Interview
Interview The Testing Manager Robin Luo
Q: What is the current status of the testing team in Nova? Could you please share some details in terms of team profile, staff introduction,
experience, and your strong suits, etc?
Robin: We have 5 members in the QA team right now. Li Siyun , Gao Chencheng,
Tang Fangfang, Yu Xiaoqin and I. Every members has his/her strongpoint. Li Siyun
was a programmer before and has the ability to gain insight into the code. Gao Chencheng
has a comprehensive knowledge background. Tang Fangfang is a careful tester and
will never miss a minor bug; Yu Xiaoqin has involved in many projects and is full
of experience. Moreover, we have accumulated a lot of experience for the understanding
the requirements of the customers and communicating with the clients, I think that
would be the core competence for the QA team.
Q: At this point, what is your goal in the near future and what is your long-term
target?
Robin: Our goal in the near future is to improve the overall testing level
of the whole test department, including improvement on testing skills and standardization
on the testing process so as to ensure higher quality of testing work. Our long-term
target is to be an independent department, delivering the testing work and QA as
a kind of service to the internal project teams, and in the meantime working on
external test projects.
Q: How about the performance on the ongoing project? How far is it from your
expectation and what are the problems?
Robin: Generally speaking, our performance on every single project is pretty
good. Qualified testing staff have ensured the quality of testing work is improved
on a continuous basis. However, some problems still exist. For instance, without
advanced testing method, our work efficiency is sometimes not high enough; execution
during the testing process is not very well performed; management on test cases
is not perfect so that the test cases haven't been made full use of; and there are
some deficiencies in testing skills including performance test, etc.
Q: Most clients pay more attention to the programmers' development capabilities.
However, it is also undoubted that testing work is indispensable in a project. What
do you think is the function of test in a project? How does the quality of testing
work have impact on the success of a project?
Robin: I think the major function of testing work in a project is to supervise
and ensure the project qualities. First off, the conception of project qualities.
I think the project qualities should comprise not only the holistic qualities of
the software design and coding, like function inerrancy, good compatibility and
fast speed, but also correct understanding on the clients' requirements and accurate
execution of the requirement as well as a good user experience, which is a fundamental
element in a successful project. Therefore, the quality of testing work will have
impact on making judgment by the testing manager, following the project schedule
successfully or not, and finally clients' satisfaction index upon the delivery of
products.
Q: How do you ensure the quality of testing work?
Robin: We standardize our daily work by establishing test procedures and
delivering daily report on our work progress. Meanwhile we keep communicating with
clients, sending feedback on a continuous basis, trying to understand the requirements
accurately, summarizing and accumulating experience for the sake of increasing clients'
satisfaction index.
Q: As a testing manager, what capabilities and qualities do you think should
the testing staff have? What is your opinion on cultivating outstanding testing
talents and correcting their shortcomings? Do you have your own methodology?
Robin: I think the testing staff should be capable of understanding the requirements,
communicating with the clients directly, and also have earnest and scrupulous working
attitude. As for how to cultivate testing talents, I am of the opinion that it is
very important to be good at observation, honestly point out the existing problems,
and encourage the internal testing staff to share their experience so as to make
everyone's learning curve steep. I'll make efforts to do this better in future.
