Author Archives: Adam Geras

About Adam Geras

Adam is a senior consultant specializing in testing and managing test efforts for strategic initiatives. Adam has worked in IT for over 20 years initially as a developer and architect and now, for over a decade, as a test manager and coach for large projects across a variety of industries, including utilities, oil and gas, transportation, and travel. Adam uses a combination of agile and lean management strategies and tactics to help teams grow the effectiveness of their test effort; particularly when there are many unknowns to work with. LinkedIn Profile

The Calculus of Acceptance Testing

It’s tempting to believe that acceptance testing is the straight-forward process of comparing the as-built solution to the as-required solution. Any differences discovered during testing are highlighted in defect reports and ultimately resolved through a defect resolution process. You’re done … Continue reading

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Test Envisioning

Starting a project seems to be one of the most under-rated steps when it comes to describing critical success factors for projects. A project well-launched is like a well-designed set play that comes together on the field during a game. … Continue reading

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UAT as a Gateway to Enterprise Agile

Let’s admit it. Projects that deliver enterprise solutions have barriers to being agile, especially those that are based on purchased packages (commercial off-the-shelf packages, or COTS). In my experience I’ve wrestled with at least two of those – the technical … Continue reading

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A Mandated Tool

In my current context I’m required to use a certain tool for managing the test effort; you probably know the tool. I won’t mention it by name unless the vendor pays me to, but it’s the first on the list … Continue reading

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Beyond the Agile Testing Quadrants

You can build the right product and you can build it right, and still not deliver value to the customer/user. For any number of reasons, they don’t adopt it easily, completely, or on time. You can blame them. Luddites. You … Continue reading

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UAT as a Lean Startup

User acceptance testing (UAT) – that misunderstood human activity that is squeezed from front to back by late delivery and set-in-stone go-live dates – is an opportunity to use lean tactics. The user acceptance team is a cross-functional team. An … Continue reading

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Working with Business Testers

From Nancy Kelln’s presentation at STPCon, “Leading Business Testers”, business testers: are not testers do not want to be testers require guidance and support require their expectations to be managed may be working part-time on the project and all of … Continue reading

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Feature Advocacy

Take everything you know about bug advocacy – the art of maximizing the likelihood that any given bug is fixed as per its impact on those who care about it – and direct it towards feature advocacy – the art … Continue reading

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Checklists, Refactored

Guided exploratory testing is using checklists to support and guide the exploration. In addition, it also means using those checklists as the backbone for communicating to other stakeholders on the project/initiative. I’ve started to advocate the term ‘testlists’ to replace … Continue reading

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Play Me a Song

My sister was visiting us a few weeks ago so that she might meet her new niece in person. She lives about 1500km away from us, so it’s just far enough away to make these sorts of visits infrequent. I … Continue reading

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