QW2002 Paper 4A2 Jan Grinnell (GovConnect) Reduce Overall Project Development Costs with Structured Testing

Key Points

• how to reduce project costs by using desktop software for testing processes
• Providing accountability for covering all requirements during testing
• Providing management with metrics for making informed decisions regarding implementation

Presentation Abstract

The focus on new technology today causes organizations to overlook critical basic functions that affect the quality of software, as well as impact the overall project costs. A simple approach to making a difference in these areas is structured testing - beginning with requirements definition, and ending with a postimplementation assessment. This presentation details a structured testing methodology that focuses on concepts and techniques that are valuable for both legacy systems and new development efforts.

About the Author

Jan Grinnell has an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and over 30 years of application software development life cycle management experience. Her experience spans both Federal and State Government projects as an employee and a consultant. Her current position of Testing Practice Manager for GovConnect has given her the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the current situation with State Government testing environments. Ms. Grinnell has presented her Structured Testing Methodology™ at several national conferences including Government Technology Conference (GTC) West, the National Child Support Enforcement conference, and previous GovConnect E-Gov conferences. She offers practical and cost effective solutions to complex systems testing.