Gathering and Modelling Software Requirements (Course Ref: SS-02)

• Dates: Tue 8th & Wed 9th July 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €320, Non members €500
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Overview

This workshop course teaches students how to create, elaborate and review business, user, and software requirements. The course includes best practices for eliciting, analyzing, specifying and verifying requirements. Students also learn how to decompose requirements into features, and how to deal with changes after sign-off.

Audience

Software Process Architects, QA/Test Managers, Development Managers, Business Analysts, QA User Testers, Software Developers, Project Managers, QA Code Testers, User Education Specialists

At course completion

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Recognise stakeholder patterns
• Review and update specs
• Define vision and scope
• Discuss specs in feature teams
• Elicit and articulate requirements
• Deal with open issues
• Analyze and prioritize
• Create traceability of spec items
• Decide on the benefits of prototyping
• Design a proper repository for documents

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to requirements engineering
Problems, objectives, requirements and specifications
Classification of requirement types
Business requirements
User requirements
Software requirements

Module 2: Requirements framework
The requirements development pipeline
Integration of requirements in the SDLC
Dealing with unknown needs
Tailoring the process for Agile environments
Traceability and metrics

Module 3: Project scope and business requirements
Defining the business context
Breaking the scope into logical sets of capabilities
Assigning and agreeing upon stakeholder roles
Building the business case
Establishing business areas, goals and requirements
Framing requirements to support business strategy and customer justification.

Module 4: Elicitation
Identification of sources
Identification of stakeholders
Requirements workshops
Elicitation techniques
The voice of the customer

Module 5: Analysis
Requirements prioritization and scrubbing
Improving requirements through prototyping
Bridging from existing to new functionality using a gap analysis
Engineering assessment

Module 6: Specification
Use case development
Requirements for multiple audiences
Document layout and structure
Non-functional requirements

Module 7: Validation and verification
Review sessions and fit criteria
Dealing with dependencies and inconsistencies
Verification through test case design
Negotiating conflicting requirements

Module 8: Requirements management
Storage and privileges
Linking and accessing requirements
Version control and addendums
Making requirements traceable

Module 9: Requirements breakdown
From requirements to feature breakdowns
Software development planning
Organization of spec items
Committing features to releases

Module 10: Managing changes
Dealing with new ideas
Sources of requirements changes
Controlling and enabling change
Mechanisms to support triaging

Module 11: Tools support
Available tools
Evaluation criteria
Case: Atlassian Confluence wiki

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Software Product Management (Course Ref: SS-03)

• Dates: Tue 24th & Wed 25th June 2008   NEW DATE
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €350, Non members €700
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Effective product management is imperative to all software companies, both small and large. Successful products attract the best sales and attract the right talent to your organisation to ensure that growth and success continues.

A 2-day course in modular format with interactive sessions, sharing real-life experiences to develop a new vision for Product Management.

Aims

• How to share a singular vision for your markets and product across the company
• Creating and sharing the customer value proposition
• Achieving shared product ownership across the organisation
• Using the Product Roadmap to reassure and excite your customers
• Matching business resource plans to your product life-cycles

Objectives

This course gives Product Management professionals the tools needed to drive revenue growth in their organisations through market-led product strategy, positioning the organisations solutions to deliver on their maximum market potential.

Through the introduction of the programme process, this course will show how product management creates a focus on customer need, prioritising resources and planning across the organisation, aligning the goals of the sales, marketing, services and product development departments.

Day 1

• Introduction - What is Product Management
• The role of the Product Manager
• Key Components of Product Management (Evaluation, Delivery, Go-To-Market, Measurement)
• Self-Assessment
• Games and Case Studies

Day 2

• Product Lifecycle Management
• Introduction to Product Programmes
• Making it work
• How to manage products and achieve change through programmes
• Developing a Product Management Action Plan
• Survival Kit for Product Management

Who Should Attend?

The course is designed for Product Managers and Product Marketing Managers as well as Directors of Sales, Marketing, Product, CTOs and other executives interested in harnessing the value of product management in their companies.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Selling Into Large Organisations (Course Ref: SS-04)

• Dates: Tue 17th & Wed 18th June 08
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €320, Non members €700
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

This "Selling Into Large Organisations" course will be a highly focused approach for Software Skillnet and will centre on the current business issues that confront the existing mix of Sales Executives, Account Managers and Product Managers in relation to selling, opportunity-qualifying, contract gain and implementation processes.

The overall programme will emphasise the professional, people-to-people elements of selling in to large organisations - Prospecting Intelligently, Qualifying Pipelines, Building (and maintaining) Relationships, using Advanced Communication Skills and understanding the importance of driving the pipeline opportunities forward against the buyers 'Decision Criteria' in a professional manner. Most importantly, this programme will look at the sales process from the buyers' viewpoint - and concentrates on having as much clarity as possible as to what the decision criteria is all about within each sales opportunity. Throughout the programme the fundamental concepts of leading sales techniques are examined and compared.

Ideal role of participant:

Any sales person who is or will be selling complex products or services, 'big ticket' sales or any product or service that is strategic to the growth of participating company. It is suitable for new sales people or those who have been selling for some time but who feel that the basic skills that they were previously taught could be revisited.

Attendee will learn How To:

• Adopt a systematic and strategic approach to selling and gaining new business.
• Understand the sales skills required for success in the ICT technologies and services marketplace.
• Understand the importance of rigorous qualification.
• Be better able to recognise and influence the decision criteria (why people buy).
• Develop an 'Account Development & Protection' approach to selling.
• Be better able to negotiate a professional outcome that is right for the customer and the supplier.
• Be more objective and self-disciplined in setting sales objectives, managing 'time' and forecasting

Content

1. Selling Software Products & Services
   • The Changing Role of the S/W salesperson
   • The Purpose & The Objective of Selling
   • The 'Long' Sell V The 'Short' Sell
   • The Trusted Advisor Role
2. The Buying/Selling Process
   • The Buyers Cycle
   • The Salesperson's Response
   • The Professional Sales Call - SAPO
3. Planning & Preparation
   • Understanding Your ISPs
   • Value Statement Libraries
   • Juran's 'Truth
4. Prospecting and Getting The Appointment
   • Prospecting Techniques
   • Getting the Appointment
5. Qualification Techniques (and how to use them)
   • Qualifying & Long Term Assessment
   • Is it worth it? / Can I Win?
   • The Sales Funnel
   • Pipeline Management
   • The 5 Keys to Sales Effectiveness
6. Selling to 'Different' Customer Types
   • Buyer Types/Buyer Motives
   • Deciding on Your Response
   • The Customer Relationship
   • Understanding Organisational Needs and Personal
7. Communicating During The Needs Analysis Process
   • Understanding Sales Communication Skills
   • Working With The Buyer's Perception
   • Questioning/Listening To Influence
   • The 'PI' Questioning Technique
8. Decision Criteria (Why 'buyers' Buy)
   • How To Influence The Decision Process
   • Handling Customer Concerns
   • Report Writing & Responding To ITTs, RFPs RFIs etc
9. Gaining The Order
   • Closing - How Important Is It?
   • Getting Commitment
   • The Fear Of Rejection
10. Professional Negotiating (Win-Win)
    • The Process of Negotiation
    • Difference between Selling and Negotiation
    • The Fundamentals Of Why Negotiations Fail
    • The Psychology Of Bargaining
    • Tricks & Tactics
    • Tips and Techniques
11. Account Management & Protection
    • Managing Perceptions and Expectations
    • Exploiting Good Customer Service
    • Territory & Account Responsibilities
12. Account Development Strategies (ADS)
    • Determine the Factors - Plus and Minus - that affect the Outcome of your Sales
    • Develop Strategies that Maximise your Market Penetration and Protect your Existing Accounts
    • How to Sell in Partnership with each Account, Establish Calls and Long Term Business Objectives for New accounts

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Implementing Agile Methodology (Course Ref: SS-05)

• Dates: Thu 3rd & Fri 4th July 08
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €580, Non members €1200
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Overview

10 years ago the word “Agile” for a software development process had not been coined. 5 years ago a few early adopters were reporting successful projects. Today many organizations – some traditionally very conservative – are adopting an agile process. Why?

As the pace of change in the wider business world accelerates, the inventory of legacy systems grows and the desire to create business advantage through IT strengthens, many organizations have come under pressure to find a better way to deliver systems.

Agile offers the potential to create a software delivery vehicle that responds much faster and works more effectively with the wider business environment.

Audience and prerequisites

This course is applicable to people in any role involved with software development, including senior managers, team leads, project managers, programmers, testers and business analysts.

The course illustrates the theory and practice of agile software development so previous involvement in software projects is a prerequisite.

Some modules cover technical ground but the objective in each is to illustrate in broad terms how the technique works. Deep technical understanding will therefore not be required.

Format

The course blends tutorial, class discussion, question and answer sessions, and demonstrations/ simulations.

Objectives

• Learn why agile development has come to the fore in the last decade
• Understand the fundamental mindset shift behind agile processes
• Explore the problems and opportunities agile processes present
• Learn the advances in technical and management practices that act as enablers for agile processes

Contents

• Potential benefits of an agile approach
  • Earlier ROI
  • Lower failure risk
  • Better project management
  • Closer customer relationship
  • Higher quality
  • Greater sustainability
  • More appropriate deliverables
  • Caveat: “there are no silver bullets”
• Comparison with traditional (waterfall-inspired) processes
  • Comparing process models
  • Differences in value streams
  • Managing issues with rework
• Common features of agile processes
  • Dividing projects into iterations
  • Timeboxing
  • Regular planning
  • Requirements are the primary units of work
  • Emphasis on quality, sustainability
• Requirements handling
  • “Stories”: the units of requirements
  • Stories as placeholders and as units of work
  • Scope minimization
  • Acceptance criteria
  • Handling dependencies
  • Estimation
• Iteration management
  • Iteration planning
  • Prioritization
  • Requirements queues
  • Iteration tracking
  • Development velocity
  • Burn-down charts
  • Tracking stories in play
  • States of a story (queued, played, in progress, done)
• The Scrum process
  • Scrum process walk-through
  • Terminology primer
  • Scrum roles
• Scrum process simulation
  • Learn more about the Scrum process by trying it on a non-technical mini-project
• Efficiency and effectiveness
  • The cost of context switching
  • Being on only 1 team at a time
  • Working on only 1 thing at a time
  • Why that doesn't imply working on only 1 project at a time
  • Finishing each task before starting another
  • Minimizing the scope of each task
  • Tracking each task
  • Working directly with others
  • Avoiding intermediate work-products
  • Having work-products do double duty
• Leading edge technical practices
  • Flattening the cost of change curve
  • Unit test-driven development
  • Acceptance test-driven development
  • Refactoring
  • Continuous integration
• Process mapping and agile adoption
  • Mapping what you have to an agile process
  • The adoption process
  • Best practices, pitfalls and case studies

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Prince 2 Foundation (Course Ref: SS-08)

• Dates: Mon 16th – Wed 18th June 08  NEW DATE
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.00am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €580, Non members €1100
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: €175 per person
• Exam Date: 18th June 2008
• Max. number of participants: 8

Overview

PRINCE2™ (Projects IN a Controlled Environment) is a leading edge approach to managing projects. With the launch of PRINCE2™ also came its recognition as the de facto standard for managing projects, not just in the IT/IS environment, but for projects of any size and complexity, run in any industry sector. In support of this recognition, The APM Group offer a certification programme accredited by UKAS on behalf of OGC. This course conforms to the syllabus set down by the APM Group for delegates wishing to gain PRINCE2 Foundation certification. ESMI is accredited for PRINCE2.

Target Student

This is an intensive three-day course leading to delegates sitting the PRINCE2™ Foundation examination on the final day. This course is aimed at anyone wishing to gain the qualification and needing to understand the terminology and principles behind the method.

This course would benefit:

• Project Managers
• General Managers
• Programme Managers
• Project Team Managers and support staff
• Staff who will have a defined role
• Project Management Consultants

Delivery Method

Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities. The course has a significant aspect of syndicate work in a case study environment; to give a sound understanding of project based work according to PRINCE2™. The course also prepares the candidate for the examination, which leads to the Foundation Certificate in Project Management, administered by the APM Group.

Course Content:

This course follows the syllabus set down by the APM Group in order to prepare delegates to pass the PRINCE2™ Foundation Paper.

