Shay Ganon - Manager, QA System Test Group Jul …legacy17.sela.co.il/s/sigist12/_AllPresentations/18July/...testing framework Thorough and deep white-box level testing of product
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
The Million $ Question: How to retain value with global low-cost test options competing for your budget?
Shay Ganon - Manager, QA System Test Group
Jul 18th, 2012
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Session takeaways
• Selecting focus areas that will keep your test group highly relevant
• When globalization could be effective
• Tips for collaborating with global groups
© 2012 IBM Corporation 2
© 2009 IBM Corporation © 2012 IBM Corporation
© 2009 IBM Corporation
What is IBM XIV Storage?
IBM XIV is a high-end storage system, with a design that provides:
Consistent high performance
High reliability
Exceptional ease of use
What is Storage? • Storage is a key IT infrastructure layer, retaining and
protecting the data created by an organization’s systems
• Today’s complex IT environments require storage to
be: easy to use, highly reliable, high performing,
and easy to scale
© 2012 IBM Corporation 4
© 2009 IBM Corporation
XIV Overview
Founded in 2002 by 5 Talpiot graduates and
Moshe Yanai, “Father of Modern Storage”
Acquired by IBM In December 2007; today,
fully integrated within the IBM Storage
portfolio
+6000 systems deployed worldwide
R&D Headquarters at Azrieli Center, Tel Aviv
Manufacturing in Israel, California & Mexico
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
“IBM XIV Storage System is allowing us to meet our recovery time objectives while reducing our storage total cost of ownership” Greg Johnson, Director & CTO, IT Technology & Engineering Services, VCU Health Systems
“We are exceeding our SLAs and driving cost down". Maher Atwah, Ph.D. Vice President and CTO Health Data Management Solutions (HDMS) a Aetna Subsidiary
Among our customers…
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© 2009 IBM Corporation 7 © 2012 IBM Corporation
Our testing organization: An overview
• Distributed over several countries: USA, China and Israel
• Majority of developers in Israel but ~70% of the test work force is outside Israel
• Tests coverage consists of: Software & Hardware combined
• Testing is mission critical due to high impact of field defects:
– Risk of data loss
– Risk of data integrity
– Inability to access data (e.g. credit card transactions blocked)
© 2009 IBM Corporation 8 © 2012 IBM Corporation
Shanghai, China
- Feature level testing
- Service packs release
Tel Aviv, Israel
- Feature level testing
- Integration testing
- Service packs release
Poughkeepsie, NY USA
- E2E scenarios
- Customer environments
Tucson, Arizona USA
- System level testing
- Performance testing
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Why do top global companies founding R&D centers in Israel?
Because Israeli centers bring VALUE.
Passion
What are the core advantages of the Israeli engineers?
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
But we have competition…!
The overall cost of an
engineer in China is roughly
a third than in Israel
The technical skills and core competencies of a Chinese engineer are top rated
The number of Computer Science graduates per year is significantly higher than Israel and USA
Example: China’s rising advantages
© 2012 IBM Corporation 10
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Bottom line:
The traditional strategic assets of the Israeli high
tech industry and education system are delivering
less competitive advantage than before!
© 2012 IBM Corporation 11
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Advancing Authentication
1) Leverage your natural “Israeli Assets”
2) Pursue a greater impact on the core business
3) Capitalize on your proximity to R&D and business groups
How can the Testing Discipline deliver unique
value to maintain competitive advantage?
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
1) Leverage your “natural Israeli” assets ;-)
Agile mentality: – Versatile & flexible state of mind
– Creative, “out of the box” approach, capable to improvise
– Proactive initiatives
– Fast context switching
"System-wide” perception matched with the ability to
“dive deep” under the surface
Technical depth and analytical orientation
Willing to dare and embrace challenge
Nurture your flexibility + take reasonable risks
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
2) Pursue greater impact on the core business
Increase the value proposition of your group by: –Extend your coverage scope to important non functional areas (e.g.
security, privacy)
–Contribute to the product design during early planning stages
–Emphasize user’s point of view
–Exercise “dynamic engineering” - abstract thinking and problem-
solving
Optimize your testing methodology: –Design test plans for high risk features and focus more on exploratory
– Implement more automation
–Focus on impacting on the product itself rather than testing
procedures and “artifacts”
Hire test engineers capable of: –Acting as feature owners
–Writing code
Focus on testing that matters © 2012 IBM Corporation 14
© 2009 IBM Corporation
3) Leverage your proximity to R&D
Coupling R&D and Testing is a key factor in establishing
unique added value, enabling you to: – Offer in-depth knowledge about the low level architecture and
act as technical experts (SME)
– Provide feedback regarding testability requirements
– Support R&D efforts with short-term test cycles (e.g. integration,
exploratory)
– Respond rapidly to needs as they surface (e.g. urgent service
packages)
– Be immediately available for ad-hoc meetings, early-level
discussions such as on product requirements, etc
Leverage information from business development and
product groups
Deepen your knowledge + drive more services
© 2012 IBM Corporation 15
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Leveraged
advantage
Description Added value
Technical depth Developed innovative in-house tool.
