Smarter Testing, Fewer Overruns: The TRIZ Advantage

Gek Yeo

Andrew Brown

13.15- 15:00 CEST, Tuesday 16th June

Did your last software project overrun? The chances are it did, as most projects either overrun their release date, or deliver less functionality than promised.

Overrunning projects are unpleasant places to be, and wasteful for organisations. We should hence aim to minimise overruns, reduce their likelihood, and mitigate any adverse effects.

However, this is easier said than done. Overruns are usually the interaction of contradictory forces, such as a need to deliver as much functionality as possible whilst minimising resources used. How can we resolve such contradictions and hence achieve the best possible outcome?

In this session, Gek and Andrew borrow a technique from TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem solving, developed to explore and resolve contradictory statements.

They begin by introducing three important elements of TRIZ:

1. Most problems have been solved before.
2. Many problems have consistent patterns of solutions.
3. Exploring contradictions often leads to breakthroughs.

Next, attendees get hands-on, working through an example contradiction, previously used to improve user experiences of overrunning in diverse situations such as amusement park queues, exploratory surgery, and passenger flight management.

We then spend the bulk of the session working through an exercise to develop and refine an appropriate statement that encapsulates the contradictory forces present that cause projects to overrun.

We then use our freshly composed contradictory statement to generate candidate breakthrough solutions that would allow a project team to minimise overrun, reduce its likelihood, or mitigate its adverse effects.

What you will learn

Project overruns are usually the result of contradictory forces in conflict
Learn to use the technique of creation and exploration of contradictory statements, to resolve previously unsolvable problems seen by testers
Learn the fundamental concepts of TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem solving to apply on testing

Session Details

Introductory
90mins - 2 x 45min
Includes 15 min break
Efficiencies and new capabilities

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Session Speakers

Gek Yeo

AICPA-CIMA, UK

Gek Yeo is a technology leader with 15 years’ experience in QA, DevOps and AI-driven automation. As Head of QA, DevOps at AICPA-CIMA, she built self-sufficient teams, introduced AI-enabled testing, and delivered significant cost savings ahead of schedule.

Previously at SAP, she led automation initiatives and agile coaching across three continents. A STEM advocate, international podcaster, Gek speaks worldwide on “testing at its best”- combining AI, DevOps, and culture to deliver high-quality outcomes while empowering diverse teams. She was the Problem Solver of the Year and Woman of the Year (Finance) finalists at the Women in Tech Excellence Awards 2025.

Session Co-Speaker

Andrew Brown

Independent, UK

Dr Andrew Brown is a leading authority on why human mistakes lead to software defects and an acknowledged expert on systems thinking in software development. His recent book on technical debt is Taming Your Dragon.

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