Neoxen Systems

Neoxen Systems

NEOXEN MODUS METHODOLOGY

RELEASE 5.0.0.1

INTRODUCTION TO QA & SOFTWARE

TESTING GUIDE

Neoxen Systems

 Neoxen Systems

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Table of Contents
1

3
4

About this Document .................................................................... 7

1.1 Intended Audience ................................................................... 7
1.2 Organization............................................................................ 7
1.3 Typographic Conventions .......................................................... 7
1.4 Terms and Concepts ................................................................. 8
1.4.1 Abbreviations ................................................................... 8
1.4.2 Terminology ..................................................................... 8
1.5 Related Documentation ............................................................. 9
Introduction ............................................................................... 10
2.1 Introduction to QA & Software Testing Guide ............................. 10
2.2 Outlining ............................................................................... 10
2.3 Benefits of Using the Methodology ........................................... 11
Commitment to Quality ............................................................... 12
Key Advantages ......................................................................... 14
4.1 Improved Quality and Customer Satisfaction ............................. 14
4.2 Improved Productivity ............................................................ 14
4.3 Reduced Costs ....................................................................... 14
4.4 Reduced Time........................................................................ 14
4.5 Consistent Procedures ............................................................ 15
4.6 Process Automation ................................................................ 15

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About this Document

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About this Document

This document summarizes the contents, principles and objectives of
Neoxen Modus QA & Software Testing Guide. Neoxen Modus is an
industry standard methodology designed for Product Development,
Project Work and Quality Assurance for international software and
services companies.

1.1

Intended Audience
This document is intended for QA personnel, project personnel, support
personnel, corporate management, partners and customers.

1.2

Organization
This document is organized as follows:
Chapter

1.3

Contents

Chapter 1

Describes the purpose of the document. It also explains the

terminology and typographic conventions used in the
document. A list of related documents can also be found in
this chapter.

Chapter 2

Introduces and outlines QA & Software Testing Guide.

Chapter 3

Describes the commitment to quality and process

improvement.

Chapter 4

Describes the key advantages of quality assurance

improvements.

Typographic Conventions
Convention
Italics
Bold

Description
Italicized

Text is used to call attention to cross-references.

Note

Important notes are written in bold.

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1.4

Terms and Concepts

The following abbreviations, terms and concepts are used in the
document:

1.4.1

Abbreviations
Abbreviation

1.4.2

Meaning, definition

CMMI

Capability Maturity Model Integration

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

MSF

Microsoft Solutions Framework

PMBOK

Project Management Body of Knowledge

PMI

Project Management Institute

PRINCE2

Projects in Controlled Environments

RFP

Request for Proposal

QA

Quality Assurance

QMS

Quality Management System

SEI

Software Engineering Institute

SOW

Statement of Work

Terminology
Term,
Concept

Meaning, definition

Professional
Services

Professional Services is an organization that provides a suite of

services ranging from high-level consulting to improve business
processes to custom application development, implementation,
training and support.

Neoxen Modus

Neoxen Modus is a Product Development, Project Work and

Quality Assurance Methodology based on over a decade of
software engineering expertise, best industry practices and
well-acknowledged standards and guidelines listed in Appendix
I.

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About this Document

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1.5

Related Documentation
The following list comprises all documents referred to herein. It also lists
documents, which provide with additional information about this topic:
#

Document

[1]

Introduction to General Methodology Guide

[2]

Introduction to Project Management Guide

[3]

Introduction to Development Guide

[4]

Introduction to Auditing Guide

[5]

Introduction to Support Services Guide

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Introduction
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Introduction
Neoxen Modus Methodology is based on over a decade of software
engineering and consultancy expertise, best industry practices and the
well-acknowledged ISO standards and guidelines listed in Appendix I.
Neoxen Modus is verified against other accepted industry standards,
such as PMI's PMBOK, Six Sigma, PRINCE2, SEI CMMI and MSF.

2.1

Introduction to QA & Software Testing Guide

The QA & Software Testing Guide describes the standardized model for
Quality Assurance in product development and project work from the
perspective of the project team members and QA personnel.
Although QA & Software Testing Guide is primarily intended for QA
personnel and project team members, it is also suitable study material
for all the companys representatives participating in the project work,
including members of R&D, account managers and project steering
boards.
The QA & Software Testing Guide describes the Quality Assurance
processes, guidelines, testing methods and acceptance criteria for
project deliverables. It covers the phases from certification plan to test
cases, from certification sessions to sign-off.
There are templates and checklists available to software quality
assurance and testing and they are referred to in the QA & Software
Testing Guide. These templates and checklists give detailed information
on how to create the certification plan, test cases, test reports, etc.

