Track Talk Th16

Remote Ensemble Testing – From Experiment to Common Practice

Andrea Jensen

16:30-17:15 CEST Thursday 9th June

A story of a diverse ensemble test team while working from home.

What started in 2020 as an experiment evolved to common practice.

I am a believer in collaboration, in the power of professional diversity, and in the whole team approach. However, the fact that I believe in those values does not necessarily mean others believe them too. But I was driven to challenge the Status Quo and do my very best to be part of a change.

So, the question is “How do I share my message successfully with the team?” After experiments, failures, and frustration I found my answer. It’s ensemble testing in a cross-functional team. Instead of talking about my desires to collaborate, we collaborated. Instead of talking about diversity, we shared our ideas. Instead of pushing for quality ownership, we started testing together. A team that never tested together before started to apply remote ensemble testing.

I want to share the story of our cross-functional ensemble testing team, that is working remotely. I will explain how it all started, how we shaped our set up, and how we apply it in real life. I will talk about how this approach of collaboration affected the software we are creating, and us. I do not just believe that ensemble testing with a cross-functional team is incredibly valuable, I experienced it. And more than that, it works in a remote context, too. Yes, it does!

Sometimes, a tiny spark is all it needs.