VOLUME 37 QUALITY PEOPLE. QUALITY SOLUTIONS.

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1 VOLUME 37 QUALITY PEOPLE. QUALITY SOLUTIONS.

2 Our relationship with Planit means we can run with a quite small team for the most part then engage other professionals during the spikes. Matt Bunnett, Tabcorp Planit is the leading quality assurance provider in Asia Pacific with over 450 permanent software testers & BA consultants

3 About Planit ABOUT PLANIT Planit s History Beginning operations in 1997, Planit played a key role in the professionalisation of the local quality assurance industry through its provision of best-practice services, training and industry research. Planit established a solid reputation very early, quickly securing several major services clients that resulted in rapid and consistent growth. At the same time, Planit was also busy advancing the standard of training in software testing, being the first to bring ISEB and ISTQB Certification to the region. Today, Planit s offering has grown to include technical testing, business analysis, security testing and tools licensing. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington, Delhi and now Perth, Planit has a truly national and international reach for delivering its world-class software testing and business analysis training and services. Our Mission Planit s on-going objective remains the same today as it was on day one - to increase our clients return on technology by adding reliability and performance to the systems that run their business. Our Knowledge is Your Power Planit helps organisations prevent and detect issues in their IT delivery. We build your capability in testing mission critical systems, minimising their associated risks, controlling costs and reducing time to market. Additionally, we can assist in the analysis, modelling and planning of your key projects to ensure effective and testable delivery. Our Strength is Our People Our clients benefit from the expertise of Planit s 450+ skilled permanent software testers and business analysts. Planit s staff are exposed to multiple industries and projects, bringing a wealth of knowledge to any project they are able to use their past experience to add value from day one. TESTING SERVICES TECHNICAL TESTING BUSINESS ANALYSIS Chris Carter, Managing Director Chris is the founder of Planit and a respected figure in software testing internationally. As the current President of the ISTQB and founding Chairman of the ANZTB, Chris has been a major driver in advancing the Australian and New Zealand testing industries. His industry knowledge, management skills and vision have been key to Planit s steady growth, firmly establishing the company s reputation for integrity and quality TRAINING

4 Our Clients Sydney Working with Planit allowed us to focus on our core business. We understand that testing is very hard to do well and can be a difficult discipline to estimate. Planit reduced our risk and provided insurance and quality control, which was peace of mind for us. Greg West, Australian Rugby Union 4 -

5 Service Delivery Options Consulting and Advisory Planit is your trusted advisor, able to define the overall direction for software testing and business analysis within an organisation. We offer independent evaluations of existing business analysis and test practices and provide recommendations for on-going improvements and mentoring. On-site Delivery Planit offers a complete range of testing and business analysis personnel from junior levels through to senior managers that can work on client site, seamlessly integrating into your team to fulfil vital roles in your project. Planit clients can select individuals or teams with the skills that match their project resourcing needs, available for both short and long term positions. Testing Managed Services Unable to resource your project s testing requirements? Planit can provide a scalable managed service testing solution that suits your needs. Gain instant access to an expertly managed test team without incurring the costs associated with setting-up and running an in-house solution. Planit s outsourced test teams act as an integrated unit within the project team or operate in isolation, depending on your project requirements. Leverage Planit s extensive resourcing capability: On-shore Testing For clients wanting the flexibility, convenience and peace of mind that comes with working locally, Planit can provide a managed service testing solution based at our office locations or yours. This convenient testing solution ensures quality while providing peace of mind. Near-shore Testing Closer to home, clients can outsource their testing to Planit s network of offices across Australia and New Zealand. Leverage favourable exchange rates, broaden your choice of skilled testers, work in compatible time-zones and benefit from seamless cross-country communication. Off-shore Testing If your project s testing is able to be performed off-shore, Planit offers a competitively priced quality testing solution. Deal with Planit s local contacts while benefiting from the same quality control standards we place on local testing operations. For a fully managed testing solution that delivers results, ask about the Planit Test Factory. Mike Weale, Chief Operating Officer Mike has been Planit s Chief Operating Officer since With senior management experience in the IT industry including General Manager of Sapphire Technologies, he s charged with ensuring best-in-class service and training delivery, and maintaining a 450+ strong workforce of the very best people in software testing and business analysis in Australia and New Zealand

6 Partnering with Planit allows us to deliver test services across a range of projects that extend beyond our internal resource capability. Planit provide a fully managed service, offering training and other benefits, and have demonstrated a significant commitment to ensure the success of our test delivery by bringing in expertise from across Australasia. Raewyn Ludlam, ASB Technology 6 -

