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23. March 2022

Test Analyst Katka: The Quality of the Solution Increases When We Systematically Focus on and Measure It

Our colleagues perform high-quality work that should not remain unnoticed. Let´s take a peak together at the Millennium backstage and meet our colleagues. The first one on our radar was a test analyst Katka, with whom we talked about the importance of software testing and what she likes about her work the most.

Millennium is a part of the Millennium ISTQB partnership programme, an international non-profit organization. The programme has put together companies putting stress on high-quality testing and aiming to synchronize qualifications of their employees with international standards. To join the partnership, we had to obtain a basic level of ISTQB certification, for which we had been preparing for a long time.

The reality shows that mainly managements of large corporations have realized the importance of software retesting. On the contrary, medium-sized and small companies are still often inclined to rather save their money then perform proper testing. Katka, one of our test analysts, focuses primarily on testing solutions for the customers from the banking sector.

From your point of view, why is so important to put stress on testing?

There have been lots of various discussions on the topic during the past years. I would prefer not to talk about whether the testing is important or not, but instead talk about how to improve it. Nowadays, everybody strives for quality. According to Google Trend, the word “best” is much more frequently searched in browsers then the word “cheap”. Testing as a part of a project helps to deliver quality and the best solution possible. If customers omit this supporting tool, they jeopardize their projects. The money spent on modification of the solution that is already in production can reach much higher sums than testing during the implementation process. Not to mention that an untested solution could in some cases cause a reputational risk, breach of law or leakage of sensitive data.

What´s the most fascinating about your work? And what´s the most challenging?

At first, I considered the testing as “a gateway” to IT.  During my first projects, I was lucky to cooperate with really smart and experienced testers. I realized that quality of a solution increases when we focus on it and systematically measure it. I like that sometimes I ask a simple additional question regarding a specification and it leads to early detection of potential shortcomings by our team. That´s because a tester often looks at things differently than an analyst. Detection of even a trivial mistake and its correction can save the customer not only money and time but often a lot of nerves 😊 Sometimes, it´s difficult for me to report the shortcomings in a way that will not look as criticism towards my colleagues´ work. Even a machine would not do the work without any mistakes. Since we are only humans who can be wrong, it is only natural that shortcomings will arise during the development of the solution. However, I consider myself very lucky, since my colleagues are open-minded and we can discuss and solve everything very quickly.

What has the work in Millennium taught you about testing?

It has taught me that the testing cannot be done as an isolated activity. As I have already mentioned, communication with the team is a crucial tool for a properly tested solution. I often cooperate with our other tester, Lucka, our analysts, programmers but also directly with customers. If, for instance, after correcting a mistake the programmer explains to me how he proceeded, it´s much easier for me to design a re-test scenario.

Let´s describe us an ordinary day of a test analyst.

My day starts with a coffee either at home or in our office kitchen with my colleagues. 😊 On our regular morning stand-up meeting, we brief each other on what we worked on the previous day, what we are planning to do today and whether we have any obstacles slowing our work down. If something comes up, we try to find a solution immediately. Then, we start the testing scheduled according to set priorities. That´s the time when my Teams status is set to “Do not disturb” so I can fully focus on my work. In the afternoon, I prepare testing scenarios for functionalities the implementation of which is ahead of us. I often join workshops with customers so I can better understand their requirements.

What attributes should a good tester have? 

It depends on the type of a tester. There are different attributes required for a test analyst, manual tester or a tester who deals with automation. However, every one of them should be detail-oriented, have logical thinking and so called „outside the box“ point of view. They often need to be patient when searching for mistakes and have a systematic approach to their work. A tester cannot do without communication skills necessary for communication both within the team or directly with a customer. By asking the right questions, the tester can solve the problems fast. It´s also very important to look at the solution through the eyes of the customer, because a good tester is not only the one who finds more mistakes. A good tester is the one whose work, at the end of the day, helps to make the customer satisfied with the project.

Thank you very much for revealing to us the work of a test analyst and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

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