Sari Kroizer, Consultant
Testing as an integral part of the SCRUM process is a big challenge; The cycles are short, regression testing is necessary more than ever and quality should be a part of the definition of “done” for each story. Under these conditions, the testers should have maximum flexibility and the best tools for dealing with SCRUM as a development method.
The Acceptance Test Driven Development methodology elevates TDD concepts one level higher and provides us with a quick solution for testing integration with SCRUM. Automated acceptance test cases are designed and developed in parallel, or even before the features. ATDD improves both development and testing by enhancing focus on users’ requirements. It also provides a better use of testing resource time, including optimization of tester ramp up. Last but not least, it’s really fun!
I would like to share with you the experience of our SCRUM team, which consists of developers and testers, working together on a big software project for a year and a half. In this complex environment, after fifteen sprints, we realized that some change is needed and added the ATDD methodology.
I will show you (by graphs) the increase in tests and bugs by using automated acceptance tests, and the improvement in the team’s satisfaction after the change. I will also show the importance of combining manual tests with automatic acceptance tests, taking into account the automation limitations. The ATDD methodology solved some of our key problems and helped us improve our project quality and our SCRUM process. It may help you too.
2010 Technical Paper, Sari Kroizer, Abstract, Paper