7 Leaders in Software Testing ABOUT PLANIT Testing is a critical component of the software development lifecycle, representing an average of 22 percent of project budgets (Planit Index 2012), justified by the role it plays in delivering quality outcomes and ensuring return on investment. For 15 years, Planit has solidified its leading position in the testing industry with an impressive track-record servicing clients across a wide range of industries including telecommunications, banking, finance, retail and government. Planit s full suite of testing services can be supplied on an advisory basis, delivered on client site, or provided as a managed service via Planit s on-shore, off-shore or near-shore capabilities. Our services include: Test management Acceptance testing System integration testing System testing Agile, V-Model and Waterfall Mobile device testing Cloud-based testing Load and performance testing Automated testing Security testing TESTING SERVICES As your testing partner, Planit offers professional and flexible service solutions that are tailored to your individual environment. Choose from our wealth of ISTQB certified testers who can be engaged for any duration, from a few days to months or even years. Maximise the effectiveness of your testing team by conducting expert analyses of your resources, systems and processes: Test healthcheck Test process improvement We Know Software Development Projects Competencies audit Bug hunt TECHNICAL TESTING Each year, Planit conducts research detailing the state of the software testing industry in Australia and New Zealand. This research is thoroughly analysed and compiled as The Planit Testing Index, acting as an industry-wide benchmark, providing a solid foundation for strategic planning, budgeting and execution of Quality Assurance activities in IT. The 2012 Planit Index represented in excess of 10,000 software development projects across Australia and New Zealand. For more information or to participate visit BUSINESS ANALYSIS Graham Davis, Director of Testing, Sydney Graham is an experienced tester and Director of Planit s Sydney Testing Services division, employing in excess of 180 full-time consultants. He is involved in business and strategic development, client management, recruitment and staff management. Graham has been instrumental in the growth of Planit s testing services and training divisions over the past decade and takes an active role in providing leadership across the business TRAINING

8 Software Testing Resources Our consultants are at the forefront of the industry, bringing vast levels of experience, extensive market knowledge and up-to-date skill-sets to your projects. We have testers to satisfy any level of skill you require for your projects: Principal Consultant Works with clients at a strategic level, providing leadership and management to large, complex or distressed projects, implementing test process improvements Senior Test Consultant Leads large teams, performs risk assessment, creates test strategies and plans, as well as managing vendors and suppliers Test Consultant / Manager Manages and controls teams on project work, including implementing, tracking and managing software testing processes Test Team Leader Manages a team to ensure test strategies are implemented with guidance from the Test Manager Senior Test Analyst Experienced Test Analysts who are subject matter experts, having specialist domain knowledge Test Analyst Competent testers capable of performing requirements review and analysis, test design, test execution and incident identification Tester Works alongside Test Analysts in test preparation, test execution and defect identification The two new recruits have exceeded my expectations. Not only have they applied the testing concepts very quickly, they also fit into the team extremely well. You have done a great job recruiting and training the type of people that I was looking for to make this project a success. Kristen Loveridge, Norwich Union Darren Dalla Riva, Director of Testing, Melbourne Darren is responsible for the successful operation and delivery of Planit s Melbourne Testing Services division. With over 15 years Test Management experience in some of Australia s largest companies, Darren has played key roles in the delivery of business-critical projects and development of organisational testing competencies. His experience includes National Test Management, Project Management, Program Test Management of complex transformation programs and hands-on consultancy

9 Why Choose Planit for Testing? Reduce Downtime Get an instant match for your project s testing needs by accessing Planit s team of skilled testers. All of our testers are permanent members of staff who have extensive domain experience, allowing them to deliver value from day one. Avoid the Cost of Recruitment Recruitment is a costly exercise that involves significant risk. By partnering with Planit for your testing resources, you can avoid these costs and leverage our team of carefully selected testing professionals. Qualified Testing Professionals Planit has a formal testing career path that allows us to benchmark our testers and provide the training necessary to take their skills to the next level. This includes achieving accreditation such as ISTQB and Certified Agile Tester. Cohesive Team Planit offers a cohesive team of testers who know each other, have worked together and are able to perform immediately on site. Build a solid testing team that suits your needs. Best Practice Processes One of Planit s greatest strengths is the consistency of methodology, processes and procedures exercised by our testers who follow common testing practices based upon the ISTQB. Risk Mitigation of Staff Turnover We can mitigate the risk of staff absence and turnover through our resource management practices and procedures. These include skills and knowledge handover, staff planning and review. Gain Testing Efficiencies Planit can provide efficient and effective testing resources for your test team and perform test process improvement to help streamline your existing testing practices. This may include solidifying requirements into robust test suites and by re-using testing materials for future test preparation. Flexibility Planit offers a truly flexible and convenient testing solution, matching the peaks and troughs in your project lifecycle with the right testing resources for those occasions. Simon Farrant, Director of Testing, New Zealand As head of Planit s New Zealand team of 100+ test professionals, Simon has overseen the establishment and growth of the Wellington and Auckland branches, managing operations, accounts and relationships for Planit s public and private sector clients. Simon brings a wealth of experience, having worked in IT for two decades performing such roles as Business Analyst, Test Analyst, Programme Test Manager, Test Services Manager, Technical Writer, Developer, Project Manager, Trainer and Consultant

