Thomas Karl is Head of Quality Transformation Services and Thought Leadership Portfolio Lead of Software Engineering for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He is an Organizational Change Manager, LSS Master Black Belt, SAFe® SPC5, IC-Agile Enterprise Agile and Transformation Coach, ISTQB Full Advanced Level certified, Kanban Trainer and Systemic Coach. His work focuses on quality management and the development of lean-agile organizations from team to strategy and portfolio level. He can look back on more than ten years of experience in lean-agile transformations and process improvements of complex international large-scale projects. He is an author and speaker at international conferences and advises board members and managers on digital transformation using agile methods.
What challenges will software testing have to face in the future?
I find it very difficult to give a general answer to this question, as the situation depends very much on the context and company in question. In general, I think that software has become an integral part of our lives. Quality has become the central requirement. However, this importance of software quality is not yet reflected in the prioritization in companies and also in the minds of many, which must change in the future. In my view, the quality mindset must become more widespread and more important.
In general, I think that software testing is still partly looking for its place in the agile world and that the focus for software quality assurance will have to include the topic of process quality as standard in the future.
Although testing faces many new challenges, it also offers new opportunities for the business side in the modern version as quality engineering.
Further information on the different levels of testing can be found in the HoaQ Blog.
What ideas or solutions could address these challenges?
Together with Nico Liedl and the expertise of many other colleagues, I wrote the book “The House of agile Quality”. Based on our many years of practical experience, we have described a structured approach to how software quality assurance can be successfully designed in an agile environment and what needs to be considered during an agile transformation. The tried-and-tested, pragmatic HoaQ framework has already helped many companies to master the challenges of large solution development projects. HoaQ fills the gap between agile frameworks and test frameworks on the one hand and bridges the strategic and tactical level of lean quality management on the other.
The concept is made up of five areas:
The basis is the test foundation. Without the working methods contained therein and the necessary methodological approaches, the desired results in quality assurance cannot be achieved.
Three pillars build on this:
- Roles: Answers the questions regarding roles required in the future, the technical knowledge and understanding of employees, and the establishment and further development of organizational structures.
- Approach: Addresses the selection of the agile scaling framework and testing approach, i.e. which content needs to be tested within an iteration (in-sprint) and which parts of the software need to be tested downstream (cross-sprint). In addition, the area of change management is considered to ensure that the changes are implemented sustainably.
- Tools and supporting measures: Includes the technical and procedural issues of tool selection. At the same time, the factors to be considered when defining test environments, test data management and setting up an end-to-end tool pipeline are examined.
The roof Lean Agile Quality Engineering Methods completes the house and includes more complex methods and techniques.
The five components are broken down into further sub-areas in order to make the transformation manageable and thus iteratively develop a lean QM strategy.
What does future testing look like? How will we test?
Predictive is the key term here, which I believe will change the industry. From the original reactive testing approach to the current proactive approach, the trend is clearly moving towards predictive quality engineering. In other words, the mix of big data analytics, AI systems, robotic process automation approaches and the ability to generate test environments on demand via cloud solutions will take software quality assurance to a whole new level. AI-based optimization of test coverage, self-healing test automation etc. is already being used successfully and I am convinced that this is just the beginning. However, in my view, the consistent use of these technologies is also essential, as high-quality software is one of the key cornerstones of digitalization. Software has become a part of our lives and will become even more important in the future. Whether it’s a smartphone, fitness bracelet, navigation system, car, ticket machine, supermarket checkout, computer at work or other everyday things. All of this will only work as intended if the associated software works flawlessly. Errors are no longer simply forgiven and quality has become the central requirement for software.
Further information on the relevance of quality engineering can be found in the
How can testers and test managers prepare for this today?
In my opinion, continuous learning and training is the key to success. I see three very important strands here:
- knowledge of the different software development models and agile scaling models (Scrum, SAFe(R), etc.).
- knowledge of technologies. This is important both to understand the applications to be tested and to understand the test automation solutions and be able to use them in a targeted manner.
- process knowledge and technical understanding of business processes are becoming increasingly important in times of digital networking and E2E digitalization. In my view, continuous “thinking outside the box” is also an important success factor for quality engineers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn’t software testing often have a firm place in agile organizations yet?
Because the importance of software quality isn’t reflected in the priorities of many companies. Software has become an integral part of everyday life, making quality a central requirement, but the quality mindset must first gain wider acceptance and significance. In addition: Quality assurance must not be limited to the product but must, by default, also take process quality into account.
What changes when testing becomes quality engineering?
The focus broadens from finding bugs in the product to the quality of the processes, thereby opening up new possibilities for the business side as well. Errors are no longer tolerated, whether in a smartphone, a ticket machine, or a supermarket checkout. High-quality software is therefore considered a crucial cornerstone of digitalization, not a downstream testing task.
What gap are frameworks for agile quality assurance meant to bridge?
They sit between two worlds: agile scaling frameworks on one side and pure testing frameworks on the other. The HoaQ framework described in 2022 filled precisely this gap and additionally linked the strategic and tactical levels of Lean Quality Management. This primarily addressed the challenges of large-scale development projects (Large Solution).
How is a structured approach to quality assurance in an agile environment organized?
The HoaQ concept uses the image of a house with five areas. The base is the testing foundation, comprising working practices and methodological approaches. Resting on this are three pillars: roles and organizational structures; an approach incorporating a scaling framework, testing procedures, and change management; and tools and supporting measures. The roof is formed by more complex Lean Agile Quality Engineering methods.
Does a quality strategy in a large program have to be implemented all at once?
No. The five components of the house are broken down into further sub-areas so that the transformation remains manageable. The Lean QM strategy thus evolves iteratively, step by step, rather than as a one-time overhaul. The “Approach” pillar explicitly includes change management to ensure that the changes are sustainably embedded and do not revert after a short time.
What is meant by Predictive Quality Engineering?
It describes the third stage following the reactive and proactive test approaches: quality is predicted rather than merely tested. This is supported by a combination of big data analytics, AI systems, robotic process automation, and test environments that are created on demand from the cloud. AI-based optimization of test coverage and self-healing test automation were already in use by 2022.
What knowledge do testers and test managers need to keep up with this development?
Three areas are key: knowledge of software development and agile scaling models such as Scrum or SAFe; technical knowledge to understand both the applications being tested and the automation solutions; and process knowledge, including a technical understanding of business processes. The latter is becoming increasingly important with end-to-end digitalization. Continuous learning and thinking outside the box are key.