Day 1:

• Introduction to Project Management
• Overview of PRINCE2™
• Starting up a project
• The Project Management Team

Day 2:

• Initiating a project
• The Business Case
• Risk and Quality Management
• All aspects of Planning
• Controls

Day 3:

• Managing Stage Boundaries
• Quality in a PE Controlling a Stage
• Managing Product Delivery
• Change Control
• Configuration Management and Project Closure
• Foundation Exam

Documentation:

Comprehensive course documentation is provided, including a copy of the OGC’s “Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2” Examination Preparation: Delegates must undertake a period of self-study using materials provided before the course. In addition there is a requirement for evening work to be completed throughout the course. The Foundation examination, a one-hour multiple choice questionnaire exam, takes place in the afternoon of the third day.

Performance-Based Objectives

Lesson objectives help students become comfortable with the course, and also provide a means to evaluate learning.

Upon successful completion of this course, students have:

• Gained a basic knowledge and understanding of project management and project-based work.
• Identified the difference between a project and a process.
• Been introduced to the components, elements and processes of PRINCE2™ and the relationships that bind them together.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Prince 2 Practitioner Upgrade (Course Ref: SS-09)

• Dates: Thu 19th - Fri 20th June 08   NEW DATE
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.00am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €400, Non members €900
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: €175 per person
• Exam Date: 20th June 2008
• Max. number of participants: 8

Overview:

PRINCE2™ (Projects IN a Controlled Environment) is a leading edge approach to managing projects. With the launch of PRINCE2™ also came its recognition as the de facto standard for managing projects, not just in the IT/IS environment, but for projects of any size and complexity, run in any industry sector. In support of this recognition, The APM Group offer a certification programme accredited by UKAS on behalf of OGC. ESMI are accredited to run the PRINCE 2 Practitioner. This course conforms to the syllabus set down by the APM Group for delegates wishing to gain PRINCE2™ Practitioner certification.

Target Student:

This course is aimed at anyone wishing to gain the qualification, ideally having already attended the PRINCE2™ Foundation course.

This course would benefit:

• Project Managers
• General Managers
• Programme Managers
• Project Team Managers and support staff
• Staff who will have a defined role
• Project Management Consultants

Delivery Method:

Instructor-led, group-paced, classroom-delivery learning model with structured hands-on activities. The course prepares the candidate for the examination, which leads to the Practitioners Certificate in Project Management, administered by the APM Group.

Course Content:

This course covers a high level overview of the qualification syllabus set down by the APM Group. Delegates are given past exams papers to practice exam technique in order to prepare delegates to sit the PRINCE2™ Practitioner Paper.

Day 1:

• Review of PRINCE2™
• Case Study Exercises
• Practitioner Exam Techniques

Day 2:

• Exam Preparation
• Practitioner Exam

Documentation:

Comprehensive course documentation is provided, including a copy of the OGC’s “Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2”

Pre-Requisites:

Delegates will need a good understanding of PRINCE2™ and have attended the PRINCE2™ Foundation course first. Anyone sitting the PRINCE2™ Practitioner examination must have passed the PRINCE2™ Foundation examination. Examination Preparation: Delegates must undertake a period of self-study using materials provided before the course. In addition there is a requirement for evening work to be completed throughout the course. The Practitioner examination, a three-hour written paper, takes place in the afternoon of the second day.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Communications for non Irish Technical Professionals (Ref: SS-11)

• Dates: Autumn 2008 (Date tbc)
• Venue: Dublin, Carr Communications, Northumberland Road
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €420, Non members €900
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Course Objective

Foreign nationals coming to live and work in Ireland face many challenges to adapt and succeed in the Irish working environment. In addition to learning to operate in a new language (or version of English), overseas employees must also adjust to new social and business practices. An employee selected for an international assignment may be extremely competent and successful in their home country environment - where they know all the rules, subtleties and nuances of interacting on both a social and professional level. This, however, may not be the case when they are seconded to Ireland. A new set of rules has to be learnt and assimilated with failure to do so possibly impacting on their professional and personal life. The aim of this course is to equip participants with the skills to communicate effectively while managing cultural differences.

Participant Types

Any non Irish Individual who would like to advance their communication skills and gain insight into Irish culture and society.

Course modules include but are not confined to:

• Understanding what makes good communication
• Listening skills
• Intercultural communication
• Getting things done the 'Irish' way
• History of Ireland and Irish social cultures

At the end of this course participants will:

• Be able to identify what to concentrate on in preparing for a piece of communication.
• Take away from the session clear preparation guidelines.
• Know how to structure and pace speech for maximum impact
• Understand the value of strong opening and closing elements in presentation and communication scenarios
• Be able to choose examples and illustrations to create understanding
• Know how to handle complex data to achieve clarity and comprehension
• Be able to deal effectively with questions and comments
• Know how to communicate effectively, internally and externally
• Be able to listen effectively
• Use visuals aids, including PowerPoint, to best effect
• Be able to cope with nerves, problems with delivery and issues relating to personal presentation
• Have a developed insight and understanding into the Irish culture

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Staff Appraisals (Course Ref: SS-14)

• Dates: Tue 1st July 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €160, Non members €350
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Performance appraisals are essential for the effective management and evaluation of staff. Appraisals help develop individuals, improve organizational performance, and feed into business planning. The activity is a two-way process and both parties should be able to have frank exchange of views on past performance, how appraisees can improve their performance, the support they need and their aspirations for their future career. This course will develop the key skills needed to give appraisals in a way that enhances employee motivation, increases productivity and makes the appraisal process stress-free. Emphasis is on people-to-people communication and attendees will learn how a coaching approach can be used to gain commitment from those they are apprising.

Ideal Role of Participant

The course is applicable to anyone from companies introducing an appraisal process or those from companies with an established appraisal process and want to develop their appraisal skills.

By The End of the Course Delegates Will Be Able To:

Give appraisals in a way that clarifies performance requirements, develops motivation, increases productivity and makes the appraisal process stress-free.

Content

Introduction

• Why do Appraisals?
• Structuring an Appraisal
• Preparing for The Appraisal
• Identifying Development Needs

Communicating in The Appraisal

• Building Rapport and Trust
• Listening & Questioning
• Positive Feedback Skills
• Critical Feedback Skills
• Clarifying Performance Expectations

Gaining Commitment and Agreement

• Increasing Motivation
• Using A Coaching Approach
• The GROW Model

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Effective Technical Writing (Course Ref: SS-16)

• Dates: Mon 23rd June 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €160, Non members €400
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

The aim of this course is to develop awareness of and skill in, writing about technical subjects, so that any form of written communication is clear and easy to understand. The course comprises a combination of lectures and workshops.

Who Should Attend:

• Technical professionals

Attendee will learn:

• Create a logical, well-argued structure for any piece of communication
• Write clear paragraphs and sentences with greater ease
• Correct and edit difficult sections of text
• Make use of the conventions governing the basic forms in the technical genre
• Produce communicative tables and figures and use layout effectively in a document
• Use punctuation correctly
• Avoid the most common grammatical errors

Content

Development Strategies

• Forming a Point of View
• Identifying Audiences and Purposes
• Writing as a team

Forms of Professional Communication

• The Writing Cycle - From Pre-Feasibility to Documentation
• Basic features of a Report
• The Proposal and Terms of Reference
• Manuals and Documentation

Skill in Writing

• Choosing the right word
• Listing in parallel
• Simplifying sentence structure
• Writing Paragraphs
• Editing for Emphasis

Production Elements

• Visual Aids
• Proof-Reading
• A Guide to Punctuation and Grammar

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Java Technologies Advanced Practitioner (Course Ref: SS-17)

• Dates: Wed 4th – Fri 6th June 08
• Venue: Dublin, Guinness Enterprise Centre
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €580, Non members €1100
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Outline

This course is for programmers with a good basic knowledge of Java, and is designed to introduce more advanced features related to the language, as well as some of the commonly used frameworks available to aid in application development. The topics listed here are available to be selected for inclusion in the course depending on specific requirements that delegates may have, or particular areas that customers may wish to explore. It is unlikely that all of the topics could be covered in a single course. We can of course provide advice as to any dependencies amongst the topics.

Training Course Prerequisites

The training course assumes that delegates are already programmers. They will already understand the need for flow control, variables, operators and functions, and indeed have used them in other language contexts.

FORMAT

This training course combines lectures with practical exercises that help the delegates to put what they have learned on the training course into practice. The exercises specifically build on what has been recently taught and are built up as the training course progresses.

OUTLINE CONTENTS

Topics covered:

• Effective use of exceptions;
• Reflection, class loading and their use in constructing flexible, dynamic applications;
• Tuning and interacting with the Java VM Garbage Collector;
• Building effective multithreaded applications;
• Advanced concurrency features in Java 5;
• Programming with Generics;
• Instrumenting Java applications for management and performance monitoring;
• Java performance hints and tips;
• Unit testing using JUnit;
• Design Patterns and Java;
• Persistence using the Java Persistence Architecture and Hibernate;
• Building applications using the Spring framework;
• Spring MVC as a framework for web applications;
• Introduction to Aspect Oriented Programming with Java;

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Recent Trends in AJAX technology, David Crane Masterclass (Course Ref: SS-19)

• Dates: Thu 26th June 2008
• Venue: Cork, Cork International Airport Hotel
• Times: 8.30am – 1.00pm
• Fee: Members €50, Non members €80
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 60

Course Overview

David Crane of Neueda Technologies will address recent trends in Ajax technology, and look at how Ajax has disrupted the world of web development in terms of the programming model, client- and server-side architectures, user interface and workflow, and the market for web applications. Several hands-on examples and demonstrations will be provided, including the use of 'mash-ups' to access public web services from within your application, and how to push data from the server to the browser."

Presenter

Dave Crane, author of Ajax in Action and well known expert in the field of DHTML and Ajax development on digital TV set-top boxes, in home automation and banking and financial systems, designed, developed and regularly delivers intensive and highly practical Ajax training courses. Ajax exploded on the scene in the spring of 2005 when a web site defined the term and Google released Google Maps and GMail, powerful examples of what Ajax can do. Ajax uses familiar web technologies - DHTML, CSS, DOM, and JavaScript - in radically different ways resulting in a much richer user experience.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Recent Trends in AJAX technology, David Crane Masterclass (Course Ref: SS-20)

• Dates: Wed 25th June 08
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 2.00pm – 6.00pm
• Fee: Members €50, Non members €80
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 40

Course Overview

David Crane of Neueda Technologies will address recent trends in Ajax technology, and look at how Ajax has disrupted the world of web development in terms of the programming model, client- and server-side architectures, user interface and workflow, and the market for web applications. Several hands-on examples and demonstrations will be provided, including the use of 'mash-ups' to access public web services from within your application, and how to push data from the server to the browser."

Presenter

Dave Crane, author of Ajax in Action and well known expert in the field of DHTML and Ajax development on digital TV set-top boxes, in home automation and banking and financial systems, designed, developed and regularly delivers intensive and highly practical Ajax training courses. Ajax exploded on the scene in the spring of 2005 when a web site defined the term and Google released Google Maps and GMail, powerful examples of what Ajax can do. Ajax uses familiar web technologies - DHTML, CSS, DOM, and JavaScript - in radically different ways resulting in a much richer user experience.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Software testing ISTQB Foundation Course (Course Ref: SS-21)

• Dates: Tue 29th – Thu 31st July 2008
• Venue: Cork, Cork International Airport Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €580, Non members €1100
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: €180
• Exam Date: 31st July 2008
• Max. number of participants:12

Background & Objectives

The ISTQB was officially founded as an International Testing Qualifications Board in Edinburgh in November 2002, by members of the ISEB Software testing Board together with representatives from other countries. The idea and proposal for the ISTQB, stemmed from the original ISEB view of Software Testing and the need for an international Software Testing Qualification. The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) role is to support a single, universally accepted, international qualification scheme, aimed at software and system testing professionals. The ISTQB Foundation certificate is awarded to all those who successfully complete a one-hour, multiple choice examination. The examination is externally set and invigilated by ISEB. In the future it is anticipated that there will be an advanced ISTQB level comparable to ISEB Practitioner but for now the ISEB Practitioner remains as the key advanced test certification.

Who Should Attend

• Quality analysts
• Testers
• Developers
• Systems analysts
• Project leaders
• Users
• Data administrators

No specific prerequisites are assumed. Attendees are expected to be 'software knowledgeable' with some minimal test of software experience.