10 Test Management Planit provides a controlled and effective test effort, offering Test Managers whose continuous focus on business and system objectives, key project drivers and project risk allows us to ensure delivery of quality systems, on time and within budget. Experienced in industry best practices, Planit s Test Managers are able to implement test frameworks that are structured, efficient and relevant. They bring vast levels of experience and extensive market knowledge to your projects. They can write the test strategy and test plan for your team to implement and/or manage and lead your test resources for the lifecycle of the project. Planit provides timely and accurate information backed up with metrics for all stages of the test process that will allow business decisions to be made with confidence based on the reported residual risks Our Test Managers are fully accredited with the leading international qualifications, including: Test Delivery Planit s consultants are adept at testing in all project environments, whether following Agile, V-Model or Waterfall methodologies. They are able to work effectively within client-specified processes, Planit s own proven testing process or using industry standard processes such as ISTQB. They review requirements, identify and prioritise what to test, create the test cases, identify or generate the test data, execute the tests and raise defects. Our testers are cross-skilled in multiple industries and domains and revel in the opportunity to learn new technologies. They can perform User Acceptance Testing, System Integration Testing and System Testing across many different industries and domains, following the same processes through each level of testing. Each consultant must pass a stringent examination prior to interview and have the right personality and communication skills to join the Planit team. This ensures that they are able to meet any challenge and deliver at and above client expectations. ISTQB Advanced Test Manager Quality Assurance Management Professional (QAMP) Certified Agile Tester (CAT) Mike Tate, Director of Testing, Wellington Mike has been working in the testing industry for over 13 years, organising and overseeing various strategic projects and programmes of work for both public and private-sector organisations. As Director of Testing, Mike is responsible for the General Management of the Wellington branch, building and growing Planit s consultancy practice. Mike s professional approach and calm demeanour are valuable assets that he draws upon in team leadership, in client relationship management and in his industry leadership role as an Advisor for the ANZTB

11 Agile Testing Well known for delivering high quality testing using Waterfall and the V-model, Planit now leads the way in delivering Agile testing services. As your Agile testing partner, Planit will help you release maximum business value and increase speed of delivery. Our Certified Agile Testing professionals seemlessly integrate into your cross-functional team, applying Planit s rigorous approach to Agile testing to ensure all your functional and non-functional requirements are addressed within each iteration and the overall release. Our services extend to: Agile testing services Agile processes and framework development Agile health checks Performance testing with Agile Automation with Agile Agile mentoring and coaching Agile courses, including the Certified Agile Tester (see page 27) Mobile Device Testing Mobile devices are becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly with the widespread market penetration of the iphone, ipad and Android devices. Not surprisingly, this trend has been matched with the growing popularity of testing mobile applications, content and services as well as hardware. Mobile testing is the process to test the quality of the hardware and software on mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets. Mobile testing often also encompasses various testing types: Security testing to probe for illegal access vulnerabilities; Performance and load testing to ensure that the mobile application works during peak usage periods; and Verification of the usability of your mobile application. Whether you re designing a web-based service or App for ios, Android or Windows, we have experienced resources with the right skills for you. Over the past six years, the Planit Index has reported the rapid growth of Agile. In fact, the 2012 Index indicated that 72 percent of organisations are using Agile for a portion of their projects, totalling 29 percent of all software development projects. No defined methodology 8% Agile 29% Waterfall 36% V-Model 24% Other methodology 3% INDEX 2012: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BY METHODOLOGY The whole team has a new level of confidence in their abilities, and we now see a much more thorough, consistent approach to the work being undertaken. Kaye Johnson, Adelaide Bank

12 We couldn t be happier with our partnership with Planit. Their consultants offer thought leadership and value for money, whilst providing our internal customers with the confidence that our solutions are high quality. Billy Miller, Sovereign

