No Big Deal…
A company is looking for a new groupware solution. The existing system has become outdated and should be replaced by a modern, cloud-based solution. No big deal, management says. Standard solutions are available on the market. However, there is quite a lot to do. The new solution must work on different devices. Data must be migrated and cleaned up in the process. Access rights must be managed and security ensured. And finally, agents should continue to support the work in the future.
Little Enthusiasm in the Team
But the transition becomes a challenge. The users react negatively. The development team complains that requirements are constantly changing. And the test team is caught in the middle. The developers complain about slow and inaccurate feedback, while the business department feels ignored.
The Checklist Gets Set Aside
The CIO decides to hire an external test consultant with change management experience – from OBJENTIS. The promise of a “holistic approach” convinced him. Our colleague arrives well prepared with checklists and evaluation criteria for such cases. But after a few days, she puts them aside and realizes: “This is not primarily a technical problem. It’s about acceptance. It’s about different expectations.” Sticking to rigid rules leads to resistance and rejection of the new solution, as she knows from experience.
Observe First, Then Talk
This is where one of the most important skills of a software test consultant comes into play. The ability to observe and communicate. Large group discussions are only one part of that. Personal conversations are crucial. Together with the project management, she selects key users and shadows them at work (“twinning,” as we call it). From these insights, she derives use cases and, ultimately, test cases. These are discussed and prioritized with the development team. Most importantly, the key users are continuously informed about the results. Transparency is the key to success.
Quick Wins as Motivation
Communication remains vague if it is not supported by facts and quick results. A set of test cases for smoke tests is created and automated. The automation tool developed by OBJENTIS allows fast and straightforward setup. Thanks to AI-based image recognition, the automation “forgives” changes in the user interface. This is very important. The screen design has little impact on functionality, but matters a lot to users. They want to have a say and feel taken seriously.
Our consultant cannot avoid every conflict or eliminate all transition issues. But she helps bring the project into calmer waters. She knows: sometimes, a short coffee break together is time well spent.
What We Can Learn from Inspector Columbo
Quality assurance sometimes resembles a detective story. Careful observation. Asking the right questions. And drawing the correct conclusions based on experience. In the cult series Columbo, the inspector explains his recipe for success: “For the culprit, it’s the first time. I have the experience of many cases.” That’s exactly what we do as well.
Write to us:
What do you think is the most important aspect of testing in a project like this?
We welcome both agreement and disagreement.
