Targeting Quality 2016

Thanks to all of our attendees and speakers who made TQ2016 a huge success!

Check back for updates and news about TQ2017.

Here are the opening and closing keynotes.

 

 

Keith Klain will kick-off Targeting Quality 2016 with Lessons Learned in (Selling) Software Testing

 

In 2013, Keith Klain quit his job as Head of the Global Test Center at Barclays Investment Bank to start a test consulting business based on context-driven testing principles. Keith has spent that time wading through industry dogma, pitching new ideas about testing to clients, hiring—and firing—testers, and trying to turn context-driven testing into a viable commercial approach. Succeeding in such a setting requires a balance of practical approaches that can driving improvements against “sunk cost” bias and decades of bad behavior by some test vendors and internal test departments. Keith’s successes and failures have validated the lessons he learned during his twenty-year software testing career and have taught him some new lessons he wasn’t expecting. Join Keith as he shares what has and hasn’t worked when talking to stakeholders, about what they need vs. what they want, applying context-driven testing principles on projects that haven’t had any principles, and dealing with test case allergies and the “smarty pants syndrome.” Take back new insights in how to get things done without compromising your integrity.

 

Keith Klain is the Executive Director, Head of Software Quality Management for Tekmark Global Solutions, a full service telecoms and technology consultancy provider. For the last 20 years, Keith has built software quality management and testing teams for global financial services and IT consulting firms in the US, UK, and Asia Pacific. Keith designed the Software Testing Education Program with the Bronx based non-profit Per Scholas which has graduated 150+ students from diverse backgrounds into jobs in technology. He was the Executive Vice President of the Association for Software Testing and the recipient of the 2013 Software Test Professionals Luminary award. Twitter:@keithklain  Blog: http://www.qualityremarks.com

 

 

 

Karen N Johnson will close Targeting Quality 2016 with her talk onSolving Problems.  

I didn’t realize early in my career as a software tester, how often I would need to solve problems.  What types of problems you might ask? I’ve had to solve all sorts of problems like technical issues such as building and maintaining testing environments. Or the frequent challenge of testing something that has not been tested before and figuring out how to go about what is needed. As my career progressed and I moved into management positions, I picked up new problems like budget and staffing issues.

Over the past eight years, I’ve worked as an independent consultant in a variety of roles. In recent years, my clients often turn to me to solve elusive problems, such as: What are the real issues in my organization and how do we tackle them? How can we improve quality across the organization?

Problems constantly.

What makes solving problems difficult is that frequently with technical issues, there are no references to look up; we are often solving new problems and in a field known to be “disruptive” we are often solving an issue for the first time encouraging us to be scientific and creative. What makes solving problems fun is our outlook and attitude. Wanting to get good at being a problems solver is a great start.

So how do you get good at solving problems you’ve never solved before? We have to get good at figuring out how to tackle unknowns. In Karen’s keynote address, she explores ideas and methods for solving problems. If you want to learn how to be a problem solver, come join the session.

Karen N. Johnson has worked as a software test consultant for several years. While focused on software testing and predominantly working with the testers throughout an organization, Karen helps teams and organizations improve quality overall. Her professional activities include speaking at conferences both in the US and internationally. Karen is a contributing author to the book, Beautiful Testing by O’Reilly publishers. She is the co-founder of the WREST workshop, the Workshop for Regulated Software Testing. She has published numerous articles; she blogs and tweets about her experiences. Find her on Twitter as @karennjohnson  (note the two n’s) and her website: http://www.karennicolejohnson.com.  

 

Session Speakers

Workshops Presenters