What's in the Winter 2015 Issue of Better Software Magazine?Many of us spend more time (and money) beefing up our technical skills when we could use guidance on developing soft skills. The Winter 2015 issue of Better Software should have just what you need to overcome organizational roadblocks in your quest for agile nirvana. Read on to see what's in it.
Leveraging Learning Techniques for Distributed Agile TeamsCultural differences, geographical location, socio-economic level, and native language have a significant impact on learning styles. Understanding your global team and their preferred learning styles can play a big role in success. Explore these four different styles to get the most from your team.
Transitioning from a Traditional Tester to an Agile TesterShifting from being a tester in a traditional lifecycle model to in an agile methodology is not easy. There is a spectrum of differences, ranging from redefining the testing role and responsibilities completely to making only minor changes in context and accountability. Read on for some key changes.
Agile Testing: A Lesson in DiversityThough many QA organizations today use agile development methods, depending on the industry, they can experience very different challenges and successes. By exploring the diversity in the testing world, you can learn other industries’ strengths and think about how they could apply to your field.
Exploring the Roots of Agile, Career Superpowers, and Agile’s FutureThe Agile Development/Better Software East Conference in November included sessions on implementing agile, leading projects and teams, and going mobile. Here, we detail presentations from Rob Myers, James Whittaker, and Jeff "Cheezy" Morgan about agile's origins and future, plus career superpowers.
Is Project Size Shrinking? A Long-Term Trends Report According to data examining projects completed between 1980 and 2010, project size has decreased drastically, particularly in the decade beginning in 2000. Several factors may have contributed to the diminishing SLOCs per project, or, maybe our definition of project has changed over time.
Maintaining Tester Independence in an Agile WorldAs organizations adopt agile methodologies, one of the key challenges is reinventing traditional roles. The entire agile team is now accountable for quality—carrying the quality flag is not the sole responsibility of the tester. But we also want to ensure that we maintain tester role independence.
Using Big Room Planning to Help Plan a Project with Many TeamsPlanning is essential to agile, but for larger projects, it can become problematic. When you have multiple teams working on a project, the big room planning technique comes in handy. All planning takes place in a single, large room, so everybody can discuss their teams' needs and identify conflicts.
