Chapter 19. Testing: did you do it right?
Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.
W. Edwards Deming
Greg’s career began in manufacturing. The company he started with focused on using lean manufacturing techniques. Lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating waste and improving process flow when building a product. One of the people who influenced the creation of lean manufacturing was W. Edwards Deming, a noted statistician and manufacturing consultant. In his book Out of the Crisis, Deming outlines 14 points for management. One of those points appears at the beginning of this chapter and has resonated with Greg his entire career.
Building quality into the product sounds clichéd and has been overused by many marketing departments. But in an agile environment, the concept is real and tangible. Consider the following.
In an agile environment, you get the tester in the room before programming begins. The tester and the whole team try to break the product’s design before you start building. You do your best to understand the customer’s core needs before beginning production. When you do start production, you demonstrate frequently and try to prevent defects versus focusing on managing them.