Our automation group designed and
implemented a state-of-the-art automated
testing framework
Thorough and deep white-box level
testing of product functions
(following system logic and states)
Proximity to
R&D
Training of testing teams worldwide.
Our local team has taken on an added role
of subject matter experts, taking
responsibility for transferring technical
knowledge to worldwide testing teams
Effective and efficient knowledge
transfer by adequate "translators,"
who understand the language of the
developers as well as ww testers
Proximity to
R&D
Direct support to R&D.
Our team provides R&D with fast feedback
regarding specific investigations
Improved development speed and
quality
Flexible mindset Fast turnaround and ability to adapt to
changing situations.
Our team easily switches between tasks
and handles change well.
Rapid delivery of urgent service
packs, with minimal impact on
scheduled milestones
Technical depth
Set up an E2E lab in Tel Aviv.
Our team has the knowledge to support
testing of customers’ real life environments.
Deliver valuable testing coverage
due to early execution of customer
scenarios in live environments
What we are doing at XIV: a use case
The group is the hub for technical discussions © 2012 IBM Corporation 16
© 2009 IBM Corporation
When is globalization right?
Globalization is inevitable and beneficial!
Your organization may require globalization based on policy. If within
your control, consider globalization for: – Long-term, standalone tasks
– Manual tasks
– Regression of stable components
– Low risk tasks
How to maintain motivation & commitment of the remote team? – Provide them with adequate independence and direct exposure to R&D
– Create a balance between progression and regression tasks
– Plan together (“buy-in”) and maintain ongoing communication
– Provide them with increasingly challenging and complex tasks
“Globalization” - doing the work at the right place with the right skills at the right costs
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(Based on my personal observation)
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Globalization – the hidden costs…
The accumulated TCO of globalization is higher than just
comparing raw salary costs!
Some of the hidden costs: –Remote training / support
–Remote management
–Knowledge transfer
–Labs construction and maintenance
–Traveling overhead (flights / time)
–Slower progress / response
–Regulations
The real cost is more than meets the eye…
© 2012 IBM Corporation 18
(Based on my personal observation)
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Challenges collaborating with global teams
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
Challenges working with remote sites:
Effective communication barriers: –Language (even if the “functional language” is clear)
–Time difference / distance
– Identifying the communication channels
Diverse planning & management approaches: –How to prioritize tasks and manage risks?
–How to change an existing plan?
–How to estimate work duration?
Mentality / culture gaps: –How the balance the rhythm of business?
–What are the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders?
–How to communicate “bad news” or feedback?
–How to keep the motivation high?
How to overcome technical knowledge gaps?
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
Common sense for working with overseas teams Differences I have observed and how to address them
Challenge How to address it?
Communication •Soften you communication and pay attention to proper words selection
•Align the terminology (e.g. severity level definition?)
•Manage disagreements tactfully
•Let the other side repeat and summarize what was understood and what are
the action items
•Publish written meeting minutes or mutual decisions
•There is no substitute for personal acquaintanceship (although the cost…)
Planning •Invest in explaining the overall context and motivation (don’t just explain the
raw task)
•Learn the local management style, share yours, and mutually find the
balance (e.g. how to manage buffets)
•Plan together and get early commitment
Knowledge •On ram-up stages of the remote team, review their deliverables before they
are publicly shared
•Invest in helping the remote team to build a good professional reputation
•Knowledge sharing should be part of your formal workplan
•Encourage local initiatives
Sometimes the value is in the difference…
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
Summary
Some tasks will be outsourced - we need to determine which are
best to keep here
Overseas teams are talented, yet your proximity to R&D and
flexibility enable you to offer unique added value
Stay agile, stay creative, leverage your strengths and do not fight to
retain ownership of the rest
Drive Testing (QC) as an integrated part of engineering.
Use the Globalization reality to scale the scope of what the
local Testing team brings to the organization.
© 2012 IBM Corporation 22
© 2009 IBM Corporation
Related resources:
Information about XIV: http://www.ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/xiv
IAIA: http://www.iaiaconsulting.com
“All That Testing is Getting in the Way of Quality” - James Whittaker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOrPuMCdVXA
Please feel free to drop a note to me… Shayg@il.ibm.com
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© 2009 IBM Corporation
Thank You!
© 2012 IBM Corporation 25
© 2009 IBM Corporation
It’s all about perception…
How Israelis preserve
themselves
Direct outspoken & informal
Assertive Rude & impolite
Flexible about plans and casual
about rules
Creative, capable to improvise
Proactive, taking initiative
High self confident
Wary, alert realistic
Assertive Constantly arguing and lack of tact
Informal and direct
Flexible planning approach
Rude and impolite
Spontaneous Not respecting other people time
Not respecting rules
How Israelis perceive themselves?
How others may preserve us?
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