Benefits of Attending

Those attending the course will learn:

• The fundamental principles of Software Testing
• How testing fits into the development lifecycle
• The importance of test process, objectives, techniques and tools
• Essential functional and non-functional test methods
• Basic test design and measurement techniques
• Fundamental test management principles
• How to select and implement tools effectively

Programme

• Introduction
  • Fundamentals of Testing
  • Why is testing necessary?
  • What is testing?
  • General testing principles
  • Fundamental test process
  • The psychology of testing
• Part Two: Testing through the lifecycle
  • Software development models
  • Test levels
  • Test types – the targets of testing
  • Maintenance testing
• Part Three: Static Reviews
  • Reviews and the test process
  • Review process
  • Static analysis by tools
• Part Four: Test design techniques
  • Identifying test conditions and designing test cases
  • Categories of test design techniques
  • Specification-based or black-box techniques
  • Structure-based or white-box techniques
  • Experience-based techniques
• Part Five: Test Management
  • Test Organisation
  • Test planning and estimation
  • Test process monitoring and control
  • Configuration Management
  • Risk and Testing
  • Incident Management
• Part Six: Tool Support for Testing
  • Types of test tool
  • Effective use of tools: potential benefits and risks
  • Introduction of a tool into an organisation
• Examination Coaching
  • ISTQB examination - Externally invigilated by ISEB

This comprehensive introduction to software testing provides you with the knowledge and expertise to undertake the ISTQB examination for the Foundation Certificate offered at the end of the third day.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 .NET Futures, Dave Sussman Masterclass (Course Ref: SS-24)

• Dates: Tue 20th May 08
• Venue: Dublin, Clarion Hotel, IFSC
• Times: 2.00pm – 6.00pm
• Fee: Members €50, Non members €80
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 40

Objectives

Keeping up with the fast pace of product change is hard for anyone, let alone developers whose full time job is write and maintain software. In an environment where it is not practical to trial new products, let alone beta software, it's still important to keep abreast of new and upcoming technologies. This seminar concentrates on the new features found in Microsoft's ASP.NET, looking at Visual Studio 2008, new data query capabilities, and next generation media experiences.

Who should attend

Developers wishing to gain an insight into how ASP.NET and data access methodologies are changing in new and future releases. Many of the topics shown will have an important impact on how Web applications are created and architected. Attendees should have basic knowledge of ASP.NET and Visual Studio

Content

What's New in Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio 2008, currently in beta but due for release before Christmas, contains a number of enhancements to make it the number one tool for developers, including enhanced JavaScript support, new controls, an enhanced designer with good CSS supoprt, and multi-targeting.
New Language Features
.NET 3.5 brings new language features, including LINQ, anonymous types, type inference, object initialisers and extension methods.
ASP.NET Dynamic Data Controls
Currently in beta in the ASP.NET Ajax Futures, the Dynamic Data Controls provide automatic scaffolding for data driven websites. A new version of these provides unrivalled flexibility for allowing data pages to be created with minimal code.
Language Integrated Query and Entity Data Framework
Object Relationship Mapping provides an object-based interface to data and is a common feature of many development projects. The Entity Data Framework (EDF) is Microsoft's solution to object mapping, and Language Integrated Query (LINQ) provides simple data querying directly from within C# and VB.
ASP.NET MVC Framework
The ASP.NET postback model was a radical step for web applications when it was released, and is now commonplace. Applications however, are becoming more complex, and provides some challenges to testing. The new ASP.NET Model View Controller (MVC) framework provides a clear separation between the aspects of ASP.NET pages, allowing for cleaner code, easier and faster testing, and powerful and flexible URL mapping.
ASP.NET and Silverlight
Silverlight allows Web applications to deliver the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. While much of the focus has been on media experiences, Silverlight also integrates with ASP.NET, allowing interaction with server controls, providing richer user experiences.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 .NET Futures, Dave Sussman Masterclass (Course Ref: SS-25)

• Dates: Wed 21st May 08
• Venue: Cork, Cork International Airport Hotel
• Times: 2.00pm – 6.00pm
• Fee: Members €50, Non members €80
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 60

Objectives

Keeping up with the fast pace of product change is hard for anyone, let alone developers whose full time job is write and maintain software. In an environment where it is not practical to trial new products, let alone beta software, it's still important to keep abreast of new and upcoming technologies. This seminar concentrates on the new features found in Microsoft's ASP.NET, looking at Visual Studio 2008, new data query capabilities, and next generation media experiences.

Who should attend

Developers wishing to gain an insight into how ASP.NET and data access methodologies are changing in new and future releases. Many of the topics shown will have an important impact on how Web applications are created and architected. Attendees should have basic knowledge of ASP.NET and Visual Studio

Content

What's New in Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio 2008, currently in beta but due for release before Christmas, contains a number of enhancements to make it the number one tool for developers, including enhanced JavaScript support, new controls, an enhanced designer with good CSS supoprt, and multi-targeting.
New Language Features
.NET 3.5 brings new language features, including LINQ, anonymous types, type inference, object initialisers and extension methods.
ASP.NET Dynamic Data Controls
Currently in beta in the ASP.NET Ajax Futures, the Dynamic Data Controls provide automatic scaffolding for data driven websites. A new version of these provides unrivalled flexibility for allowing data pages to be created with minimal code.
Language Integrated Query and Entity Data Framework
Object Relationship Mapping provides an object-based interface to data and is a common feature of many development projects. The Entity Data Framework (EDF) is Microsoft's solution to object mapping, and Language Integrated Query (LINQ) provides simple data querying directly from within C# and VB.
ASP.NET MVC Framework
The ASP.NET postback model was a radical step for web applications when it was released, and is now commonplace. Applications however, are becoming more complex, and provides some challenges to testing. The new ASP.NET Model View Controller (MVC) framework provides a clear separation between the aspects of ASP.NET pages, allowing for cleaner code, easier and faster testing, and powerful and flexible URL mapping.
ASP.NET and Silverlight
Silverlight allows Web applications to deliver the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. While much of the focus has been on media experiences, Silverlight also integrates with ASP.NET, allowing interaction with server controls, providing richer user experiences.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Java Technologies Advanced Practitioner (Course Ref: SS-27)

• Dates: Mon 23rd – Wed 25th June 08
• Venue: Cork, Pilz Ireland, Business & Technology Park, Model Farm Rd, Cork
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €580, Non members €1100
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Outline

This course is for programmers with a good basic knowledge of Java, and is designed to introduce more advanced features related to the language, as well as some of the commonly used frameworks available to aid in application development. The topics listed here are available to be selected for inclusion in the course depending on specific requirements that delegates may have, or particular areas that customers may wish to explore. It is unlikely that all of the topics could be covered in a single course. We can of course provide advice as to any dependencies amongst the topics.

Training Course Prerequisites

The training course assumes that delegates are already programmers. They will already understand the need for flow control, variables, operators and functions, and indeed have used them in other language contexts.

FORMAT

This training course combines lectures with practical exercises that help the delegates to put what they have learned on the training course into practice. The exercises specifically build on what has been recently taught and are built up as the training course progresses.

OUTLINE CONTENTS

Topics covered:

• Effective use of exceptions;
• Reflection, class loading and their use in constructing flexible, dynamic applications;
• Tuning and interacting with the Java VM Garbage Collector;
• Building effective multithreaded applications;
• Advanced concurrency features in Java 5;
• Programming with Generics;
• Instrumenting Java applications for management and performance monitoring;
• Java performance hints and tips;
• Unit testing using JUnit;
• Design Patterns and Java;
• Persistence using the Java Persistence Architecture and Hibernate;
• Building applications using the Spring framework;
• Spring MVC as a framework for web applications;
• Introduction to Aspect Oriented Programming with Java;

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Developing with ASP. NET (Course Ref: SS-28)

• Dates: Mon 14th – Thu 17th July 2008
• Venue: Cork, Hotel tba
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €600, Non members €1400
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 8

Overview

In this course, you will learn how to use Visual Studio 2005 and Visual C# 2005 to build ASP.NET 2.0 Web pages and XML Web services. You’ll gain an understanding of the new architecture behind ASP.NET 2.0 and how to use the new server controls. You’ll learn to create consistent web sites using Master Pages, to improve performance with output caching, add membership features, configure and deploy ASP.NET applications, to authenticate users and limit their access to resources, direct users using new Site Navigation tools and to handle multi-user data access conflicts.

In this course, you will learn to:

• Use ASP.NET server controls to generate HTML and to execute event procedures.
• Promote consistency within your web site through Master Pages
• Retrieve and manipulate data using ADO.NET.
• Display and edit data quickly and easily using new data binding features
• Use Membership features to manage your Web users.
• Use new Site Navigation controls to direct users within your site
• Create and consume XML Web Services.
• Take advantage of ASP.NET’s versatile output caching to increase performance.
• Add scalability and reliability by setting up an out-of-process session state server.
• Create a Web Setup project in Visual Studio to build a deployment package that takes advantage of Windows Installer

Introduction to ASP.NET

• A Review of Classic ASP
• ASP.NET Web Applications
• Rendering HTML with Server Controls
• Data Binding in ASP.NET 2.0

What's New in ASP.NET 2.0

• New Features in ASP.NET 2.0
• Designer Features
• Deployment and Configuration Tools
• Increasing Productivity
• Page Framework and Compilation

Working with Controls

• Introduction to Web Controls
• Simple Input Controls
• HyperLink and Button Controls
• List Controls
• Controlling Focus

Using Rich Server Controls

• Introduction to Rich Controls
• The Calendar Control
• The AdRotator Control
• The XML Control

Accessing Data

• Overview of ADO.NET
• Connecting to Data
• Executing Commands
• Working with Data
• Choosing an ADO.NET Provider

Configuration

• Configuration Overview
• Using the Web Site Administration Tool
• Programming Configuration Files
• Encrypting Configuration Sections

Data Binding

• Introducing Data Source Controls
• Reading and Write Data Using the SqlDataSource Control
• Displaying and Editing Middle-Tier Data using the ObjectDataSource Control
• Displaying XML Data Using the XmlDataSource Control

Validating User Input

• Overview of ASP.NET Validation Controls
• Using the Simple Validators
• Using the Complex Validators
• Summarizing Results with the ValidationSummary Control
• Separating Validation into Validation Groups

Themes and Master Pages

• Creating a Consistent Web Site
• Master Pages
• ASP.NET 2.0 Themes

Page Processing

• Posting to other pages
• Asynchronous page processing

Site Navigation

• Providers and Data Sources
• Creating an XML Site Map File
• Site Navigation Controls
• Using the Site Navigation API
• Security Trimming
• URL Mapping

Displaying Data with the GridView Control

• Introducing the GridView Control
• Filter Data in the GridView Control
• Allow Users to Select from a DropDownList in the Grid
• Add a Hyperlink to the Grid
• Deleting a Row and Handling Errors

Managing State

• Preserving State in Web Applications
• Page-Level State
• Using Cookies to Preserve State
• ASP.NET Session State
• Storing Objects in Session State
• Configuring Session State
• Setting Up an Out-of-Process State Server
• Storing Session State in SQL Server
• Using Cookieless Session IDs
• Application State

Managing Users with ASP.NET's Membership Features

• Introduction to Membership and Roles
• Securing websites from unauthorised access
• Using Membership Controls
• Writing Code to Interact with Membership and Roles
• Using the Profile to store user data

Improving Performance with Output Caching

• The Importance of Caching
• Declarative Page Output Caching
• Caching Page Fragments
• Post-Cache Substitution
• Caching Configuration
• SQL Server Cache Invalidation

Using the DataList and Repeater Controls

• Overview of List-Bound Controls
• Creating a Repeater Control
• Creating a DataList Control

Creating and Consuming Web Services

• The Motivation for XML Web Services
• Creating an XML Web Service with Visual Studio
• Designing XML Web Services
• Creating Web Service Consumers
• Discovering Web Services Using UDDI

Building Rich Client Applications

• Introducing AJAX Frameworks
• Using Anthem.NET
• Using Atlas

Diagnostics and Error Handling

• Diagnosing Problems
• Using Tracing
• Using Health Monitoring

Custom Controls and Custom Output

• Creating Custom Controls
• Creating custom output with Controls Adapters

Creating Portals using Web Parts

• Web Part Zones
• Creating Web Parts
• Allowing Web Part Modification
• Connecting Web Parts

back to top

 Use Case Driven Development with UML (Course Ref: SS-22)

• Dates: Mon 30th June – Wed 2nd July 2008
• Venue: Cork, Snap On Diagnostics, Mallow Road,  Cork
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €430, Non members €1100
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 12

Trainer

Shane O’Neill: Requirements and Business Analysis Specialist. 

