Establishment of a testing CoP at an aviation company

To be successful in the digital age, it is crucial for companies to be able to react quickly to changes and provide innovative solutions.A large aviation company has recognized this and initiated a comprehensive transformation of the digital development landscape with its "digital unit".A central component of this transformation was the establishment of a community of practice (CoP) in software testingThis case study examines the process of establishing this CoP, the challenges encountered, the solutions implemented, the successes achieved and the lessons learned.

Concept of the digital unit

The digital unit is intended to drive the development of new digital solutions within the company. It aims to fundamentally change the approach to digital provision: Away from project-oriented, siloed teams and towards customer-oriented, end-to-end capable and cross-functional teams.Within this framework, a scalable agile development model will be introduced.In the digital unit, the product teams are to assume full E2E responsibility, which requires a fundamental transformation of the testing and quality assurance processes. The community of practice was therefore much more strongly mandated than usual.

Challenges

Various challenges were identified when setting up the CoP and transforming testing:

• Different levels of maturity: The product areas and development teams had different levels of experience in testing. While some were starting from scratch, others were able to fall back on established processes and methods. Therefore, a flexible approach was needed that took these differences into account.

• Dependence on existing processes and infrastructures: The increase in speed and "shift left testing" were tied to existing processes and infrastructures. The existing infrastructure (e.g. test environments) did not meet the requirements.

• Quality expectations and E2E responsibility: The quality expectations should come from the teams themselves. The teams had to actively assume end-to-end responsibility. Quality should be an integral part of all disciplines from the start - not just testing.

• Dependencies: Testing was closely linked to existing systems, processes and the general acceptance of quality within the teams. The results and pace of other disciplines and CoPs also had an impact.

• "50 Shades of E2E": There was no complete documentation of the business processes, and the existing E2E tests were heterogeneous (scope, depth, frameworks).

• Complexity of the system landscape: The system landscape, test environments and test data were very complex.

• Requirements situation for the business processes: The requirements for the business processes were often unclear or incomplete.

Structure of the CoP

The Community of Practice in Software Testing was established to support the transformation in the area of testing and quality assurance.Its mission encompassed four main areas:

1. Community of Practice: The Community of Practice was established as a lively, integrative forum for all those interested in software testing - inside and outside the testing unit. It meets regularly for professional exchange.
2. Testing Guideline: Development of a strategy to align all testing activities and establish a uniform understanding of the principles and objectives of quality assurance. Implementation is supported by regular assessments.
3. E2E testing: Establishment and monitoring of an E2E test team for regression tests of business processes and overarching test activities. This includes the safeguarding of critical E2E business processes and the provision of services for overarching test activities such as test environment, test data, test tool, strategy, load and performance tests, accessibility tests and security tests.
4. Testing Resources: Supporting the product areas in the identification, selection and onboarding of test resources with the help of the already well-established testing department.

Measures implemented

The following key measures were implemented to meet the challenges:

• Collaborative development of a testing guideline: Joint development of the testing guideline with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

• Establishment of a dedicated E2E test team: Creation of a central team for the migration, expansion and implementation of E2E tests.

• Centralized provision of test resources: Linking the product teams to the experienced, internal test unit for needs-based support.

• Focus on quality responsibility: active involvement of stakeholders and establishment of quality assessments in the teams.

• Introduction of regular exchange formats: Establish regular CoP meetings and assessments to promote knowledge sharing.

Results and successes

The following sustainable successes were achieved through the consistent implementation of the measures:

• Established common understanding of quality: the guideline ensured a uniform orientation and a clear understanding of the test objectives in all teams.

• Demonstrably improved E2E quality: Critical business processes were reliably secured, which significantly increased stability in live operation.

• Efficient and scalable supply of resources: The product teams were able to be supplied with qualified test experts quickly and as required.

• Lived end-to-end responsibility: The teams took on noticeably more responsibility for the overall product quality.

• Established culture of continuous improvement: The regular exchange established a sustainable process for continuous optimization in the area of testing and QA.

Lessons learned

Important lessons were learned from the project:

• No green field: the teams started at very different levels. The implementation had to take these differences into account and allow for different speeds. Existing processes and infrastructures (e.g. test environments) were not designed for a digital unit and restricted speed.

• Testing is only as good as the overall development process: quality expectations should come from the teams themselves. They must actively take end-to-end responsibility. Quality should be integrated into all disciplines right from the start.

• Testing is not an island: there are many dependencies on existing systems and processes, on the general acceptance of quality and testing in the product areas and development teams, and on the results and speed of other disciplines and CoPs.

• Communication is crucial ("talk, talk, talk"): Regular exchange and alignment with stakeholders outside the CoP (e.g. other CoPs, team leads, organizations outside the digital unit) are essential to driveaccountability for E2E product quality (especially non-functional requirements).

• An agile transformation is not a sure-fire success: there are different levels of maturity in testing in teams, and E2E responsibility must really be lived and taken on. The "existing" world is not the "old" world, and the meadow is not just green (legacy systems).

• Transformation from Test Manager to Facilitator: The role of the Test Manager has changed.

• Complexity of the system landscape: The complexity of the system landscape, test environments and test data remains a challenge.

• Support from high management attention: Support from management iscrucialforsuccess.

The establishment of the community of practice within the digital unit of a large aviation company is an outstanding example of how companies can respond to the challenges of digital transformation.

By establishing a lively CoP, developing a common testing guideline, setting up an E2E test team and making efficient use of test resources, quality assurance was significantly improved and E2E responsibility in the product teams was strengthened.

The lessons learned, in particular the importance of communication, the consideration of different maturity levels and the need for strong management support, are valuable lessons for similar transformation projects.

The case study shows that success in the agile world depends not only on technological innovation, but also on the ability to share knowledge, adapt processes and establish a culture of continuous improvement.

Are you interested in agile transformation or building a community of practice in the field of software quality assurance? Feel free to contact us for a personal exchange or further information!