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Most test efforts that go over budget and beyond schedule were pecked to death by ducks. In other words, it’s usually not one big problem or catastrophic event that results in the budget-busting delay, but rather a series of small incidents like test environment problems and late test releases. The smart test manager knows how to count the ducks. #softwaretesting

Are you looking for ISTQB certification? In today’s competitive job market, it often helps if you have a certification on your resume. For some companies, contract requirements dictate that team members be certified in order to work on a particular contract. Other companies use certifications to make sure team members are able to communicate and work together with a standard set of terms and commonality of processes. You may have determined that a certification will help your chances for promotion. Whatever your reason, you can get your certification needs handled at STPcon. Check out the video here.

If you have been in software engineering for a while—or in fact just in the working world in general for a while—you’ve probably seen someone do something stupid with metrics. Such mistakes raise a whole bunch of interesting questions. What are the most common metrics mistakes? Why are they mistakes? Why do people make these mistakes? Are you making these mistakes? Why use metrics at all, when there are so many mistakes? In this keynote speech from the Heisenbug 2016 conference, I'll explain these mistakes, so you can avoid them.

Some crazy social implications here, but give a moment's thought to designing and running tests for this technology. What is your test oracle? What techniques do you use?

Next week, I'll be in Tokyo, working with the Japanese Software Testing Qualifications Board to help them bring ISTQB Expert Test Manager exams to Japan.  When I said, back in January, that 2017 was the Year of the Expert Test Manager, I meant it, and I'm putting my time where my mouth is. It's not too late for you to make 2017 your Year of the Expert Test Manager. Contact us today for advice on how to join this elite group of experts.

Great news for security testers and security professionals.  We now have received final accreditation of our course from the ASTQB.  Following on the excellent results from the first-ever ISTQB Advanced Security Tester course in partnership with imbus in Germany in June. As a reminder, our first delivery of this course achieved an exceptional 100% exam pass rate, as described in this quick video.

Why is this new training course so important? Lately a lot of companies and organizations are making news for all the wrong reasons. Their systems are getting hacked. These hacks can lead cause embarrassment, stock price drops, legal liability, and job losses for the responsible parties. Here at RBCS, we can help you avoid these unpleasant scenarios. Contact us today for more information about our Advanced Security Tester course, and hear more about the course in this quick video.

For folks in Europe, if you missed my inaugural Advanced Security Tester course in June, guess what? Here's another chance, in partnership with imbus. Click here to learn more.

Miss my ISTQB Advanced Security Tester course in Europe in June? Guess what? Here's another chance, in partnership with imbus. Click here to learn more.

f you have been in software engineering for a while—or in fact just in the working world in general for a while—you’ve probably seen someone do something stupid with metrics. Such mistakes raise a whole bunch of interesting questions. What are the most common metrics mistakes? Why are they mistakes? Why do people make these mistakes? Are you making these mistakes? Why use metrics at all, when there are so many mistakes? In this recorded webinar, I'll give real-world examples of these mistakes, explain the management and economic theories behind metrics, and help you find ways to implement metrics that aren’t stupid.

Need more help with metrics? Contact us. We just worked with a client and identified around $15,000,000 in efficiency improvements using their incident metrics, a 1000x return on the cost of having us come in and do the work.

Just in time for the US Independence Day holiday, my thirteenth book, Agile Testing Foundations, is available now. Agile testers, developers, scrum masters, test managers, product owners, and candidates for the ISTQB Agile Tester Foundation exam, this book is for you. I thank my co-authors for their hard work on this book with me.

Wondering what's next?  Well, book number fourteen, Mobile Testing Foundations, will be out later this year. It covers the ASTQB Certified Mobile Tester exam, and is currently in the review process. 

If you are testing mobile devices and mobile apps--and, at this point, who isn't?--you'll have another useful resource by the end of this year.  You're welcome.