Shane is an accomplished and successful consultant, mentor and trainer with extensive experience in Business Process Modelling and Improvement, Business Analysis, Requirements Elicitation & Documentation, and UML-based system design.

During his career Shane has assisted many of Ireland’s leading IT groups from the Financial, Telecoms, Defence, public and private sectors, in rolling out more efficient and effective software development lifecycles.

Overview:

Use Case Driven Development with UML (UCDD/UML)presents the concepts and techniques necessary to effectively use system requirements, captured using use cases, to drive the development of a robust design

model.

In this intensive, hands-on workshop, participants learn to apply the Unified Modelling Language (UML) and

fundamental object-oriented analysis and design concepts using the core UML diagrams

• Use Case

• Activity

• Sequence

• Collaboration

• Class

• State

Delegates

This workshop is intended for practitioners who desire an understanding of object-oriented analysis and design concepts using UML, as well as hands-on practical experience applying the techniques. This includes analysts, designers, and software developers.

Objectives

Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Apply a use case-driven, architecture-centric process to the development of a robust design model.

• Use the UML to represent the design model.

• Apply the concepts of abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism.

• Understand the different views of a software architecture, the key mechanisms that are defined in support of that architecture, and the effect of the architecture and mechanisms on the produced design.

• Describe some basic design considerations, including the use of patterns.

Topics Covered

•        Introduction to Use-Cases

Overview of the basic Use-Case Modelling concepts (Actors, Use-Cases, Associations)

and the associated Requirements Artefacts (Use Case Model, Use Case Specification, Supplementary Specification, Glossary)

•        OO Concepts and UML Overview

An overview of the basic OO concepts (Abstraction, Encapsulation, Objects, Classes, Relationships, Polymorphism, Interfaces, Subsystems) and their UML representation

•         Use Case Analysis

Techniques for identifying the initial classes from Use-Case Specifications, allocating responsibilities to these classes, describing the required class collaborations to deliver the Use-Case functionality, as well as the class

relationships that must exist to support these collaborations.

•        Defining the Architecture

Techniques for defining the initial Architecture for the system. Introduces 3-Tier, MVC, and Layered Architectures.

•        Moving from Analysis to Design

Techniques for moving from the initial analysis model produced in Use Case Analysis to the more formal design model

•        Implementing Architectural Design Patterns

Refinement of the initial architecture to incorporate key design and implementation patterns for mechanisms such as persistence and security.

•        Use Case Design

Techniques for refining the collaborations initially developed during ‘Use Case Analysis’ to incorporate the defined architectural patterns and design elements, as well as techniques for designing the internals of subsystems identified during ‘Analysis to Design’

•        Class Design

Techniques for designing the internals of the design classes, including the modelling of any state-controlled behaviour. The refinement of the class relationships and the incorporation of basic patterns are also described.

•        Introducing Design Patterns

Introduces some commonly used Design Patterns from the Gang-of-Four (Gamma et al.) book - Singleton, Factory, Abstract Factory, and State

Materials Provided:

Upon attending the UCDD/UML workshop, each student will receive the following:

• Student Manual

• Sample Requirements documentation, if required

Structure & Layout:

Lecture & Exercises.

The workshop is paper based and delivered independently of any CASE tool.

Sample Project:

The workshop comes with a set of sample Requirements, in Use-Case format, which can be used as the basis for the hands-on exercises.

• Connecting Web Parts

back to top

 Software testing ISTQB Foundation Course (Course Ref: SS-31)

• Dates: Tue 8th – Thu 10th July 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Venue tbc
• Times: 9.00am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €580, Non members €1100
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: €180
• Exam Date: 10th July 2008
• Max. number of participants:12

Background & Objectives

The ISTQB was officially founded as an International Testing Qualifications Board in Edinburgh in November 2002, by members of the ISEB Software testing Board together with representatives from other countries. The idea and proposal for the ISTQB, stemmed from the original ISEB view of Software Testing and the need for an international Software Testing Qualification. The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) role is to support a single, universally accepted, international qualification scheme, aimed at software and system testing professionals. The ISTQB Foundation certificate is awarded to all those who successfully complete a one-hour, multiple choice examination. The examination is externally set and invigilated by ISEB. In the future it is anticipated that there will be an advanced ISTQB level comparable to ISEB Practitioner but for now the ISEB Practitioner remains as the key advanced test certification.

Who Should Attend

• Quality analysts
• Testers
• Developers
• Systems analysts
• Project leaders
• Users
• Data administrators

No specific prerequisites are assumed. Attendees are expected to be 'software knowledgeable' with some minimal test of software experience.

Benefits of Attending

Those attending the course will learn:

• The fundamental principles of Software Testing
• How testing fits into the development lifecycle
• The importance of test process, objectives, techniques and tools
• Essential functional and non-functional test methods
• Basic test design and measurement techniques
• Fundamental test management principles
• How to select and implement tools effectively

Programme

• Introduction
  • Fundamentals of Testing
  • Why is testing necessary?
  • What is testing?
  • General testing principles
  • Fundamental test process
  • The psychology of testing
• Part Two: Testing through the lifecycle
  • Software development models
  • Test levels
  • Test types – the targets of testing
  • Maintenance testing
• Part Three: Static Reviews
  • Reviews and the test process
  • Review process
  • Static analysis by tools
• Part Four: Test design techniques
  • Identifying test conditions and designing test cases
  • Categories of test design techniques
  • Specification-based or black-box techniques
  • Structure-based or white-box techniques
  • Experience-based techniques
• Part Five: Test Management
  • Test Organisation
  • Test planning and estimation
  • Test process monitoring and control
  • Configuration Management
  • Risk and Testing
  • Incident Management
• Part Six: Tool Support for Testing
  • Types of test tool
  • Effective use of tools: potential benefits and risks
  • Introduction of a tool into an organisation
• Examination Coaching
  • ISTQB examination - Externally invigilated by ISEB

This comprehensive introduction to software testing provides you with the knowledge and expertise to undertake the ISTQB examination for the Foundation Certificate offered at the end of the third day.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 SoftTest Cluster:  Testing in an Agile Environment & Competency Based Tester Qualifications (Course Ref: SS-32)

• Dates: Mon 16th June 08
• Venue: Dublin, IBEC, 84/86 Lr Baggot St, Confederation House, Dublin 2
• Times: 2.00pm – 5.30pm
• Fee: Free - please register with Susan Kelly on 1890 876979 or email susan@isa-skillnet.com

SoftTest Ireland

SoftTest Ireland is a Software Testing Special Interest Group – setup to provide a forum for professional testers in Ireland. Softtets Ireland Cluster events are sponsored by the Software Skillnet in 2008.  The main aim of this professional network is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge in this discipline. The Softtest events enable anyone who has an interest in the process of software testing to benefit from meeting those in industry with whom they can network, share information and learn from each other. Members of SoftTest Ireland are typically Software Testers, IT Managers, Testing Managers, and Quality Managers within their organisations but are not strictly limited to these roles. The Software Skillnet will run a number of specialised training courses for software testing professionals in 2008.

Testing in an Agile Environment

Speaker:

James Lyndsay

James Lyndsay is a test strategist, based in London. He's been testing since 1986, and has worked independently since setting up Workroom Productions in 1994. As a consultant, he's worked in a variety of businesses and project styles; from retail to telecommunications, from rapidly-evolving internet start-ups to more traditional large-scale enterprise. He's worked to technical requirements for companies that make and sell software, to commercial requirements for companies that buy and use software, and to unexpected requirements everywhere. James was an internal irritant to the ISEB exam process for five years, is a regular speaker and occasional teacher, runs LEWT (the London Exploratory Workshop in Testing) and has won prizes for his papers.

Summary:

It is hard to find a practical approach that allows a professional tester to achieve their full potential in an agile environment. Typical agile practices have characteristic effects on the work of a tester - and the expectations of experienced testers can be at odds with those of other experienced members in an agile team. How can a tester fit into an agile team and offer the best of his or her skills and insight? How does one make - or become - an 'agile tester'?

Using real-life examples, this talk attempts to give a flavour of what it is like to bring a test perspective into an agile project - and what it is like to be on an agile project that has a sudden need for testing skills. The talk will help testers recognise where they are bringing friction to an agile environment, help agile team members recognise where they may be incurring a 'testing debt' and identifies ways that testers can facilitate learning and bring value to an agile project.

Competency Based Tester Qualifications:  The next step for the Testing Profession?

Speaker:

Susan Windsor

Susan Windsor is the Managing Director of WMHL Consulting Ltd. in the UK, which specialises in the delivery of strategic testing consulting services. Susan is also Director of Aqastra, which has a focus on retraining business administration staff to become acceptance testers. Until recently, she was also non-exec Chair for Insight Test Services who have offices in Dublin, Galway and the UK and still provides Insight with advisor support. Prior to setting up WMHL, Susan managed the Testing Service business for IBM, delivering software testing within the multinational's business consulting services. Susan has also spoken at many industry conferences in the past, including EuroSTAR in 2005, where she was a keynote speaker.

Summary:

Although the existing certification schemes (ISEB/ISTQB, CSQE etc.) go some way to providing a measure of a tester's knowledge, their highly detailed syllabuses give no measure as to their competence or experience.

Examinations tend to be multiple choice and 'correct' answers are derived from what is written in the syllabus. As a consequence, questions and answers in these exams can't take much account of context or the experience of the candidate. To many people, this implies the schemes and certificates awarded are practically useless. Because the syllabuses are so highly detailed, courses become a commodity, focused on exam passing. Competition in the training marketplace is based on cost and volumes rather than the quality of training.

Unless our industry provides the next step in provision of meaningful qualifications to accurately reflect experience and competence, those who recruit and manage testing staff will continue to depend on inadequate knowledge-based qualifications.

This session suggests that there is increasing demand for training and certification schemes that are based more on competence, rather than memory. What would such schemes look like? We've got some ideas, but we seek your input.

We'll provide a suggested framework that may help structure the measurement of competencies for different roles within testing and some ideas on how this measurement could take place. But wouldn't it be great to move this forward to a scheme that really benefits individuals and our industry?

Work with us in this session and maybe we can identify some of you who would like to get more deeply involved to take this to the next level.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 SoftTest Cluster: Testing in an Agile Environment & Competency Based Tester Qualifications (Course Ref: SS-33)

• Dates: Wed 18th June 08
• Venue: Cork, Kinglsey Hotel
• Times: 9.00am – 12.30pm
• Fee: Free - please register with Susan Kelly on 1890 876979 or email susan@isa-skillnet.com

SoftTest Ireland

SoftTest Ireland is a Software Testing Special Interest Group – setup to provide a forum for professional testers in Ireland. Softtets Ireland Cluster events are sponsored by the Software Skillnet in 2008.  The main aim of this professional network is to facilitate the sharing of knowledge in this discipline. The Softtest events enable anyone who has an interest in the process of software testing to benefit from meeting those in industry with whom they can network, share information and learn from each other. Members of SoftTest Ireland are typically Software Testers, IT Managers, Testing Managers, and Quality Managers within their organisations but are not strictly limited to these roles. The Software Skillnet will run a number of specialised training courses for software testing professionals in 2008.

Testing in an Agile Environment

Speaker:

James Lyndsay

James Lyndsay is a test strategist, based in London. He's been testing since 1986, and has worked independently since setting up Workroom Productions in 1994. As a consultant, he's worked in a variety of businesses and project styles; from retail to telecommunications, from rapidly-evolving internet start-ups to more traditional large-scale enterprise. He's worked to technical requirements for companies that make and sell software, to commercial requirements for companies that buy and use software, and to unexpected requirements everywhere. James was an internal irritant to the ISEB exam process for five years, is a regular speaker and occasional teacher, runs LEWT (the London Exploratory Workshop in Testing) and has won prizes for his papers.

Summary:

It is hard to find a practical approach that allows a professional tester to achieve their full potential in an agile environment. Typical agile practices have characteristic effects on the work of a tester - and the expectations of experienced testers can be at odds with those of other experienced members in an agile team. How can a tester fit into an agile team and offer the best of his or her skills and insight? How does one make - or become - an 'agile tester'?

Using real-life examples, this talk attempts to give a flavour of what it is like to bring a test perspective into an agile project - and what it is like to be on an agile project that has a sudden need for testing skills. The talk will help testers recognise where they are bringing friction to an agile environment, help agile team members recognise where they may be incurring a 'testing debt' and identifies ways that testers can facilitate learning and bring value to an agile project.

