4.8.08

How to Succeed with MITs

A couple of factors will influence which methods and metrics are the right ones for you to start with and which ones are the most useful to you. In fact, you most probably use some of these methods already. The first factor is the ease of implementation. Some of these methods and metrics are much easier to implement and to show a good return on the investment than others. Another factor is the development method that is being used in the project you are approaching.

Plan-driven development efforts use the same MITs methods as Agile development efforts, characterized as heavyweight and lightweight, but their goals and expectations are different. So the priorities placed on the individual MITs steps are very different.

Methods That Are Most Useful and Easiest to Implement

The following lists show the methods that have been identified as most useful. They are listed according to the respondent's perceptions of their ease of implementation.

EASIEST TO IMPLEMENT

· Bug tracking and bug-tracking metrics

· The test inventory and test coverage metrics

· Planning, path analysis, and data analysis

· MITs ranking and ranking criteria (risk analysis)

· The test estimation worksheet

· Test performance metrics

MORE DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT

· S-curves

· Test rerun automation

· Automated test plan generation