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EQUATE
Enterprise Quality Assurance Test Engineering (EQuATE) is a formal testing methodology that EEI is currently utilizing to better serve our clientele’s quality objectives.
The mission of EQuATE is to:
a. Provide efficient and effective Q. A. and Testing solutions.
b. Educate the Quality Assurance and Testing community about new technologies, methods, practices and processes.
c. Continuously improve practices, processes and methods and to raise the Quality Assurance and Testing maturity level.
d. Plan, manage, and execute Quality Assurance and Testing activities.
e. Provide Q. A. and Testing management consulting services.
EQuATE is a full project lifecycle Q. A. and Testing service that:
a. Establishes Q. A. and Testing policies, practices, standards, procedures and guidelines.
b. Coordinates and Manages all software Quality Assurance and Testing efforts for software development initiatives.
c. Provides Quality Assurance and Testing consulting services to all organizations.
d. Assesses Quality Assurance and Testing practices and identifies:
• Best Practices internal to the organization
• Practices in the industry
• Emerging practices in the Quality Assurance and Testing field
e. Provides training and continuing education in Quality Assurance and Testing methodologies, technology, and tools.
f. Initiates Quality Assurance and Testing process improvements.
g. Establishes Testing organizations for individual projects.
h. Establishes Testing labs.
i. Plans, manages, and executes all appropriate Q. A. and Testing activities.
j. Reports testing status to senior management and identifies, tracks and escalates all appropriate issues.
EQuATE implements a centralized coordination and management function. “Quality cells” will be deployed permanently or long-term to specific projects. These quality cells could be supplemented during critical phases if required. This model provides:
a. Business Partnership. EQuATE staff will be assigned by project group and acquire a good working knowledge of the systems and business functionality.
b. Staff Quality. EQuATE offers a career path. These opportunities will attract a more skilled candidate. Candidate skills and requirements will be consistently controlled and monitored. Staff training needs will be effectively addressed.
c. Tester’s Toolbox. EQuATE is constantly evaluating all available test tools to determine best of breed. EQuATE’s tester’s toolbox is continually being updated to incorporate tools that have been identified as best of breed. EQuATE staff must receive appropriate training and demonstrate the ability to utilize any tool before it is incorporated into the tester’s toolbox. EQuATE will use tools that are not part of the tester’s toolbox or use no tools at the request of the client.
d. Training. The training needs of EQuATE and client staff will be evaluated and appropriate training programs arranged. Staff will be trained in Q. A. and Testing principles and techniques. New methods and processes could easily be introduced to the staff. Training in all appropriate tools will be provided. EQuATE, through knowledge transfer and formal training, will raise the Q. A. and Testing maturity level of the client’s organization.
e. Consistent Application of Standards and Compliance Monitoring. EQuATE staff will receive similar training and have a common understanding of EQuATE Quality Management Process and Audit requirements. EQuATE can also establish all appropriate Q.A. and Testing standards based on best practice and best of breed analysis.
f. Central Status Reporting and Dependency Monitoring. EQuATE staff will identify and monitor dependencies between projects and provide status reporting in a common format across projects. EQuATE will also provide level appropriate risk analysis information to all levels of management.
g. Separation of Duties and Direct Reports. EQuATE will have no development responsibilities. EQuATE will monitor and control all Q. A. and testing activities, and code migration to ensure proper controls and separation of duties.
h. Consistent Metric Analysis. EQuATE will maintain a metrics database and provide consulting services in project sizing and work efforts based upon prior efforts. The measures collected can be used to identify candidates for process improvement initiatives, determining success, and compliance with organization goals and objectives.
i. Opportunity for Process Improvement. EQuATE will analyse processes and make recommendations for improvements. The organization will use the Software Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) or similar discipline to asses the current process and as a guide to improving the processes. Industry Q. A. and Testing benchmarks, standards, and case studies will be used as guidelines for best of breed analysis.
j. Resource Allocation. EQuATE resources will be allocated to projects as required and as they become available. This management of resources will limit unproductive time and reduce ramp-up time and costs. Training in the common testing model and consistent use of the common test tools build a core competency in testing. Experienced and trained resources can be assigned to any testing effort as needed.
k. Coordinated Test Schedule. All testing activities for all projects will be tracked on a master test schedule. This master schedule will facilitate resource allocation, and highlight conflicts and dependencies that can affect scheduling.
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