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EuroSTAR Conference

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Track Talk W11

The Tester as Mediator

Manfred Baumgartner

13:45-14:30 CEST Wednesday 14th June

In my career as a software tester and test manager, I have felt in many situations like a mediator between parties who don’t understand each other. On the one hand, there are the users, or the representatives of the customer side. They know exactly what they want, but often cannot formulate it clearly and stably enough. Moreover, they already have clear ideas about the “how” – regardless of feasibility and effort. On the other hand, there are the developers who already have a clear idea of how to implement an unclear requirement. This is possible because they have been working on the applications for a long time, and know the business better than the business professionals themselves. The developers also react allergically when the customer tries to interfere with the “how”, which the customer – in the eyes of the developers – knows nothing about.

It’s precisely in this area of tension that as a test engineer I have often found myself trying – admittedly more in the interest of the user – to create clear communication and constructive cooperation. It was a matter of getting to the point of content and creating an understanding of feasibility.

I also learned a lot in situations where I was able to accompany users directly on site during the introduction of new applications. I wish everyone who works on the development of software could have that positive experience.

Based on concrete experiences from these situations, I will discuss what responsibility we have for the user, how we can better use the potential of cooperation with the customer, and how we as test engineers can build a special kind of relationship with our customers, and our development colleagues.

What you will learn

  1. Assume your responsibility for the good of the user, put yourself in their place, and act accordingly.
  2. Don't be arrogant and don't underestimate the knowledge and skills of the department staff - use them instead.
  3. As a tester you have the chance to act as a mediator between users and development, and take on the role of a trusted advisor.

Session Details

  • Introductory
  • 45 Minutes
  • Includes 15mins Q&A
  • Communication
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Check out this video from Manfred Baumgartner as he introduces his talk ‘The Tester as Mediator’

Session Speaker

Manfred Baumgartner

Director Quality Assurance – Nagarro, Austria

After studying computer science at the Vienna University of Technology, Manfred worked as a software developer for a large software company in the banking sector, and later as a quality manager for a provider of CRM solutions. Since 2001 he built up the QA consulting and training services of Nagarro GmbH, one of the leading service providers in the field of software testing.
He’s a board member of the Association for Software Quality and Further Education (ASQF) and the Association for Software Quality Management Austria (STEV), as well as a member of the Austrian Testing Board (ATB). He contributes his extensive experience in classical and agile software development as a sought-after speaker at internationally renowned conferences, and as author and co-author of several relevant specialized books:
* “The System Test – From Requirements to Quality Proof” (2006, 2008, 2011) * “Software in Numbers” (2010) * “Test Automation Foundation” (2012, 2015, 2021) * “Agile Testing – The Agile Way to Quality” (2013, 2017, 2021) * “Test Automation Fundamentals – A Study Guide for the ISTQB® Certified Test Automation Engineer Exam” (2022).

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