So, we’re Frequently asked by Project Managers, Sponsors and other Stakeholders why is a good test Strategy key and why should we invest effort (and therefore cost) in ensuring a good strategy exists and is ‘bought-in-to’ by the key stakeholders.

A key example came this week.  We’ve had a quite reasonable progress on a current multi-company project where we own the testing work package.  We set our strategy early and whilst it’s re-visited frequently, we generally update phase based test plans per incremental work package.

However, the final piece of the jigsaw was delayed due to issues with data integrity and other SIs contracts expired and and we lost personnel.  This was both on the client side and with some of our work package resource providers.  Other commercial agreements entered into dispute.

This week questions started to arise around roles and responsibilities, exit and success criteria and who makes decisions on mitigations and action plans as the final workpack is complete and handed over to operations.

Enter the Test Strategy.  All existing subcontractors, customers and stakeholders had signed up to this.  It was clear in this document.  It was also clear who had ultimate power to accept or reject the solution.

Ultimately, the extra effort invested in the beginning meant the it took less than 24 hours to resolve issues that would otherwise have required weeks of meetings, escalations and legal approvals.

And on Friday our work package will be complete.