How do you ensure alignment and consistency of testing standards and processes across multiple scrum teams?

@kellietyler: I’ve found a little bit of both to be effective. During planning, just like Acceptance Criteria, giving the team visibility into the tests that are scheduled in that iteration gives a window for making sure QA and the rest of the team are using the same lens to view current work. Then, once the stories are complete, reviewing tests along with AC helps close the loop, and helps bring the whole team into alignment a lot faster.

I agree with most of this but am confused about “approve tests.” Does this mean someone needs to approve that the tests are the right ones to run? Or, does it mean that once the tests have been run, someone like the product owner approves the feature as “done”?

First, how do you know the various scrum teams have similar needs? It is entirely possible they do not, and testing will differ. Second, are the other parts of scrum teams all in alighment (user stories, or Dev or Architecture? If so testing will likely be in alignment. If not, testing may have no choice but to differ. Third, results matter. Establish quality criteria for results, measure and publish, then encourge the testers across the teams to talk to each other, just like the manefesto encourages. With common quality criteria, and collaboration I predict they will soon be in alignment. Everyone will adopt what works from each other. You can even occasionally swap some testers around for both cross training and cross teaching.

Visibility During Planning: Provide the team with visibility into scheduled tests during the planning phase. Ensure that QA and the rest of the team have a shared understanding by aligning on tests for the iteration. Alignment with Acceptance Criteria: Integrate tests with Acceptance Criteria (AC) during the planning phase. Review tests and AC together once stories are complete to ensure alignment and understanding across the team. Closing the Loop: After stories are complete, the joint review of tests and AC helps in closing the loop. This collaborative review accelerates team alignment and understanding.

Handling and coordinating so many Scrum teams demands a proper structured approach, including clear communication channels, arranged sprint cycles and consistent collaborative sessions such as Scrum of Scrums meetings. It's important to establish a common Product Backlog, give a lot of importance to transparency rather than shared work, and look after the dependencies to promote successful cross-team collaboration.

Create a test ecosystem that integrates best practices, tools, and processes visible to all. - Define Common Standards: Coding standards for tests, test naming conventions, and documentation standards. - Tool Integration: Leverage tools like Jira, TestRail or Xray, Jenkins or Github Actions, Cypress or Playwright, Appium with results appearing in your test management tool and Slack. - Training: Organize sessions to familiarize all teams with the testing tools. - Documentation: Ensure all tools configurations and procedures are well documented and easily accessible to all team members. - Continuous Improvement: Make it easy for teams to provide feedback on the testing processes and tools. Use feedback to evolve testing practices.

:= Develop consistent testing procedures covering planning, design, execution, reporting, and automation for all scrum teams. := Define common testing tools, frameworks, and environments to ensure compatibility and integration across teams. := Utilize checklists, templates, and best practices for documenting and sharing guidelines, promoting alignment and adherence

Establishing testing guidelines and procedures within Scrum teams involves defining clear objectives and criteria for testing activities. It's crucial to ensure consistency and efficiency across teams by standardizing testing processes and protocols. Collaboration between developers, testers, and stakeholders is essential for effective testing implementation. Continuous improvement is key, necessitating regular reviews and refinements of testing guidelines based on feedback and project requirements. Providing adequate training and resources to team members ensures they have the necessary skills to adhere to testing procedures effectively.

To ensure testing standards and processes are consistent across multiple scrum teams, facilitate effective collaboration and communication. Using scrum ceremonies, test reviews, defect management systems, and dashboards are crucial. It's also vital to cultivate a culture of excellence, continuous learning, and improvement in testing practices. Encourage teams to share knowledge and experiences, which strengthens testing strategies and outcomes across projects. My personal experience has shown that when teams communicate and share insights regularly, it significantly enhances the alignment and effectiveness of testing efforts.

1. Facilitate testing collaboration and communication among scrum teams and stakeholders to address testing issues, risks, dependencies, and feedback promptly. ????? 2. Use scrum ceremonies, test reviews, defect management, and dashboards to enhance collaboration and communication in testing. ????? 3. Encourage a culture of testing excellence, learning, and improvement across scrum teams. Share testing knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned to continually elevate testing practices. ????

Ensuring alignment and consistency of testing standards across multiple Scrum teams requires a strategic approach. Start by defining standardized testing processes and terminology, documenting them for reference. Encourage cross-team collaboration and knowledge sharing through regular meetings and workshops. Promote the use of shared testing tools, technologies, and consistent test data. Establish a common Definition of Done, including specific testing criteria. Conduct cross-team training sessions and incorporate testing-related topics in regular retrospectives. Coordinate release planning activities to synchronize testing efforts, and implement a Scrum of Scrums approach for higher-level coordination.

Monitoring and measuring testing performance and quality involves establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the effectiveness of testing activities. These metrics may include test coverage, defect density, test execution time, and customer satisfaction with the product's quality. Regularly analyzing these metrics allows teams to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance testing processes. It's important to ensure that the selected metrics align with the project goals and objectives, providing meaningful insights into the overall quality of the software being developed.

As a Software QA Engineer, leveraging metrics and tools like Jira and Jenkins is key to optimizing testing performance. These resources aid in assessing efficiency, identifying improvement areas, fostering continuous enhancement, and maintaining high testing standards aligned with project objectives. Regular retrospectives further support this by enabling ongoing process refinement.

Ensuring alignment and consistency of testing standards across multiple Scrum teams requires a proactive approach rooted in communication, collaboration, and shared best practices. In my experience, regular cross-team meetings and workshops play a crucial role. These sessions facilitate discussions on testing methodologies, tools, and processes, allowing teams to align on standards. Documenting agreed-upon practices in a centralized repository ensures visibility and accessibility. Additionally, having designated quality advocates or representatives from each team fosters continuous improvement and helps address any discrepancies promptly