The charge of the quality advocates at Menlo is to evaluate if the software we create is truly "fit for purpose." We don't just want to create software that meets the original specifications, we want to assess along the way if the design and implementation are satisfying the needs of users while also supporting the business goals of the client.
A key activity of the quality advocate team is to engage in exploratory testing beyond what any automated test suite could accomplish. This may take the form of build testing or simply reviewing the product for bugs with an eye to identify usability issues. Quality advocates play a critical role in green dotting and reviewing whether the individual features coded by developers are "done."
Although everyone on the team should keep the big picture of the project in view this is our quality advocate's primary responsibility. This involves staying plugged in to kick off meetings, estimation discussions, sponsor show and tells, planning meetings, and impromptu problem solving conversations. Quality advocates focus on knowing what types of questions to ask when problem solving, when to ask, and whom they should ask.
This again is a valuable contribution to any project. Quality advocates support the team by asking questions and challenging others to consider the consequences of varying design paths. They help clients measure risk as it applies to the quality of the product, and measure how closely the product meets the quality goals as set forth by stakeholders.
Recommended Reading
- Lessons Learned in Software Testing
by Cem Kaner, James Bach and Bret Pettichord
- Testing Computer Software, 2nd Edition
by Cem Kaner
- Four Days with Dr. Deming: A Strategy for Modern Methods of Management
by William J. Latzko and David M. Saunders
- Fit for Developing Software: Framework for Integrated Tests
by Rick Mugridge and Ward Cunningham
- Testing Extreme Programming
by Lisa Crispin and Tip House