13 Technical Testing Specialists ABOUT PLANIT Planit has a specialist technical testing capability that is able to provide key services including performance testing, test automation, operational testing, test tools and security testing. Test Automation Automation offers significant opportunities and efficiencies to testing departments, yet only 17 percent of test coverage is automated (Index 2012). Planit s test automation specialists have the skills and knowledge in automation tools to support your testing process, leverage existing test assets and improve overall testing coverage. We can provide services across the following key areas: Collection and definition of automated testing tool requirements based on the client s context Determine tool fit by evaluating testing processes, test artefacts and application development environment Assist with piloting functional automated testing tools Implementation of automated testing tools processes and automation frameworks to support the test automation effort and increase your test coverage far beyond 17 percent Performance Testing Planit has a proven track-record in performance testing with technical testing experts who specialise in the planning and execution of performance, load, stress and volume testing. Planit s consultants have experience across a broad spectrum of projects, from mobile apps to complex, large-scale projects. They follow a standardised process that can be customised to deliver your project goals by: Defining and clarifying the requirements, success criteria and overall objectives of the performance testing Designing a suitable resource and project plan for Planit and client resources Designing workload models based on analysis of the system or application under test Developing appropriate test assets to meet the stakeholders objectives Delivering results that are meaningful to both business and technical teams Delivering a solution that continues to add value beyond the end of the engagement TESTING SERVICES TECHNICAL TESTING BUSINESS ANALYSIS Alex Edwards, Director of Technical Testing As Director of Technical Testing Services, Alex is responsible for all Planit s technical testing across Australia. Alex is an accomplished technical test practitioner, bringing 15 years experience from a diverse range of industries including defence, retail, construction and public services, working in performance testing, test automation, operational testing and security. His previous roles include National Test Strategist, Non-functional Test Manager and Technical Project Manager TRAINING

14 Security Testing Information security is an integral part of the business value chain and, in an ever increasingly hostile world, securing information systems is of paramount importance, protecting the core reputation and brand value of your company. We provide value to our clients through holistic information security services, which cover the full system and software development lifecycle to help minimise business risk. These services include: Enterprise security architecture planning and review Compliance and governance Security health checks (penetration testing or ethical hacking) These services include web application security testing at all stages of the software development lifecycle and simulate real-world attacks against your applications. This allows Planit to accurately identify security and applicable security and compliance issues. Planit use both automated and manual testing tools and industry best practice techniques to perform an in-depth and comprehensive assessment of your organisations applications. Operational Testing Planit specialises in operational testing, a test phase that is often overlooked. Performing both operational readiness and operational acceptance testing, Planit can ensure the underlying systems architecture can be supported in production. This includes everyday production tests and examination of architecture such as: 1. Infrastructure build and configuration 2. Failover and resilience 3. Backup and recovery 4. Monitoring and alerting 5. Helpdesk readiness 6. Support and escalation procedures

15 Testing Tools Tool Experts Planit s software testing and business analysis professionals are skilled in a wide range of advanced tool sets prevalent in the industry, including: Test Management HP Quality Centre (QC), HP Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), Tricentis TOSCA, IBM Rational Quality Manager, Microsoft Team Foundation Server (TFS), Silk Test Manager, T-Plan, Atlassian JIRA Automated Testing HP Unified Functional Tester (UFT), HP Quick Test Professional (QTP), HP Service Test, HP Service Virtualisation, Tricentis TOSCA, IBM Rational Functional Tester (RFT), Selenium, Cucumber, Ruby, JUnit, JBehave, WATIR, SOAP UI, Test Complete, SILK Test, Microsoft Coded UI Performance Testing & Monitoring HP Performance Centre, HP LoadRunner, Facilita Forecast, HP SiteScope, Apache JMeter, CA (ITKO) LISA, IBM Rational Per formance Tester, Microsoft Visual Studio, YourKit, Silk Per former Workbench, WebDriver, Compuware dynatrace, Quest JProbe, Java VisualVM, WebLOAD Security Testing Fortify, Tipping Point, ArcSight, Metasploit, w3af, Core Impact, BeFF, Nessus, OpenVAS, Nexpose, Burp, Nikto, WebScarab, Webinspect Tools Licensing and Migration Planit understands that every organisation s needs are different and works to ensure that our clients are matched with tools that best fit their requirements. Our team of specialists can help you migrate to the right software for your organisation, whether you are simply updating or changing platforms. We can provide advice on tools capable of improving testing efficiencies, including solutions that reuse testing artefacts and assist in supporting your testing processes. While remaining tools agnostic, our partnerships with tool providers allows us to provide clients with market-leading rates for software licenses and implementation. Some of our partners are included below: Preferred Partner Gold Partner Implementation Partner Partner Best New Partner of the Year

16 When you ve been in an organisation for a while, it s always good to get external input to see how you can improve. Planit is very good at providing its clients with information to assist them and provide an industry perspective. Matt Bunnett, Tabcorp