2.2

Outlining
Standardizing Quality Assurance procedures aims at carrying out
projects as production-like repeatable processes where agreed standard
methods are followed systematically in project quality planning, defect
management and correction, as well as in maintenance and future
upgrades.
The QA & Software Testing Guide assumes that the Supplier and the
Customer are from different organizations. If the project in question is
internal, it is advisable to use the same methodology, but at discretion
in an applied form.

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Introduction
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2.3

Benefits of Using the Methodology

The methodology described in the QA & Software Testing Guide is
applicable to initiatives of all sizes, using a light version for small
projects. The methodology presented in is used in feasibility study,
change survey, specification and design projects, as well as in
implementation and deployment projects. The methodology is not
limited to software development and delivery projects, but may also be
utilized in an applied form in any product development or subcontracting
projects, for example.
Each project will go through the same phases, some projects more
systematically than others.
The use of the methods promotes systematization and repeatability and
saves time in the long run. Some time will be spent on and must be
reserved for the study of the methodology in the first project. With each
of the subsequent projects, the use of the methodology will become
easier and more professional.
Project team members and Quality Assurance personnel should use the
QA & Software Testing Guide as a checklist from time to time, even after
they have become familiar with the methodology.

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Commitment to Quality
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Commitment to Quality
Increasing complexity of today's enterprise solutions, combined with
growing competitive pressures and increasing costs of solution failure
and downtime are emphasizing the strategic value of systematic Quality
Assurance and software testing.
While the pressures to deliver high-quality solutions in time continue to
mount, shortening development and deployment schedules,
geographically distributed organizations, limited resources and high
turnover rates for professional employees make Quality Assurance the
ultimate challenge.
Understanding the reality of having to achieve more with less,
coordinate multiple simultaneous projects and manage diverse and
distributed project teams, Neoxen Modus has adopted re-defined
Quality Assurance methodologies and is committed to continuous
improvement of standardized and automated test processes to help
centralize, organize, prioritize and document the Quality Assurance
efforts.
Too often in the world of solution development, quality planning and
testing is not seriously considered until programming has been almost
completed. Naturally this approach to testing is inadequate in light of
the increasingly high demands for software quality and short delivery
cycles. As a result, the place of testing in the application lifecycle has
begun to change. This shift in the role of quality planning represents a
paradigm change in the entire software industry.
Within Neoxen Modus Quality Assurance is not perceived as an
unglamorous or boring activity that unnecessarily delays project
deliveries. Instead, fueled by competitive pressures and the high costs
of downtime, quality planning and testing are evolving into a
professional discipline, with its own methodology, structure,
organization and documentation.
According to Neoxen Modus, Quality Assurance takes place in parallel
with solution development, starting as soon as the project commences.
Similarly with the development process, the quality planning and testing
process needs a methodical building-block approach to ensure
consistency and reusability of testing assets.

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Commitment to Quality
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Neoxen Modus subscribes to the theory that having files compiled,

linked and combined into a standardized build reduces quality risks and
helps deliver better solutions faster. Given the quantity and frequency
of changes, especially in the modern multi-layered software
environment, testing standardized builds becomes the way to ensure
quality and stability of the customized solution throughout the
development process.
From time to time organizational pressures, such as limited resource
availability, force organizations to scramble to find qualified QA
personnel. These pressures together with a growing trend of utilizing
dedicated and specialized QA contractors give us additional challenges.
In order to efficiently manage the testing of many builds with multiple
testing teams Neoxen Modus has implemented a quality management
process in order to prioritize, consolidate and centralize the entire
quality management and testing efforts.
The aim of the quality management process is to create one central
point of control that is accessible to all members of the project teams,
houses all testing assets and provides a clear foundation for the entire
testing process - from deciding what needs to be tested, to building
tests, running scenarios and tracking defects. The quality management
methodology also supports the analysis of test data and coverage
statistics, to provide a clear picture of the solution's accuracy and quality
at each point in its lifecycle.

