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Conference:
Bangalore, India:
August 24-25, 07 |
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Conference Tutorials:
August 25 -
September 7, 07 |
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Plenary Speakers & Presentations |
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| Measuring Software Quality - Three Innovative Metrics that Matter |
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| Gomatam Sumithra, VP - Testing Services, Cognizant Technology Solutions |
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The_Challenge: “How are we doing?” can take on so many meanings for a quality manager. Is the software stable? Are defects up or down? Is the testing effort ahead of schedule, or behind? Are we doing a good job testing? Will we make it? Our typical response to these questions is to provide an overwhelming volume of metrics that --- somehow – are intended to relate progress. The most common of these include:
• Number of open defects
• Defect density
• Test coverage planned
• Test coverage achieved
• Open vs. close rate of defects
• Schedule variance
• Effort variance
Yet we are still surprised when we are told by the business “Yes, this is all very well, but how are we doing?” |
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Using: A better way. The problem, of course, is that whilst all of the above metrics provide critical insights into the quality of the software and the testing effort itself, they require significant interpretation by the business to answer the fundamental question of “How are we doing?” Based on our experience working across thousands of IV&V efforts at over 200 clients, Cognizant has identified three simple index-based metrics that – when combined with standard project management metrics around schedule and effort variance – give a unique insight to the business and the quality management function. These three metrics are:
• Requirements Stability Index (RSI)
• Testing Effectiveness Index (TEI)
• Application Quality Index (AQI) |
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Overview: The three index-based metrics discussed above – RSI, TEI and AQI – are not intended to replace the more commonly understood metrics such as test coverage, defect discovery, schedule variance, etc. All of these traditional metrics are still necessary for the software quality organization to effectively manage its activities. However, by tracking, monitoring, and reporting on these three indices, tremendous new insights can be provided to both the business and the quality organization. Ultimately, the goal is to provide an easily understood answer to the most important question that we all face in any systems development effort: “How are we doing?” |
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| Meet Gomatam Sumithra |
Sumithra, Heading the testing service practice at Cognizant consisting of over 5000 testing professionals has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. Her experience spans key functions such as corporate strategy, customer relationship management, business development, delivery management and operations management. |
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She has been associated with Cognizant since 1995 and has played a crucial role in growing several key accounts for them with her strong delivery management and business development skills. She took on the leadership role of the testing practice in 2005 and under her leadership, the practice has grown phenomenally over the years. Today, Cognizant’s testing practice is well acclaimed in the industry and has emerged as one of the fastest growing practices in Cognizant. |
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Sumithra received the Leadership Award in Cognizant for the year 2005. Sumithra was also a speaker at the QAI International testing conference in April 2007, held at Florida on testing metrics. |
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