Risk Assessment: Implementation of Improvements
So, let us choose a method for analyzing quality risks as the foundation for modifications. Here are a few ideas on how to get started.
- Investigate the necessary quality risks categories, paying attention to details. Start by studying the categories that are appropriate for your system. Useful ideas about technical risks can be found in various books on the design and implementation of the type of systems you are creating, for example, client-server systems or systems based on web technologies.
- Identify key stakeholders. Who is responsible for quality and testing? Using your own vision of the structure of the business, you must select employees whose participation is necessary for you.
- Get the stakeholders to engage in risk management process. Armed with some ideas about how the system can behave incorrectly, as well as a list of people who you think are taking care of the quality of the system, you can find such key stakeholders and tell them about your considerations. Help them understand how quality risk management can help to ensure that tests will be run only on those parts of the system which really matter and avoid wasting time on the wrong areas. Inform them about the process. Point out that the process is aimed at reaching reasonable compromises regarding various risk areas such as timings, budget, the list of implementable features, and quality as well as various categories of quality risks.
Well, you might want to know more about quality risk analysis process and be advised on effective risk management tools. QA consulting companies are ready to help you acquire such valuable knowledge.
- Develop a quality risk assessment process. On obtaining the support of your stakeholders and having ideas on existing risks, begin the analysis of quality risks. If there are no internal processes now, try to start with some of the informal methods. If you are already using an informal method, apply one of the formal methods. To be able to support the process, keep it lightweight.
- Use the risk assessment for resource allocation. In one project, a test manager and his colleagues assigned the testing levels based on the risk priority numbers obtained during Failure Mode and Effect Analysis. You can also use qualitative assessment method if you feel that this is more appropriate for the situation. Coverage of a certain quality risk is not a choice between the full and no coverage. Different levels of testing are points across a continuous scale. The main idea is to use the risk level as a basis for estimating the time and resources allocated to testing in any given area of the system.