Competency Based Tester Qualifications:  The next step for the Testing Profession?

Speaker:

Susan Windsor

Susan Windsor is the Managing Director of WMHL Consulting Ltd. in the UK, which specialises in the delivery of strategic testing consulting services. Susan is also Director of Aqastra, which has a focus on retraining business administration staff to become acceptance testers. Until recently, she was also non-exec Chair for Insight Test Services who have offices in Dublin, Galway and the UK and still provides Insight with advisor support. Prior to setting up WMHL, Susan managed the Testing Service business for IBM, delivering software testing within the multinational's business consulting services. Susan has also spoken at many industry conferences in the past, including EuroSTAR in 2005, where she was a keynote speaker.

Summary:

Although the existing certification schemes (ISEB/ISTQB, CSQE etc.) go some way to providing a measure of a tester's knowledge, their highly detailed syllabuses give no measure as to their competence or experience.

Examinations tend to be multiple choice and 'correct' answers are derived from what is written in the syllabus. As a consequence, questions and answers in these exams can't take much account of context or the experience of the candidate. To many people, this implies the schemes and certificates awarded are practically useless. Because the syllabuses are so highly detailed, courses become a commodity, focused on exam passing. Competition in the training marketplace is based on cost and volumes rather than the quality of training.

Unless our industry provides the next step in provision of meaningful qualifications to accurately reflect experience and competence, those who recruit and manage testing staff will continue to depend on inadequate knowledge-based qualifications.

This session suggests that there is increasing demand for training and certification schemes that are based more on competence, rather than memory. What would such schemes look like? We've got some ideas, but we seek your input.

We'll provide a suggested framework that may help structure the measurement of competencies for different roles within testing and some ideas on how this measurement could take place. But wouldn't it be great to move this forward to a scheme that really benefits individuals and our industry?

Work with us in this session and maybe we can identify some of you who would like to get more deeply involved to take this to the next level.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 JAVA Conference (Course Ref: SS-35)

• Dates: Mon 9th September 08
• Venue: Cork, Radisson SAS Hotel, Little Island, Cork
• Times: 9.00am – 5.30pm
• Fee: €130 non-members and €80 members - please register with Catherine Wall  admin@itcork.ie

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Choosing the Best of the Plan-Driven and Agile Development Methods (Course Ref: SS-37)

• Dates: Mon 15th September 08
• Venue: Dublin, IBEC Offices, 84-86 Lr Baggot Street, Dublin 2
• Times: 9.00am – 12.30pm
• Fee: Free - please register with Ruth Walmsley at ruth.walmsley@momentumni.org

Speaker:

Lee Copeland

Lee Copeland has more than thirty-five years of experience as a consultant, instructor, author, and information systems professional. He has held a number of technical and managerial positions with commercial and non-profit organizations in the areas of applications development, software testing, and software development process improvement. Lee frequently speaks at software conferences both in the United States and internationally and currently serves as Program Chair for the Better Software Conference & Expo and the STAR testing conferences. Lee is the author of A Practitioner’s Guide to Software Test Design, a compendium of the most effective methods of test case design.

Summary:

We seem to be under a curse in our profession. Although not cast by a witch or a wizard, the curse affects us just the same. It is the curse of “either/or”—the curse that we must choose either “this” or “that” but we cannot choose parts of both. Nowhere is this more evident than in today’s struggle between the adherents of the traditional “plan-driven” and newer “Agile” approaches to software development. What most overlook is that both groups want to achieve exactly the same goal: quality software that meets customer needs within the constraints of time, budget, staff, and technology. They differ only on the strategies to achieve this goal. For example, both groups agree that system requirements must be understood; their differences lie in questions of “how much of what to do and when to do it.” Lee Copeland offers insights and suggestions on the methods and approaches that will be most valued on your project—control vs. flexibility, individual contribution vs. process guidance, and contractual specification vs. adaptable delivery. Find out which of the plan-driven and Agile processes will work best in your organization and in your project’s context.

Testing Hyper-Complex Systems:  What can we know? What can we claim?

Throughout history, humans have built systems of dramatically increasing complexity. In simpler systems, defects at the micro level are mitigated by the macro level structure. In complex systems, failures at the micro level cannot be compensated for at a higher level, often with catastrophic results. Now we are building hyper-complex computer systems, so complex that faults can create totally unpredictable behaviours. For example, systems based on the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) model can be dynamically composed of reusable services of unknown quality, created by multiple organizations and communicating through many technologies across the unpredictable Internet. Lee Copeland explains that claims about quality require knowledge of test “coverage,” an unknowable quantity in hyper-complex systems. Are testers now going beyond our limits to provide useful information about the quality of systems to our clients? Join Lee for a look at your testing future as he describes new approaches needed to measure test coverage in these complex systems and lead your organization to better quality—despite the challenges.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Choosing the Best of the Plan-Driven and Agile Development Methods (Course Ref: SS-36)

• Dates: Tue 16th September 08
• Venue: Cork, Kingsley Hotel
• Times: 9.00am – 12.30pm
• Fee: Free - please register with Catherine Wall at admin@itcork.ie

Speaker:

Lee Copeland

Lee Copeland has more than thirty-five years of experience as a consultant, instructor, author, and information systems professional. He has held a number of technical and managerial positions with commercial and non-profit organizations in the areas of applications development, software testing, and software development process improvement. Lee frequently speaks at software conferences both in the United States and internationally and currently serves as Program Chair for the Better Software Conference & Expo and the STAR testing conferences. Lee is the author of A Practitioner’s Guide to Software Test Design, a compendium of the most effective methods of test case design.

Summary:

We seem to be under a curse in our profession. Although not cast by a witch or a wizard, the curse affects us just the same. It is the curse of “either/or”—the curse that we must choose either “this” or “that” but we cannot choose parts of both. Nowhere is this more evident than in today’s struggle between the adherents of the traditional “plan-driven” and newer “Agile” approaches to software development. What most overlook is that both groups want to achieve exactly the same goal: quality software that meets customer needs within the constraints of time, budget, staff, and technology. They differ only on the strategies to achieve this goal. For example, both groups agree that system requirements must be understood; their differences lie in questions of “how much of what to do and when to do it.” Lee Copeland offers insights and suggestions on the methods and approaches that will be most valued on your project—control vs. flexibility, individual contribution vs. process guidance, and contractual specification vs. adaptable delivery. Find out which of the plan-driven and Agile processes will work best in your organization and in your project’s context.

Testing Hyper-Complex Systems:  What can we know? What can we claim?

Throughout history, humans have built systems of dramatically increasing complexity. In simpler systems, defects at the micro level are mitigated by the macro level structure. In complex systems, failures at the micro level cannot be compensated for at a higher level, often with catastrophic results. Now we are building hyper-complex computer systems, so complex that faults can create totally unpredictable behaviours. For example, systems based on the Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) model can be dynamically composed of reusable services of unknown quality, created by multiple organizations and communicating through many technologies across the unpredictable Internet. Lee Copeland explains that claims about quality require knowledge of test “coverage,” an unknowable quantity in hyper-complex systems. Are testers now going beyond our limits to provide useful information about the quality of systems to our clients? Join Lee for a look at your testing future as he describes new approaches needed to measure test coverage in these complex systems and lead your organization to better quality—despite the challenges.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Testing Strategy & Test Metrics (Course Ref: SS-41)

• Dates: Tue 4th – Wed 5th November 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €380, Non members €950
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants:15

Overview

This workshop course is divided into two modules, test strategy and test metrics. Both focusing on test management techniques that will assist test teams in ensuring that test projects are completed in the most effective and efficient manner.

The course will provide students with the knowledge to not only plan and control their current project but also analyse the results of this project, with the aim of continual improvement in future projects.

Audience

QA/Test Managers, Test Leads, Senior Test Analysts, Project Managers, Development Managers

At Course Completion

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Determine the test project scope
• Define an overall test strategy
• Plan the testing types and levels required
• Estimate Effort
• Plan and schedule the test activities
• Manage change within the project
• Determine exit criteria
• Signoff each phase and the final deliverable
• Evaluate project performance
• Evaluate product quality
• Define process improvement goals

Strategy

Overview

• Development Life Cycles
• Test Types
• Test Levels
• Stages of Test Strategy Development

Defining the Scope

Deciding What Test Levels are Required

Determining the right Test Approach for each Level

Test Estimation

Risk Based Testing

Test Data and Environment Planning

Change Management

Setting Exit Criteria and Sign Off Process

Industry Standards and Templates

Test Management Tools

Metrics

Key Message

What is a Metric

What do Metrics give us

Basic Measurements

How Important are Metrics

Most Popular Metrics

Metric Types – The Basic Five

• Predictive
• Tracking
• Comparison
• Information
• Process

Industry Standards

Buzz Words

Simple Rules

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

Managing and Motivating Software Teams (Course Ref: SS-42)

SHEENA CLOHESSY CONSULTING

• Dates: Wed 12th – Thu 13th November 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €460, Non members €1,000
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation.  Fees also include the administration of a psychometric questionnaire for each participant
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants:12

Overview

This course is one of the most highly regarded courses delivered to Software Skillnet companies in 2006&7.  It is aimed at Team Leaders who want to better understand themselves and are committed to becoming better at managing and motivating people.  

This course is highly participative and inter-active using roles plays and practical exercises to develop your management behaviours and increase your ability to motivate your team.   Participants will formulate a self development plan to apply the skills acquired to their workplace.

The course includes a psychometric questionnaire which MUST be completed prior to course commencement.  A report on your leadership behaviour and style will be fully outlined to you during the course.  

Course Objectives:

At the end of this course you should have the following: –

• Raised self awareness of your own Management Style and how it impacts on other people.  Understand why you behave the way you do.  Identify your own motivators and how it impacts on your ability to motivate others.
• Tools to enable you adapt and stretch your management ability to obtain results from people.
• Insight that will help you predict your own behaviour and the behaviour of others.
• How to handle relationships:  clients and employees.
• Insight into how your behaviour can cause conflict and de-motivation in your company.
• Understand why personality clashes happen and how to resolve them.
• Increased ability to influence people: customers and employees.
• Motivating People:  the ability to stretch your own management style to motivate people who are completely different from yourself.
• Communication & influencing skills:  how to communicate across all levels and to all kinds of people.

 Testimonials

Managers, supervisors and team leaders in software companies who took part in the course in the past have said the following:

‘The personality and behavioural analysis using Comprehensive Personality Questionnaire (CPQ) and understanding how to "flex" leadership styles to reach different types of people. Very interesting. Very useful. Complimentary to Belbin’. 

‘I really appreciated Sheena Clohessy’s openness in sharing her own personality profile with the group. I found this particularly helpful’. 

‘I'm actively using the skills learnt in my day-to-day work. In particular, to improve my working relationship with a Director with whom I need to work closely and, up until now, with whom I've found extremely difficult to deal’.

 ‘I found the course extremely beneficial and inspiring at the same time.  I suppose that the hard part is now implementing it on a day to day basis. The course has been very helpful in making me focus how I need to react to the different people in our group. These two days could not have come at a better time for me and now the ball is in my court to respond as I need to, so thanks again’. 

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 ScrumMaster & Agile Project Management Workshop  (Course Ref: SS-43)

• Dates: Thu 4th - Fri 5th December 2008
• Venue: Dublin
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €520, Non members €1200
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 12

Overview

In this practical, hands-on workshop you will learn how to apply agile and iterative methods, including Scrum – the most popular agile method worldwide to project management. Summarising key research and agile concepts, you will learn the core management practices required to succeed with agile methods.

This Agile PM workshop covers key concepts of agile methods and the roles, artefacts and events of Scrum. You will also learn how to estimate and plan your projects. Upon completion of this Agile Project Management course, you will have a solid grounding in the core agile values and principles that guide Agile practices.

Audience and Prerequisites

If you are a Project manager, Team Leads, IT/development manager, Product manager, Business analyst, Architects or developers interested in applying Scrum to maximise value creation, improve customer and employee satisfaction as well as engineering practices and tools.

