group) Setting up a Test Competence Centre

Presentation Abstract

We all know the situation: new software systems are planned and the basic conditions concerning costs and time are predefined. As a project leader you can’t say no, so close your eyes and do the job. After some period project management determines time and budgets are exceeded. Reasons for this could be:
- different components cannot be integrated, because one did not adhere to interface specifications,
- unexpectedly many errors in the system test occur, because the developers test could not be executed,
- unexpected performance problems during rollout occur, as stress and performance test were not feasible due to the complexity of the total system.

The basic idea to solve such quality assurance problems is to introduce an independent Test Competence Centre which will provide the certification of the software to be released. By using experiences, solutions, and tools from other projects effectiveness and efficiency will be increased. At the end, the project using TCC is able to deliver its product on time, in budget, and with high quality.

In this talk, goals, functions, processes, organisation, tools, and basic conditions for setting up a Test Competence Centre will be presented according to experiences from different projects and customers.

About the Author

Martin Wieczorek joined the SQS AG in 1995. As Senior Executive he is responsible for the business areas IT Services, Telecommunication, (e-)Commerce, Logistics, Public, Airports, Postal Services, Transportation, and Energy. He has many years of experiences in project management. His current interests are Test Competence Centres, Software Engineering, Specification, Risk Management, and Test Management.