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EuroSTAR Conference

Europe's Largest Quality Engineering Conference

Deep Dive, DD1

Smarter Testing, Fewer Overruns: The TRIZ Advantage

Gek Yeo

Andrew Brown

10:30 - 12:15 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

  1. Project overruns are usually the result of contradictory forces in conflict
  2. Learn to use the technique of creation and exploration of contradictory statements, to resolve previously unsolvable problems seen by testers
  3. 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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Check out this video from Gek Yeo and Andrew Brown to hear more about their talk on Smarter Testing, Fewer Overruns: The TRIZ Advantage.

We look forward to welcoming you to EuroSTAR 2026.

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

Indepent, UK

Douglas Squirrel​ has been coding for forty years and has led software teams for twenty. He uses the power of conversations to create dramatic productivity gains in technology organisations of all sizes.

Squirrel’s experience includes growing software teams as a CTO in startups from fintech to biotech to music, and everything in between; consulting on product improvement at over 100 organisations in the UK, US, Australia, and Europe; and coaching a wide variety of leaders in improving their conversations, aligning to business goals, and creating productive conflict. He lives in Frogholt, England, in a timber-framed cottage built in the year 1450.

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