(In this SmartBits, Shivaji Raju outlines “ Role of human intellect in QA“. The video is at the end of this blog)

Tools & technology certainly bring in a lot of efficiencies and improves user experience, but I believe that human intellect is definitely required for SmartQA. Let’s take an example of test coverage. We definitely require intellect to validate coverage to ensure that we have the optimal set of test cases. If we were to relate this to automation, we need intellect to ensure that we have an optimal distribution of test cases across different layers as tools would not be able to do it. We as a human or an engineer would validate what is a right fit, what is the right distribution between UI or services testing.

The second example is that we need human intelligence to devise strategies to build frameworks. When we build frameworks, usage of design patterns or best practices, human intellect is required. The third example is exploratory testing, where we uncover some really interesting defects in addition to the running the scripts.

In this smartbits video “” Zulfikar Deen

( In this SmartBits, Zulfikar Deen outlines  “  Management expectations of CIO & IT team “. The video is at the end of this blog)

Whether the end-user
organization is small or large, the challenges remain the same for both of
them. For a large multinational multi-billioncorporation, or a smaller
organization challenges are very similar. They could be related to security,
adoption, consumer understanding, delivery, timeline or quality.

The difficulty for a
smaller organization is that IT team is much smaller, not an army of people.
They do not have a huge budget to ensure the same challenges are tackled
better. With small and shoestring budgets, it is difficult to bring in newer
technology and solutions into operations. Not having an appropriate budget is
an important challenge, but that doesn’t mean that they will be left far
behind. They still have to adapt, invent and have to move at the same speed.

The next challenge
is that business leaders come across sound bites (for example Blockchain) from
meetings they attend and are keen to implement. Our role is to ensure they
distill it correctly and make sure they are used appropriately in context to
the business, in relation to the readiness of the systems and ensure they don’t
fall too far behind.

Another aspect to be
looked at, is the level of board and the top management  CXO organization’s ability to look at
technology. Often, CXO’s would neither be a risk-taking forerunner nor they
want to lag behind. We need to understand what level of comfort the management
has and then we need to play along with that. One needs to watch for a
technology shaping up and as soon as it is ready for usage in the system they
should start putting it in place.

In an era where we are obsessed with productivity, it is not about doing more, of being busy that is deemed as high productivity. In fact it is the converse, of being smart, of doing less and accomplishing more.

Software tools help in increasing productivity by allowing us to do faster, cheaper and better. But the most powerful tool “the human intellect” can help us do lesser ad coupled with tools of speed, productivity scales geometrically. In these times of AI, it is necessary to exploit HI (Human Intelligence) to do stuff beyond intelligent machines to deliver a higher value.

Here are 39 tips to being productive, in the article “39 tips to being productive – Do SmartQA“.

T Ashok, @ash_thiru on Twitter

Summary

With machines become more intelligent enabled by AI, it is time we focus on creativity to think differently and exploit machines for its intelligence.
A focus in shifting to using right brain more will certainly help in the goal to “Shift Left” – that of prevention or doing less.
Good testing demands a great logical ability to dissect, decompose, analyse, synthesize, correlate, question, hypothesise, experiment, ascertain and make appropriate choices. It is surely a left brain activity. And tools take the outputs of these activities in becoming scripts to be used in an unattended mechanistic manner to reap significant benefits.

Having exploited the logical
abilities and the technology to do well and faster, what next?

Testing
is not just about finding issues, it would be valuable if this can help prevent
issues or find it earlier before issues fan out. This is what we call as Shift
Left, the ability to move left-ward in the software dev cycle to find earlier,
ideally prevent. Today automation is seen as an enabler here too with the
process, forcing one to think and come with scenarios/scripts before code
commences or very immediately after code so that whatever is coded is
validated. Given that tools are available in plenty, does not imply they have
to be used every time, as it takes effort to script and maintain it.

Minimalism
and simplicity are popular today, these can help in doing less by heightening
sensitivity to aid in prevention and leveraging existing assets. Being creative
enables sensitivity, the ability to not be pre-conditioned, to be random, to
see beyond the visible and to come up with interesting possibilities. We know
that covering everything from all angles seems impossible, certainly costly in
terms of time, effort and money. Yes, we do resolve to use the logical ability
to analyse risky areas and appropriately channel our energies.

The
fertile right brain can cut through the chasm rapidly and enable significant
benefits beyond the logical right brain. What does it take to cultivate a
fertile right brain? What are the ingredients to fertility?

1. Constraints – Setting up constraints enables creativity. When we are faced with pressure, we find means to do less, do quick and do well. It is like the survival instinct kicking in. Testing in short sessions helps in here.
2. Write less – Writing long sentences as part of note-taking or worse still using software to document outcomes distracts you from exploiting the full power of creativity as we become logical in forming sentences and ensuring its correctness. Writing tersely in short phrases. Colours – Stimulate the visual senses too. Use colour sheets, pens, pencils, highlighters. Go beyond the black and white.
3. Be non-linear – Sketch, mind-map, draw to express. Let not the act of writing be left-right & top-bottom deaden your senses. Sharpen creativity. After all minimalism is a constraint forcing us to go beyond to express sharp and crisp.
4. Plan, yet stray – Before commencing a session, draw up a quick plan as to what you want to accomplish. As you go about the work, stray when you find something interesting, explore and improve understanding. Be sensitive to the clock though.
5. Flow –  Enjoying the work enables one to stay immersed in the work, and that is where time stops, a state of being in the ‘flow’. This is when the creative side is most fertile. Sharp and observant, super efficient, light and nimble a state when the work and the worker become one.
6. Favour paper – During a session, to take notes, to jot down observations/questions, pen down to-do-actions, adopt a lightweight method. Using paper to do this is the easiest, also using Post-It notes, white board is super light, enabling one to stay immersed in the work and not be bothered about the act of writing/drawing. Using a heavy weight word-processor or a spreadsheet IMHO is a no-no, as it is seriously high friction. If you prefer software, use a light weight note taking software.

Testing
is not a mundane job of evaluation bereft of fun. It is not a clinical act of
evaluation that is done by machines. Our job is not just to write scripts and
feed these machines.

It
is true that in these times, the focus is on speed, on the act of evaluation.
Yes, a machine executes tests really fast and is useful in continuous
assessment. In a continuous development scenario, it gives us a sense of
confidence that we are marching forward and nothing is broken. But remember
that the ability to trust that it is not broken is a function of test
scenarios/cases.This is normally the result of intelligent thinking.

With machines become more intelligent enabled by AI, it is time we focus on creativity to think differently and exploit machines for its intelligence.
A focus in shifting to using right brain more, will certainly help in the goal to “Shift Left” – that of prevention or doing less.