Contents

Where agile comes from

Introduction

•         Agile Values and Scrum Origins

•         Scrum and Change

•         Empirical Process Control

•         Companies Using Scrum

Scrum Process and Roles

•         Scrum Flow, Iterative-incremental Software Development and Shippable Product Increments

•         The Role of the Product Owner

•         The Role of the Team including Team Dynamics, Team Norms and the Visual Workplace

•         The ScrumMaster Role including Conflict Management and Appraisals

•         The Role of Project Managers and Functional Managers in Scrum

Requirements Management

•         Software Overproduction

•         The Product Backlog

•         Prioritisation Techniques

Release Management

•         Sustainable Pace

•         Estimating and Planning

•         Tracking

Working with Sprints

•         Sprint Workflow and Characteristics

•         Sprint Planning Preparation

•         Sprint Estimating and Planning

•         Daily Scrum

•         Sprint Review and Retrospective

•         Sprint Reporting

Large and Distributed Scrum Projects

•         Brook’s Law

•         Organic Growth and Conway’s Law

•         Master Product Backlog and the Product Owner Team

•         Team Set-up

•         Multi-team Planning and Coordination

•         Shared Norms and Assets

•         Distributed Scrum Project Tips

•         Sample Distributed Project Org

Getting Started in Scrum

•         Just Do It

•         The Nature of Change

•         Scrum Adoption Stages

•         Change Practices including the Enterprise Transition Team and the Transition Product Backlog

•         Deming’s PDCA Cycle

•         The Role of Consultants

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Oracle Tuning Workshop (Course Ref: SS-38)

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WITH DAN HOTKA

• Dates: Thurs 16th - Friday 17th October 2008
• Venue: Cork, Professional Training, Building 4400, Cork Airport Business Park
• Times: 9.00am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €420, Non members €1,000
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation.  
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 10

Description

The focus of this tuning course is to illustrate coding techniques that insure a consistent response time between instances and releases of the Oracle database. This course works closely with performance tuning of actual SQL statements as well as covering a variety of Oracle Server tuning topics.

Pre-Requisites

 A working knowledge of SQL. A knowledge of SQL Explain Plans is helpful but not necessary.

Topics covered:
• How Oracle arrives at an Execution Plan
• Index Review/Index Statistics/How Oracle Selects Indexes
• Advanced problem-solving topics using V$ Table information
• In-depth look at Explain Plans
• SQL Trace/Stats Pack
• PL/SQL Tuning/Profiling
• SQL Troubleshooting/problem solving

Attendees Receive:
• Study guide with presentations and relevant white papers
• Book: Oracle SQL Tuning Pocket Reference by Mark Gurry
• Diskette full of tuning and problem discovery scripts
• Opportunity to ask the tough Oracle questions
• A hands-on opportunity to learn more about Oracle, SQL Developer, Eagle Eye, and TOAD

Day 1: SQL Statement Tuning:
- Oracle RDBMS Architecture overview
- Understanding/Reading/Interpreting Explain Plans
- Understanding the Rule-based Optimizer
- Understanding the Cost-based Optimizer
- Working with Hints

Day 2: SQL Troubleshooting Tips and Techniques:
- Index Review/Tips & Techniques
- A close look at sub-query techniques
- Tuning Tool Review: Statspack, Events, Tracing/Tkprof
- Troubleshooting SQL
- Profiling and tuning PL/SQL

About Dan Hotka:
Dan Hotka is a Training Specialist who has over 29 years in the computer industry and over 24 years of experience with Oracle products. He is an internationally recognized Oracle expert with Oracle experience dating back to the Oracle V4.0 days. Dan’s latest book is the SQL Developer Handbook by Oracle Press. He is also the author of Oracle9i Development By Example and Oracle8i from Scratch by Que and has co-authored 7 other popular books including the Database Oracle10g Linux Administration by Oracle Press. He is frequently published in Oracle trade journals, and regularly speaks at Oracle conferences and user groups around the world.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 ISEB Intermediate (Course Ref: SS-44)

• Dates: Tuesday 25th - 27th November 2008
• Venue: Cork, to be confirmed
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €600, Non members €1,400
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation.  
• Exam Fee: €220
• Exam Date: 27th November 2008
• Max. number of participants: 12

Overview

This course prepares participants to sit the one-hour, closed book examination leading to the Intermediate certificate in Software Testing, offered by the Information Systems Examinations Board (ISEB). 

The intermediate certificate provides a valuable qualification for those building a career in testing. It is delivered in a 3 day format followed by a 1 hour examination.

This course is intended for software testing professionals that hold the ISEB Foundation Certificate in Software Testing. A pass in this certificate provides evidence that the candidate has proven analytical ability, having gained knowledge and practical skills in the key topics required for practicing software testing.

This qualification examines up to level K4 of the given learning objectives / levels of knowledge. The intention is that you will be able to provide this valuable skill internally in your own projects or externally to a variety of clients. 

This certificate is a pre-requisite for sitting either the ISEB Practitioner in Test Management or Test Analysis examinations.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Test Automation for Testers (Course Ref: SS-40)

INSIGHT

• Dates: Mon 24th - Tue 25th November 2008
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €420, Non members €1,000
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation.  
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants:12

Course Overview

Even when well used, functional test automation tools can fail to deliver to their full potential because the skills involved in building a powerful automated test solution usually involve a much broader technical knowledge base than that claimed by the tool vendors.

This course introduces techniques and practices not generally covered by the official tool courses which will significantly improve the return on investment of functional test automation, increase the work efficiency of automation engineers, or give test shelfware a second chance.

The course includes computer based lab exercises with a typical test tool.

 Audience

The course is of benefit to anyone who will be exposed to building functional test automation.

• Test Automation Engineers
• Testers

Types of testing covered

• Regression testing
• Functional testing of the user interface
• Functional testing of application components 

Pre-requisites

This course requires previous system test work experience

Previous experience of a test automation tool is recommended.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to

• Work more efficiently with relevant skills
• Apply test script design best practices
• Formulate a detailed functional test automation plan
• Choose the optimum script architecture for your test project
• Apply software engineering best practices
• Understand how user interfaces are built
• Understand how test automation tools work internally
• Leverage powerful features in your test tool
• Write scripts that access any type of data source
• Avoid simple script recording mistakes
• Extend test tools to use features provided by the operating system, free utilities, and open source tools.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Test Automation for Managers (Course Ref: SS-39)

INSIGHT

• Dates: This course has been cancelled
• Venue: Dublin, Grand Canal Hotel
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Members €250, Non members €600
• All fees are inclusive of lunch, refreshments and documentation.  
• Exam Fee: n/a
• Exam Date: n/a
• Max. number of participants: 16

Course Overview

Software Test Automation can bring significant benefits to organizations, including; improved quality, improved metrics, reduced test cycles, reduced costs and better utilization of skilled S/W test and QA personnel. However many automation projects fail. This course is designed to provide S/W Test and QA managers and senior professionals with the knowledge to select the most appropriate automation strategy to their situation and to prepare an execution plan that will deliver the target results.

Course Objectives

Participants will learn how to identify is there a business case for automation in their organization, select and manage automation project, select and manage the correct automation technologies whether they be proprietary or freely available tools and/or scripting languages. Participants will also learn about the range of tools that can be deployed across the full development life cycle, including; static test tools, such as code checkers and dynamic test tools, that can be used to automate both functional and non functional (e.g. Performance, Load and Stress) tests. Test Management Tools will also be reviewed as they provide a useful way of managing the overall test process.

Level and Orientation of Audience

The intended audience includes test managers, development managers, and anyone who will have to make a decision about using automation in their development lifecycle. Attendees are expected to have some knowledge of the software development lifecycle and understand basis concepts of testing.

Learning Objectives

You can expect to learn.

•         What automation will do for you organization

•         Thinking of automation in the broader sense. The different tools that are available and where they are used in the development lifecycle

•         The business case

•         How to select a tool

•         How to select and manage a project

•         Settings expectations

•         Pit falls

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Evolution of Testing Strategies for verification of new features (Course Ref: SS-45)

• Dates: Thu 6th November 2008
• Venue: Dublin, IBEC, Confederation House, 84-86 Lr Baggot Street, Dublin 2
• Times: 5.30pm – 8.00pm
• Fee: This event is free.  To attend you must register with anna.donegan@ibec.ie
• Please note that this event will be followed by the SoftTest AGM.

Speaker - Michael Monaghan, LM Ericsson (Ireland)

Michael has worked for over 14 years in the field of Development, Verification and Deployment of 2nd and 3rd generation Cellular Radio Access Networks. This work has included development and/or verification of several flagship features in GSM and WCDMA technologies, among them GPRS/Edge and HSPA, which allow very fast data throughput on cellular networks. Michael has worked in all parts of the produce life-cycle, from requirements definition to troubleshooting on operator networks. He has used this knowledge to continuously drive new and innovative ways to improve verification efficiency, thus helping to improve time to market for key cellular features.

Summary

Since the commercial launch of 3G Radio Access Networks in the early part of this decade, the market has been demanding new and more complex features, with ever decreasing time to market requirements. This, combined with demands for continuous improvements in operational excellence necessitate more efficient development practices. In order to maximise these efficiencies, it is vital that improvements are also made in verification strategies.

This presentation will provide a whistle-stop tour along a timeline covering the last several years. The tour will detail the challenges encountered by New Feature Verification in LM Ericsson, how some changes to development methodology were used to help secure more verification efficiencies and how verification organisations across LM Ericsson worked together to gain considerable savings in cost and lead time.

To attend this presentation please register with anna.donoegan@ibec.ie
back to top

 SoftTest Seminar (Course Ref: SS-46)

• Dates: Thu 4th December 2008
• Venue: Dublin, IBEC, Confederation House, 84-86 Lr Baggot Street, Dublin 2
• Times: 9.30am - 12.30pm
• Fee: FREE - please register with anna.donegan@ibec.ie

Speaker - 

Stuart Reid is Chief Technology Officer at Testing Solutions Group and has a PhD in Software Testing. He is Convenor of ISO WG26, which is developing the new ISO 29119 Software Testing Standard and represents software testing on the BSI Software Engineering Committee. He is also Chair of the BCS Specialist Group in Software Testing (SIGiST) and its Standards Working Party, was previously Chair of the ISEB Software Testing Board and founded the ISTQB. He is a regular presenter at international testing conferences and events and was awarded the EuroSTAR Testing Excellence Award in 2001.

Summary

In May 2007 ISO formed a working group to develop a new standard on software testing a new area for ISO. This initiative is closely-supported by IEEE and BSI, both of which are providing existing standards as source documents to the project.
The proposed standard, ISO 29119, comprises four parts. The first covers "concepts and terminology", the second "test process", the third "test documentation", and the fourth "test techniques". This presentation describes progress on the development of ISO 29119 and the challenges with creating a generic testing standard that is applicable to all organizations and all types of project. It will cover how you can use it, and explains how you can contribute to its development through your national standards body.

Speaker - 

Paul Gerrard is the founder and Principal of Gerrard Consulting, a services company focused on increasing the success rate of IT-based projects for clients. He has conducted assignments in all aspects of Software Testing and Quality Assurance.  He has degrees from the Universities of Oxford and London, was on the BCS SIGIST committee for 13 years, Founding Chair of the ISEB Tester Qualification Board and the host/organiser of the quarterly UK Test Management Forum and annual Summit conferences. He is a regular speaker at seminars and conferences in the UK, continental Europe and the USA.  Paul has written many papers and articles, most of which are on the gerrardconsulting.com website. With Neil Thompson, Paul wrote 'Risk-Based E-Business Testing' - the standard text for risk-based testing. Paul is currently researching Test Axioms as a basis for test approaches, Critical Thinking and Open Source testing and collaboration tools.  In 2008, Paul set up a new company, Aqastra with Susan Windsor. The aim of Aqastra is to provide an assessment, retraining and mentoring service to organisations wishing to transform business users into testers.

Summary

Paul will host a facilitated session on "The Future of Testing - Some Predictions". How arrogant is it to say, I am predicting the future. Of course, these are not predictions I'd bet my house on. These reflect some thoughts on what could affect you or your organization in the future. In this respect, these are simply some things that are worth considering and keeping an eye on for the next year or two. For every prediction, I know you probably know of an exception.  During this Paul will discuss his views on a selection of topics such as, the testing community, people skills and the job market and even THE EFFECT OF THE CREDIT CRUNCH!!!!!

back to top

 Certified ScrumMaster Training (Course Ref SS50)

• Date: 13-14 January 2009
• Venue: Bewleys Hotel, Dublin
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Fee: €600 for members

Overview
Leading a Scrum team is radically different to traditional project management. Rather than plan, instruct, and direct, the leader of a Scrum team (called a ScrumMaster) facilitates, coaches, and leads. In this ScrumMaster Certification course, you will learn the essentials of working as a ScrumMaster or Scrum team member. You will learn how to assume the responsibilities of a ScrumMaster and to guide the development team, a project, or an organisation into Agile practice by fostering the adoption of new attitudes, collaborative processes and working to remove institutional barriers.

