Huh? I know you well enough to hope that you are talking only about the QA group in your current company, not painting all QA people with a broad brush...
Now they want a unit test form for everything. Including dopey little copy changes where all they have to do is look at the screenshots in the spec (which they have) and verify that the site matches. The notification we're already sending, telling them what files changed, for what spec or SCR is insufficient. Of course, since I've finished the only project I have for this release, and they refuse to let us put anything else in -- they won't take anything else from my queue until September, I've got nothing to do. Which makes me very, very nervous.
Let me illustrate -- imagine how dev would feel had M.G. had your job at our previous employer. It's not quite that bad; the guy in charge is at least fluent in English. FSVO fluent not involving writing coherently, though.
Not sure I'm getting all of the acronyms (FSVO?), but I get your meaning. That is a QA group that does not have a mission that fits in with the rest of the organization. Obviously there is insufficient detail in your post to get a truly accurate picture, but it sounds like they feel they have their hands full with too much to do, so they're putting on the brakes. What they probably really need to do is a risk analysis to make sure they are testing efficiently and effectively. (This is assuming your QA organization is primarily a Testing organization as oppposed to a Process Improvement organization with a separate IV&V organization.)
FSVO == For Some (or Small) Value(s) Of (I generally mean "Some Value", but I've seen the other expansion given, and either usually makes sense. Related acronym: FCVO, For Certain Values Of.
This is a term used by companies that have big "M" methodology, like those that are level 3 CMM or better. In those companies, QA (usually renamed to SQA) is the group tasked with making sure the processes used to develop the product (from idea through to delivery, and across all teams) have a high level of quality and are being followed. Software Testing activities fall into the domain of IV&V.
Think of it in terms of automobile manufacturing. The SQA group is equivalent to their QA groups, which monitor the processes used to build cars. Their Testing groups are usually called Quality Control, and they check the end product for defects.
If ever you work for one of the large governmental contractors, you'll get puzzled looks if you say your code hasn't been QAed yet.
(Besides, QA isn't a verb. The proper verb is "test". :-)
BTDT, hated it. When I first moved here, I worked for GDE SystemsMarconi Integrated Systems BAE Systems. IIRC, they were one of the first companies to achieve CMM 3 -- I've got the mug at home holding pens. They were working on 4 while I was there, and starting a Six Sigma program, too. Never, ever, ever want to work in that kind of environment again.
I don't want to work somewhere people are tweaking live code and there's no control at all, and I think it's great for someone with a better eye for detail and more patience to check out my work before it goes live, but processes and testing should help, not hinder.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 11:30 am (UTC)JOhn.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 12:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 12:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 12:53 pm (UTC)In other words, sounds like it sucks.
:-)
JOhn.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 01:28 pm (UTC)IV&V?
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 03:56 pm (UTC)This is a term used by companies that have big "M" methodology, like those that are level 3 CMM or better. In those companies, QA (usually renamed to SQA) is the group tasked with making sure the processes used to develop the product (from idea through to delivery, and across all teams) have a high level of quality and are being followed. Software Testing activities fall into the domain of IV&V.
Think of it in terms of automobile manufacturing. The SQA group is equivalent to their QA groups, which monitor the processes used to build cars. Their Testing groups are usually called Quality Control, and they check the end product for defects.
If ever you work for one of the large governmental contractors, you'll get puzzled looks if you say your code hasn't been QAed yet.
(Besides, QA isn't a verb. The proper verb is "test". :-)
JOhn.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-25 04:02 pm (UTC)GDE SystemsMarconi Integrated SystemsBAE Systems. IIRC, they were one of the first companies to achieve CMM 3 -- I've got the mug at home holding pens. They were working on 4 while I was there, and starting a Six Sigma program, too. Never, ever, ever want to work in that kind of environment again.I don't want to work somewhere people are tweaking live code and there's no control at all, and I think it's great for someone with a better eye for detail and more patience to check out my work before it goes live, but processes and testing should help, not hinder.