Angela Riggs
The idea of quality in software is often synonymous with the role of Quality Assurance engineer or assumed to only happen at a specific point in the software development lifecycle. Instead of siloing quality this way, you can help create practices that support quality throughout the whole company! By replacing the silo with a widespread culture of quality, you allow more visibility into the benefits of quality, and how those practices can support the business and the people.
Over a two-year period, I helped lead the creation of this quality culture at a software agency, and I want my experiences and lessons learned to help you do the same! My talk will break down into three general areas:
- How to effectively advocate for a culture change, including techniques for change management and introducing new processes
- How people across departments can participate in a culture of quality (it’s not limited to testers and developers!)
- Why a company-wide culture of quality is important, and how the company can benefit from it
I want you to feel inspired and prepared to advocate for positive change at your own company! Everyone will have their own unique set of challenges along the way, but this talk will help set you up for success when you begin implementing the kind of change that leads to a culture of quality.
Key takeaways include:
- Gaining insights on why change is hard for people
- Learn techniques for effective change management
- Understand what “quality” can look like for roles outside of tester and developer
- Be able to explain the benefits of quality for employees and the company, such as improving morale and communication
Angela Riggs, 2019 Technical Presentation, Paper