While the Scrum Alliance provides a list of core concepts that must be covered in the class, each instructor creates his or her own material, allowing courses to differ based on the strengths, interests, and experiences of the instructor. Martine's interest, research and experience has focused on planning and estimation techniques and as such this ScrumMaster Certification course covers Agile Estimation and Planning techniques in particular depth.

Upon completion of this ScrumMaster course, you will know how to use Scrum to maximise value creation, improve customer and employee satisfaction as well as engineering practices and tools. Additionally, upon successful completion of the course, each participant is enrolled as a Certified ScrumMaster, which includes a one-year Scrum Alliance membership, where additional ScrumMaster-only material and information is available..

Objectives

• Assume the responsibilities of a ScrumMaster
• Remove the barriers between development and the customer so that the customer/Product Owner directly drives development
• Improve employee and customer satisfaction
• Improve accuracy of estimation and planning
• Improve the engineering practices and tools so each increment of functionality is potentially shippable

Format

The course blends tutorial, class discussion, question and answer sessions, and demonstrations/simulations.

Contents

Introduction

• Agile Values and Scrum Origins
• Scrum and Change
• Empirical Process Control
• Companies Using Scrum

Scrum Process and Roles

• Scrum Flow, Iterative-incremental Software Development and Shippable Product Increments
• The Role of the Product Owner
• The Role of the Team including Team Dynamics, Team Norms and the Visual Workplace
• The ScrumMaster Role including Conflict Management, Appraisals and Appointing the ScrumMaster
• The Role of Project Managers and Functional Managers in Scrum

Requirements Management

• Software Overproduction
• The Product Backlog
• Prioritisation Techniques

Release Management

• Sustainable Pace
• Estimating and Planning
• Tracking

Working with Sprints

• Sprint Workflow and Characteristics
• Sprint Planning Preparation
• Sprint Estimating and Planning
• Daily Scrum
• Sprint Review and Retrospective
• Sprint Reporting

Large and Distributed Scrum Projects

• Brook’s Law
• Organic Growth and Conway’s Law
• Master Product Backlog and the Product Owner Team
• Team Set-up
• Multi-team Planning and Coordination
• Shared Norms and Assets
• Distributed Scrum Project Tips
• Sample Distributed Project Org

Getting Started in Scrum

• Just Do It
• The Nature of Change
• Scrum Adoption Stages
• Change Practices including the Enterprise Transition Team and the Transition Product Backlog
• Deming’s PDCA Cycle
• The Role of Consultants

back to top

 Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Tips & Techniques (Course Ref SS51)

• Date: 25-27 February 2009
• Venue: Professional Training Premises, 4400 Cork Airport Business Park, Cork
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm

Option 1:
2-day workshop
€450 members €1000 non members

Option 2:
3 days i.e. 2-day workshop and 1-day advanced tuning
€600 members €1300 non-members

Option 3:
1-day Advanced Tuning only (27th Feb)
€200 members, 600 non-members

Give your technical staff that competitive edge with this local Oracle Workshop

All course fees include the provision of new, fully comprehensive course manuals.

The focus of this tuning course is to illustrate coding techniques that insure a consistent response time between instances and releases of the Oracle database. This course works closely with performance tuning of actual SQL statements as well as covering a variety of Oracle Server tuning topics.

The course starts out with a complete overview of the Oracle architecture so students can get an understanding how their SQL and applications can take advantage of the computing environment. This course includes a discussion on the differences of the various Explain Plan steps such as Merge-Join and Nested-Loop, and when is it best to use each. Dan goes into considerable detail, with SQL examples, on how the optimizers (both rule and cost) make their decisions. Students will work with a variety of SQL statements, reviewing explain plans and making changes to make these SQL statements perform better. Students will also experience how to monitor their application environment, their indexes, and see how to find problem SQL in their applications.

The focus this course is tuning SQL via coding style. The instructor finds that tuning in this fashion maintains the performance of the SQL when migrating to other Oracle environments (upgrades to newer releases). Students will also experience how to monitor their application environment, their indexes, and see how to find problem SQL in their applications using Stats Pack and the V$ dictionary tables.

Advanced topics focuses on a variety of parameter settings that make a big difference to Oracle-based applications (such as OPTIMIZER_INDEX_CACHING & INDEX_COST_ADJUSTMENT). This workshop includes a section on monitoring Oracle RDBMS and SQL via the v$ tables and TOAD. This course is packed full of scripts to discover a variety of issues.

This course is perfect for developers who need to know more on how Oracle works and how to get their SQL to perform better. This course is also good for those who are light on SQL tuning or perhaps are new to the Oracle RDBMS.

The course utilizes a variety of current tools. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about TOAD, SQL Developer, TextPAD, as well as the Oracle tools like SQL*Plus, TKProf, and Stats Pack.

Workshop Prerequisites:

A working knowledge of the SQL language. Knowledge of SQL Explain Plans is helpful but not necessary.

Topics covered:

• How Oracle arrives at an Execution Plan
• Index Review/Index Statistics/How Oracle Selects Indexes
• Advanced problem-solving topics using V$ Table information
• In-depth look at Explain Plans
• SQL Trace/Stats Pack
• PL/SQL Tuning/Profiling
• SQL Troubleshooting/problem solving

Lectures and topics are enhanced with live illustrations and hands-on exercises

Attendees Receive:

• Study guide with presentations and relevant white papers
• Book: Oracle SQL Tuning Pocket Reference by Mark Gurry
• Diskette full of tuning and problem discovery scripts
• Opportunity to ask the tough Oracle questions
• A hands-on opportunity to learn more about Oracle, SQL Developer, Eagle Eye, and TOAD

Course Outline:

• Day 1: SQL Statement Tuning
  • Oracle RDBMS Architecture overview
  • Understanding/Reading/Interpreting Explain Plans
  • Understanding the Rule-based Optimizer
  • Understanding the Cost-based Optimizer
  • Working with Hints
• Day 2: SQL Troubleshooting Tips and Techniques
  • Index Review/Tips & Techniques
  • A close look at sub-query coding techniques
  • Tuning Tool Review: Statspack, Events, Tracing/Tkprof
  • Using the SQL Tuning Advisor
  • Profiling and tuning PL/SQL
• Optional Day 3: SQL Troubleshooting Tips and Techniques (Advanced Topics)
  • Oracle Internals: How Oracle writes
  • Various Space Management Issues discussed
  • Monitoring Sorting
  • Finding Problem SQL using v$ information
  • Monitoring SQL using V$LongOps
  • Tuning the network/Tuning the client
  • Troubleshooting SQL
  • Tuning by Object Placement

About Dan Hotka:

Dan Hotka is a Training Specialist who has over 30 years in the computer industry and over 25 years of experience with Oracle products. He is an internationally recognized Oracle expert with Oracle experience dating back to the Oracle V4.0 days. Dan’s latest book is the SQL Developer Handbook by Oracle Press. He is also the author of Oracle9i Development By Example and Oracle8i from Scratch by Que and has co-authored 7 other popular books including the Database Oracle10g Linux Administration by Oracle Press. He is frequently published in Oracle trade journals, and regularly speaks at Oracle conferences and user groups around the world. Visit his website at www.DanHotka.com. Dan can be reached at dhotka@earthlink.net .

back to top

 Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Tips & Techniques (Course Ref SS52)

• Date: 2-3 March 2009
• Venue: This course has been relocated to Cork - Venue to be confirmed
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Cost: €450 Software Skillnet member companies; €1000 non-members

Give your technical staff that competitive edge with this Oracle Masterclass delivered by a global expert - Dan Hotka.

All course fees include the provision of new, fully comprehensive course manuals recently developed by Dan and available to participants on his programmes only.

The focus of this tuning Masterclass is to illustrate coding techniques that insure a consistent response time between instances and releases of the Oracle database. This course works closely with performance tuning of actual SQL statements as well as covering a variety of Oracle Server tuning topics.

The course starts out with a complete overview of the Oracle architecture so students can get an understanding how their SQL and applications can take advantage of the computing environment. This course includes a discussion on the differences of the various Explain Plan steps such as Merge-Join and Nested-Loop, and when is it best to use each. Dan goes into considerable detail, with SQL examples, on how the optimizers (both rule and cost) make their decisions. Students will work with a variety of SQL statements, reviewing explain plans and making changes to make these SQL statements perform better. Students will also experience how to monitor their application environment, their indexes, and see how to find problem SQL in their applications.

The focus this course is tuning SQL via coding style. The instructor finds that tuning in this fashion maintains the performance of the SQL when migrating to other Oracle environments (upgrades to newer releases). Students will also experience how to monitor their application environment, their indexes, and see how to find problem SQL in their applications using Stats Pack and the V$ dictionary tables.

Workshop Prerequisites:
A working knowledge of the SQL language. Knowledge of SQL Explain Plans is helpful but not necessary.,/p>

Topics covered:

• How Oracle arrives at an Execution Plan
• Index Review/Index Statistics/How Oracle Selects Indexes
• Advanced problem-solving topics using V$ Table information
• In-depth look at Explain Plans
• SQL Trace/Stats Pack
• PL/SQL Tuning/Profiling
• SQL Troubleshooting/problem solving

Lectures and topics are enhanced with live illustrations and hands-on exercises

Attendees Receive:

• Study guide with presentations and relevant white papers
• Book: Oracle SQL Tuning Pocket Reference by Mark Gurry
• Diskette full of tuning and problem discovery scripts
• Opportunity to ask the tough Oracle questions
• A hands-on opportunity to learn more about Oracle, SQL Developer, Eagle Eye, and TOAD

Course Outline:

• Day 1: SQL Statement Tuning
  • Oracle RDBMS Architecture overview
  • Understanding/Reading/Interpreting Explain Plans
  • Understanding the Rule-based Optimizer
  • Understanding the Cost-based Optimizer
  • Working with Hints
• Day 2: SQL Troubleshooting Tips and Techniques
  • Index Review/Tips & Techniques
  • A close look at sub-query coding techniques
  • Tuning Tool Review: Statspack, Events, Tracing/Tkprof
  • Using the SQL Tuning Advisor
  • Profiling and tuning PL/SQL

About Dan Hotka:

Dan Hotka is a Training Specialist who has over 30 years in the computer industry and over 25 years of experience with Oracle products. He is an internationally recognized Oracle expert with Oracle experience dating back to the Oracle V4.0 days. Dan’s latest book is the SQL Developer Handbook by Oracle Press. He is also the author of Oracle9i Development By Example and Oracle8i from Scratch by Que and has co-authored 7 other popular books including the Database Oracle10g Linux Administration by Oracle Press. He is frequently published in Oracle trade journals, and regularly speaks at Oracle conferences and user groups around the world. Visit his website at www.DanHotka.com. Dan can be reached at dhotka@earthlink.net .

back to top

 Business Analysis (Course Ref: SS-53)

• Dates: Wed 11th - Thurs 12th March 2009
• Venue: Hilton Hotel, Dublin
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Fee: Members (€390)  Non-members (€900)

Business Analysis is a critical process that drives the project life cycle.  The Business Analyst, acting as an intermediary between the business and technical communities, analyses competing business needs and develops plans to implement the projects that support stakeholder objectives.

In this course, you gain foundational knowledge of the role and function of the business analyst.

What skills will the delegate gain?
This course will enable delegates to:

• Understand the BA's role and responsibilities
• Understand the importance of scope
• Work with business users to gather and document high-level and detailed requirements
• Work with business users and delivery teams to develop optimal solutions to agreed requirements
• Plan and manage analysis activity including quality and sign-off reviews
• Assess and manage change requests
• Confidently present findings to their peer group and project team

For a full and detailed course outlines please click here.

back to top

 VOIP Fundamentals (Course Ref: SS-54)

• Dates: Wed 1st and Thu 2nd April 2009
• Venue: Accuris Networks, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Fee: Members (€300)  Non-members (€800)

The current hot topic in recent years has been the convergence of voice and data. This course investigates the characteristics of voice transmission and then studies the impact on IP networks.

Who will benefit?
Anyone working in the field of networking or telecommunications.

VoIP training course prerequisites
Intro to data communications & networking.
TCP/IP fundamentals.

