Introducing a tool into an organization

INTRODUCING A TOOL INTO
AN ORGANIZATION
By Graham et.al (2011)
http://sif.uin-suska.ac.id/
http://fst.uin-suska.ac.id/
http://www.uin-suska.ac.id/
UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI
SULTAN SYARIF KASIM
RIAU
MUHAMMAD BRANIKNO R

The place to start when introducing a tool into an organization is
not with the tool - it is with the organization. In order for a tool
to provide benefit, it must match a need within the organization,
and solve that need in a way that is both effective and efficient.
The tool should help to build on the strengths of the
organization and address its weaknesses. The organization needs
to be ready for the changes that will come with the new tool. If
the current testing practices are not good and the organization is
not mature, then it is generally more cost- effective to improve
testing practices rather than to try to find tools to support poor
practices. Automating chaos just gives faster chaos!
Main principles
1

Of course, we can sometimes improve our own processes in
parallel with introducing a tool to support those practices and we can pick
up some good ideas for improvement from the ways that the tools work.
However, be aware that the tool should not take the lead, but should
provide support to what your organization defines.
The following factors are important in selecting a tool:
• assessment of the organization's maturity (e.g. readiness for change);
• identification of the areas within the organization where tool support
will help to improve testing processes;
• evaluation of tools against clear requirements and objective criteria;
• proof-of-concept to see whether the product works as desired and
meets the requirements and objectives defined for it;
• evaluation of the vendor (training, support and other commercial
aspects) or open-source network of support;
• identifying and planning internal implementation (including coaching
and mentoring for those new to the use of the tool).
Cont…

One of the ways to do a proof-of-concept is to have a pilot
project as the first thing done with a new tool. This will use the tool in
earnest but on a small scale, with sufficient time to explore different
ways of using the tool. Objectives should be set for the pilot in order to
assess whether or not the concept is proven, i.e. that the tool can
accomplish what is needed within the current organizational context.
A pilot tool project should expect to encounter problems -
they should be solved in ways that can be used by everyone later on.
The pilot project should experiment with different ways of using the
tool. For example, different settings for a static analysis tool, different
reports from a test management tool, different scripting and
comparison techniques for a test execution tool or different load
profiles for a performance-testing tool.
Pilot project
2

The objectives for a pilot project for a new tool are:
• to learn more about the tool (more detail, more depth);
• to see how the tool would fit with existing processes or
documentation, how those would need to change to work
well with the tool and how to use the tool to streamline
existing processes;
• to decide on standard ways of using the tool that will work for
all potential users (e.g. naming conventions, creation of
libraries, defining modularity, where different elements will
be stored, how they and the tool itself will be maintained);
• to evaluate the pilot project against its objectives (have the
benefits been achieved at reasonable cost?).
Cont…

Success is not guaranteed or automatic when implementing a
testing tool, but many organizations have succeeded. Here are some of
the factors that have contributed to success:
• incremental roll-out (after the pilot) to the rest of the organization;
• adapting and improving processes, testware and tool artefacts to
get the best fit and balance between them and the use of the tool;
• providing adequate training, coaching and mentoring of new users;
• defining and communicating guidelines for the use of the tool,
based on what was learned in the pilot;
• implementing a continuous improvement mechanism as tool use
spreads through more of the organization;
• monitoring the use of the tool and the benefits achieved and
adapting the use of the tool to take account of what is learned.
More information and advice about selecting and implementing tools
can be found in [Fewster and Graham, 1999] and [Dustin et al., 1999].
Success factors
3

Introducing a tool into an organization

Introducing a tool into an organization

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