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Key Advantages
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4
4.1

Key Advantages
Improved Quality and Customer Satisfaction
The sum of improved quality methodology, procedures and testing
productivity is a substantial improvement in software quality.
Systematic and repeatable processes address functional and
performance issues more efficiently, allowing QA personnel to focus on
quality in areas such as documentation, installation, hardware
compatibility, etc and therefore adding more customer value to the
deliverables.

4.2

Improved Productivity
The systematic and well-documented quality management and testing
procedures described in the QA & Software Testing Guide lower the
learning curve and allow the QA personnel to get efficiently up-to-speed
with projects, thus improving the overall productivity. This allows more
consistent testing with higher coverage over the course of a project
development cycle. By testing earlier and more often defects are
detected and corrected earlier and at much reduced schedule impact.

4.3

Reduced Costs
Improved quality and improved productivity together have a direct
impact to project costs. However, in some cases test automation may
have upfront expenses to develop, but over the delivery cycles of the
solutions it typically offers significant savings. In extreme cases
development of automation processes is several times the expenses of
a complete manual test cycle. Over multiple project deliveries with
multiple cycles per delivery, this cost is quickly recouped.

4.4

Reduced Time
QA & Software Testing Guide endorses repeatability and automation as
time saving productivity assets. For instance a typical automated test
suite will run in less than 24 hours, even without any human intervention
required. This significantly reduces the time spent in tedious project
quality assurance tasks. For a sophisticated software solution, manual
testing may require multitude of staff months to perform the same
coverage.

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Key Advantages
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4.5

Consistent Procedures
Traditional quality management and manual testing often leads to
inconsistent coverage and results depending on the staff and schedule
employed. Especially in a complex testing process relating to systems
integration and modern multi-layered management platforms
automated test procedures together with globally consistent Quality
Assurance Methodology ensures that the same scope and process is
used repeatedly each time testing is performed.

4.6

Process Automation
Automated procedures are key elements in the methodology described
in the QA & Software Testing Guide. Whenever possible, automation is
offered to supplement or even replace manual testing with appropriate
suite of tailored test programs. Benefits to solution developers include
increased software quality, improved time to delivery, repeatable test
procedures, and reduced costs.

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16 (20)

Appendix I: ISO Compliance

Neoxen Modus Methodology conforms to following standards:
Standards and Guidelines

Purpose

ISO 9000:2000, Quality management systems Fundamentals and vocabulary

ISO 9000:2000, Quality management systems Fundamentals and vocabulary.

ISO 9001:2000, Quality management systems Requirements

This is the requirement standard you use to

assess your ability to meet customer and
applicable regulatory requirements and thereby
address customer satisfaction.
It is now the only standard in the ISO 9000 family
against which third-party certification can be
carried.

ISO 9004:2000, Quality management systems Guidelines for performance improvements

This guideline standard provides guidance for

continual improvement of your quality
management system to benefit all parties through
sustained customer satisfaction.

ISO 19011, Guidelines on Quality and/or

Environmental Management Systems Auditing
(currently under development)

Provides you with guidelines for verifying the

system's ability to achieve defined quality
objectives. You can use this standard internally or
for auditing your suppliers.

ISO 10005:1995, Quality management Guidelines for quality plans

Provides guidelines to assist in the preparation,

review, acceptance and revision of quality plans.

ISO 10006:1997, Quality management Guidelines to quality in project management

Guidelines to help you ensure the quality of both

the project processes and the project products.

ISO 10007:1995, Quality management Guidelines for configuration management

Gives you guidelines to ensure that a complex

product continues to function when components
are changed individually.

ISO 10011-1:2002, Guidelines for quality and/or

environmental management systems auditing Part 1: Auditing

Gives you guidelines on the main requirements

for auditing a quality system.

ISO 2382-1:1993, Information technology Vocabulary - Part 1: Fundamental terms

Provides the standardized terminology.

ISO 10013:1995, Guidelines for developing

quality manuals

Provides guidelines for the development, and

maintenance of quality manuals, tailored to your
specific needs.

ISO/TR 10014:1998, Guidelines for managing the

economics of quality

Provides guidance on how to achieve economic

benefits from the application of quality
management.

ISO 10015:1999, Quality management Guidelines for training

Provides guidance on the development,

implementation, maintenance and improvement
of strategies and systems for training that affects
the quality of products.

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