I recently attended a series of talks hosted by ITAG. Two of the presenters were Geoff Thompson of Experimentus Ltd and Graham Thomas, Independent Software Testing Consultant on the subject of product testing. Most of the companies there were large internationals being represented by individuals responsible for improving or introducing better testing in their projects.

I spoke with some of the representatives afterwards and one thing that struck me was the challenge they experienced while introducing change in their processes and communication style – especially when the processes have a large catchment area or were designed externally and implemented on the inside only when the ink was dry on the design. It seems that many large processes begin by design but don’t allow enough flexibility for adaption – unless the problem case is recognised in most areas netted by the process. It’s worth noting that any ‘problem’ processes companies find themselves with now usually began life as an asset – at least in some context.

We’re looking at our own internal processes at the moment and we’re lucky to be in a position to change anything that doesn’t address our internal requirements as well as the needs of our clients very quickly. We are in the business of changing requirements and a growing client base with diverse needs. I’m glad we named our flagship product Flex because it reminds us that one of our many strengths here at CGA is our ability to adapt, that we live in flux and even the best internal systems can be re-examined as conditions change.

About the Author – Jarlath Reidy