Test Process Improvement(tm): A Practical Step-By-Step Guide to Structured Testing

If you're new to testing this book gives a basic insight into the processes. I would read this book after reading "Software Testing Techniques: Finding the Defects that Matter " by Scott Loveland.

A well structured, compressed and to the point book that addresses all I've dreamt to establish for a well defined test process, multi-facet process improvment, and practical maturity model assessment. Thank you Tim.

This book provides a coherent process improvement approach for software testing. It provides a model that supports the assessment of strengths and weaknesses of an existing software testing process and an approach for developing and implementing remedial action to rectify the weaknesses. As such this book is not useful to organizations that have not achieved a mature and stable testing process because the model will not apply. If you are seeking a book that will get your processes stable you will find "Systematic Software Testing" by Rick D. Craig and Stefan P. Jaskiel a better place to start.However, if your processes are stable this book is among the best because it stays focused on improving the testing process and does so in the same manner that SEI's CMM does for software development. In fact, the TPI approach in this book is cross-referenced to the CMM, which gives you an approach that can be viewed as a testing maturity model that aligns nicely with the CMM (including the newer CMMI). This is one of the strong points of the book and TPI. Another thing to know about this book is that it's written more like a specification than a narrative. Some readers may find this difficult, but if you are involved in mapping the TPI key process areas to the CMM (or SPICE, Bootstrap or PSM), you'll appreciate the format. Also, the book views TPI as a subset of software process improvement, and software process improvement as a subset of TQM. While the authors focus on the software testing process, they do not isolate it from the bigger picture. This allows you to view then entire quality process as a coherent whole when you're assessing the software testing process and developing improvement strategies.I personally think this book adds considerably to the software testing body of knowledge, and that the approach the authors give is both practical and sensible. If you work in an organization that has a stable testing process or is at CMM level 2 or above this book is essential reading.

If your job is to manage the test process in your company or in a project this book will be very helpful. There are many questions in the book, which helps to find out the level of the test process in your company. You find practical hints what to do to improve your test process. These hints are not of that kind: "Use test method xy or buy test tool ABC". The hints are concrete and helpful descriptions what to do. The TPI model is especially developed for improving the test process. It supports the definition of small, controlled and practical improvement steps, based on priorities. The TPI model is independent of other Software Process Improvement models and can be used regardless of the fact whether an organisation tries to improve the total software process or just the test process. If you try to use the CMM Model to improve your test process you will soon discover that it does not offer much help. It contains too little detailed insight and it is difficult to define a gradual improvement path for the test process. The TPI model offers the necessary details and can be very helpful to reach CMM level 3 regarding testing activities.

With Test Process Improvement (TPI) one is able to add a new dimension to test activities. TPI makes it possible to show the environment what and how the test process works. TPI makes it possible to improve the test process in logical and clear steps. TPI gives the answers for the test process which CMM did for the software process. For me it is a revolution in software testing. With TPI, testing has become even more interesting, dynamic and mature. It is a pleasure to work with it.