17 Quality Assurance in Business Analysis ABOUT PLANIT Business analysis is fundamental to business process improvement and the successful definition of system requirements to support business processes. Business analysis is frequently entrusted to untrained BAs, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or business managers and six years of local industry surveys demonstrate the weakness of this approach. From its inception in 2007, leading organisations contributing to the Planit Index have identified requirements specification as the primary contributing factor to project success or failure. Requirements engineering is one of the tasks in the business analyst s role. Business analysis is a professional discipline. It requires a systematic approach to ensure that the right stakeholders are asked the right questions and that the results are rigorously analysed and unambiguously defined using an array of tools and techniques that are not in the skill set of untrained staff, SMEs and managers. Business analysts must have these skills and Planit business analysts do. Our BAs are at the forefront of industry best-practice, offering expertise in areas including: According to the 2012 Planit Index, the role of poor requirements in causing project failure has only become more prominent. Mergers or acquisitions Other 3% Technical failure 8% Changing govt 4% policy 5% Reduced project or IT budgets 12% 68% Changing business requirements or priorities TESTING SERVICES TECHNICAL TESTING Elicitation & investigation Solving business problems Enterprise analysis Business & IT systems analysis Process design & improvement Process & requirements documentation Implementing organisational change Supporting strategy development INDEX 2012: MOST COMMON CAUSE OF PROJECT FAILURE BUSINESS ANALYSIS Mike Crawford, Director of Business Analysis With more than thirty years experience of IT and business systems change, Mike has worked with a huge range of organisations to build and enhance business analysis capability. He is a regular speaker at industry events such as IEEE conferences, BA World Symposia and IIBA and ACS presentations. Mike is a great communicator and trainer whose passion for the BA profession is reflected in his course results and delegate feedback. He is also a British Computer Society examiner, a certified assessor for the Australian Institute of Business Analysis, a trained mediator and NLP master practitioner TRAINING

18 Business Analysis Capability Framework Where client in-house documentation standards are not available, Planit s Business Analysis Capability (BAC) Framework may be used as a foundation for best-practice methods. The BAC Framework provides the basis for planning, estimating, measuring and managing BA assignments. It defines the Business Analysis lifecycle, processes and tasks together with the competencies, tools and techniques required to support them. Planit s BAC Framework follows international standards, aligning to and extending all current industry frameworks including IIBA, Zachman TM and SFIA. Process Standard, formal business analysis processes Tasks Made up of discrete units of BA work Competence Performed by competent business analysts Techniques Skilled in business analysis techniques Tools Supported by the right business analysis tools

19 Business Analysis Services Business Analysts Planit consultants exemplify industry best-practice with BCS, IREB and IIBA aligned training and qualifications. Our business analysts bring extensive technology and business domain experience to client projects and our resource base can satisfy all levels of skill required for your Business As Usual (BAU) and Project demands. Principal Business Analyst Bringing leadership and process excellence to BA Practices, Principal BAs work with clients at strategic level to ensure that program, project or BAU efforts deliver critical enterprise benefits. Their competencies extend to Business Architect roles. Senior Business Analyst Providing subject matter expertise and cross-industry experience, Senior BAs are adept at conducting business process improvement, systems improvement, feasibility studies and business case development. Business Analyst With extensive SDLC experience, BAs are capable of performing requirements engineering, process improvement and specialised systems analysis where relevant. Requirements Engineer These BAs primarily perform elicitation, analysis and documentation of business systems requirements for BAU and projects. Unlike contractors, Planit BAs are not simply individual resources. Each has the full support of the Business Analysis Services unit, bringing a wealth of experience and IP to your project and BAU assignments. BA Teams Planit is able to provide teams of BAs who work together to produce specific deliverables such as a business case or requirements specification. A typical team will include a Senior Business Analyst who is responsible for the timely delivery of BA products to agreed quality and cost constraints. BA Practice Consultancy Using Planit s Business Analysis Capability Framework, we provide guidance for those organisations wishing to implement best practice BA methods and capability uplift. See page 18 for more details of the Business Analysis Capability Framework. BA Health Checks Planit offers assessment of any or all aspects of the business analysis domain. This may include CoE and PMO standards, BA value chain analysis, BA strategy and objectives, process and documentation maturity, artefact management, efficacy of BA processes and techniques and business outcome quality. BA Training and Qualifications Planit provides internationally recognised business analysis training and certification, accredited by the BCS, IIBA and IREB. Training is delivered by experienced BAs who can clearly articulate business analysis processes and techniques while providing real-life examples from their own assignments. See the page 34 for details