VoIP training course objectives
By the end of the course delegates will be able to:

• Describe the issues of voice and data convergence.
• Describe techniques, which can be used in IP to provide low uniform delay.
• Evaluate VOIP technologies.
• Design data networks, which will support voice.

To see the full course content, please click here.

back to top

 Programming with GUT's in Test-Driven (Course Ref: SS-55)

• Dates: Mon 23rd February 2009
• Venue: Hilton Hotel, Dublin
• Times: 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Fee: Free to Software Skillnet members - please register with Susan Kelly at susan@isa-skillnet.com

This is the first in our new 3T Seminars on Emerging Trends, Technologies and Topics for Software companies. It is aimed software developer's, architect's, test engineer's or technical leads, keen to learn more effective programmer testing.

These days, testing is considered sexy for programmers. Who'd have thought it? But there is a lot more to effective programmer testing than the fashionable adoption of a unit-testing framework: effective unit testing involves (a lot) more than knowledge of assertion syntax.

About the speaker:

Kevlin Henney is an independent consultant and trainer. He specialises in programming languages and techniques, OO design, patterns, agile development and software architecture. He is a popular speaker at conferences in Europe and North America.

Kevlin is a columnist for various magazines and online publications, including The Register, Better Software, Java Report and C++ Report. With Frank Buschmann and Doug Schmidt, he is co-author of A Pattern Language for Distributed Computing and On Patterns and Pattern Languages, two volumes in the Pattern-Oriented Software Architecture series.

He has variously developed and delivered training courses, consultancy and software across a number of domains ever since getting involved in professional software development in the late 1980s. His work focuses on software architecture and patterns, programming languages and techniques, and agile development and programmer testing practices.

back to top

 Presentation Skills for Software Professionals(Course Ref: SS-56)

• Dates: Tues 31st March & Wed 1st April
• Venue: Ballsbridge Court (Formerly Berkeley Court), Dublin
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Fee: Members (€390)  Non-members (€900)

This workshop provides techniques, which will enhance the quality and effectiveness of presentation sessions given by Software Professionals in a role of “Product and Technical experts”. The workshop will benefit those whose role is to explain or train others in the use of technical products, software applications or end-user services.

The main techniques and content of this course are presented in an interactive presentation style, but being workshop based these sessions ensures full participation by all attendees (max 10). Each attendee is required to deliver two presentations – the duration of each to be decided based on product delivery emphasis.

Accurate feedback is vital; hence the group in open forum discusses each presentation, immediately after the presentation thereby critiquing strengths and highlighting areas for improvement. This also forms a valuable part of a Personal Action Plan to apply on return to the real workplace.

Objectives

Although everyone develops their own style in delivering technical information, there are specific techniques, which can be very effective when properly applied. This course takes a fresh look at those techniques and provides a set of interactive ‘people skills’ approaches, which can ensure high quality, enjoyable yet focused sessions. 

Although actual ‘Presentation Technique’ is important, this course provides higher-level communication methods, which lead to enhanced audience awareness, better interpersonal contact and a highly interactive, participative presentation style.

Content

Objectives, Presentation Styles

• Specifying Outcomes (assessing need, deliver to impress, applying/highlighting solutions)
• Objectives and focus of ‘Product Delivery’
• Personal Confidence Preparation: Structure; Content; Flow; Timings

Standard Presentation Techniques

• Typical problems with “Technical Experts”
• Preparing for presentation - what content? - What delivery method?
• Verbal/non-verbal communication
• How to make things visual - The strongest retention force
• Tools of the trade - Visual Aids (Flipcharts/Whiteboards, Data Projector etc)
• Dealing (productively) with stage fright

Interactive Presentation Style

• “Learner-centred” presentations
• Reading (and reacting to) the audience’s non-verbal feedback
• Encouraging questions and participation
• Dealing with questions from the audience
• Posing questions - stimulating your audience
• Managing an interactive environment

Openings & Closings

• The presentation Introduction; Roles and Specific objectives
• Creating the right environment
• Techniques for closing: Topic; Presentation; Benefits

Preparation Techniques

• Planning your time
• Planning your materials
• Planning Workshops and Demos
• Planning the Course timeline
• Personal Action Plan - Plan to SUCCEED

The Presenter/Trainer Role(s)

• Use of FIVE PRESENTER ROLES, which can transform your presentations!
• Role as an interactive technique
• Understanding ‘Learning Preferences’: Mumford & Jung; 4MAT

Dealing with Awkward Attendees

• Preventive and Assertive Techniques - Staying in Command
• Classic techniques to control interest - How far you can go

Team Presentations

Working in teams of two, prepare (one hour is allocated for prep) to deliver a 20-30 minute hands-on learning session designed to teach the group some selected, relevant aspects of a Software Application.

Each Team has to complete the following tasks:

1.     Specify the presentation content (Goals, timeline, delivery)

2.     Prepare the presentation information as a PowerPoint session

3.     Incorporate hands-on elements in the learning process

4.     Decide which Team member will handle which part

5.     Deliver a 20-30 minute session as a Team

.

back to top

 ISTQB Advanced Test Analyst (Course Ref: SS-58)

• Dates: Mon 23rd - Fri 27th March (Exam to take place Fri 3rd April)
• Venue: Mount Herbert Hotel, Dublin
• Times: 9.30am - 5.00pm
• Fee: Member (€800 plus exam fee of €200)       Non-member (€1695 plus exam fee of €200)

Course Overview:

Following on from the ISTQB Foundation Certificate, the Advanced Test Analyst Certificate provides the next level of knowledge and practical expertise in the ISTQB Advanced Certification scheme. It is one of three certified courses at Advanced level (the other two being Advanced Test Manager and Advanced Technical Test Analyst).

The 5 day tutor led course has been designed to enable participants understand, apply and analyse key testing principles and processes.

Who should attend?

This course is aimed at testing practitioners already working in the area of test design, analysis, specification and implementation. This includes quality analysts, testers, developers, systems analysts, project leaders, users and data administrators.

Successful completion of the ISTQB Foundation Certificate is a pre-requisite to taking the ISTQB Advanced Certificate examination.

What will you learn?

• Structure the tasks defined in the test strategy in terms of business domain requirements
• Analyze the system in sufficient detail to meet the user quality expectations
• Evaluate the system requirements to determine domain validity
• Prepare and execute the adequate testing activities, and report on their progress
• Provide the necessary evidence to support evaluations
• Implement the necessary tools and techniques to achieve the defined goals

 Course Contents an overview

1.                 Introduction to Test Analyst Syllabus

2.                 Basic Aspects of Software Testing

3.                 Testing Processes

                     - Test Analysis & Evaluation

                     - Test Implementation & Execution

                     - Evaluation of Exit Criteria and Reporting

4.                 Test Management

5.                 Risk Based Testing

6.                 Test Techniques

7.                 Specification based

8.                 Defect & Experience based

9.                 Test of Software Characteristics

10.             Quality Attributes for Domain Testing

11.             Quality Attributes for Technical Testing

12.             Reviews

13.             Incident Management

14.             Test Tools & Automation

15.             Test Tool Concepts

16.             Test Tool Categories

17.             People Skill Team Composition

18.             Communication

back to top

 JAVA Conference (Course Ref: SS-66)

• Dates: Wed 30th September 09
• Venue: Cork, Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork
• Times: 2.00pm – 6.00pm
• Fee: €50 members - please register with Catherine Wall  catherine.wall@itcork.ie

Agenda

Speakers include Manik Surtani, JBoss, Ben Hale, SpringSource, Kevin Noonan, Independent Developer and Simon Ritter, Sun Microsystems.

More details are available by clicking here.

back to top

 Test Driven Development(Course Ref: SS-102)

• Dates: 3 day course - Dates to be Confirmed
• Venue: Dublin
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm

Overview

Generally this course will cover the following topics over a 3 day period.

• Introduce Test Driven Design
  • Customer Acceptance Tests
  • Unit Tests
• Using Mocks and Stubs to Unit Test
• Code Smells
• Improve the quality of code by refactoring
• Test Automation
• Continuous Integration
• Introducing TDD to a legacy code base safely.

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 ISEB Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis (Course Ref: SS-103)

• Dates:  May 2010 - Date to be confirmed
• Venue: Dublin
• Fee:  Members fee €600 (this includes the certification cost)
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm

Overview

This certificate is concerned with some of the fundamental aspects of business analysis. Its focus is on using a holistic approach to the investigation and improvement of business situations with a view to developing effective, feasible business solutions.

There are two key elements to the syllabus: the development of a business strategy and the exploration of a business issue, whether a problem or opportunity. For the first element, candidates are required to understand a range of strategic analysis and performance management techniques. For the second element, they are required to be able to apply business analysis techniques within a defined framework.

The certificate is awarded to those who pass a one-hour multiple-choice examination, which is normally given in the afternoon of the third day of the course.  There are no specific pre-requisites for entry to the examination, however candidates should be suitably prepared and possess the appropriate skills and knowledge to fulfil the objectives above. Candidates who are awarded a pass for the examination are awarded the ISEB Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis.

Course objectives

Holders of the ISEB Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis should be able to:

• Describe how a business strategy is developed.
• Use strategic analysis techniques.
• Describe the need for project discipline.
• Explain techniques to investigate an organisation's business systems.
• Describe an approach to improving business systems.
• Explain the importance of stakeholder management and use a stakeholder analysis technique.
• Use techniques for the analysis and modelling of business systems.
• Describe how recommendations for business improvement may be identified.
• Describe the contents of a rigorous business case for the development and implementation of business changes.
• Identify costs, benefits, impacts and risks for an option in a business case.
• Explain the derivation of it requirements from the definitions of business improvements.
• Explain the importance of assuring the business case once the changes have been implemented.

Course outline

A typical outline of an ISEB Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is outlined below.

1. Rationale

• A lifecycle for business change
• The role of the business analyst
• A comparison of the business analyst and systems analyst roles
• Purpose of analysing and modelling business systems
• Overview of business analysis approach (overview model showing roadmap/workflow)

2. Strategic analysis in context

• Identifying the business domain
• Internal environment analysis
• External environment analysis
• Swot analysis
• Overview of areas of strategy, including IS strategy
• Critical success factors and key performance indicators
• The balanced business scorecard

3. Project discipline for business analysis studies

• Terms of reference/project initiation
• Business and project objectives
• Deliverables from business analysis studies

4. Understanding the situation/issues

• Stakeholder analysis
• Overview of investigative techniques
• Representation of the business situation

5. Business perspectives

• Identifying different perspectives
• Defining business perspectives
• Identifying and resolving conflicts

6. Analysing and modelling business activities

• Identifying activities
• Identifying dependencies
• Building a business activity model
• Business events/activity triggers
• Business rules/constraints

7. Identifying potential solutions

• Gap analysis - comparing the ideal and existing systems
• Defining a new business model (the processes, people and organisation)
• Identifying is/it requirements to support the new business model

8. Making the business case

• Structure of a business case
• Identifying options for business change
• Identifying costs and benefits
• Identifying impacts
• Identifying risks
• Principles of risk analysis and management
• Presenting a business case

9. Accepting the business case

• Testing the system for user acceptance
• Managing the implementation of change
• Realising the business benefits

 To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Managing Project Risk(Course Ref: SS-104)

• Dates: To Be Confirmed
• Venue: Dublin
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm

Overview

To be Confirmed 

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 ISTQB Foundation in Software Testing (Course Ref: SS-105)

• Dates: Mon 22nd - Wed 24th March 2010
• Venue: Grand Canal Hotel, Dublin
• Fee:  Members Fee €600 (This includes the certification cost)
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm

Overview

The ISTQB was officially founded as an International Testing Qualifications Board in Edinburgh in November 2002, by members of the ISEB Software testing Board together with representatives from other countries.

The idea and proposal for the ISTQB, stemmed from the original ISEB view of Software Testing and the need for an international Software Testing Qualification. The International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) role is to support a single, universally accepted, international qualification scheme, aimed at software and system testing professionals.

The ISTQB Foundation certificate is awarded to all those who successfully complete a one-hour, multiple choice examination. The examination is externally set and invigilated by ISEB.

An ISTQB Advanced level qualification equivalent to the ISEB Practitioner has now also been developed to allow a progression route for participants completing the Foundation Course.

Who Should Attend

• Quality analysts
• Testers 
• Developers 
• Systems analysts 
• Project leaders 
• Users 
• Data administrators

No specific prerequisites are assumed. Attendees are expected to be ‘software knowledgeable’ with some minimal test of software experience.

Examination

• This introduction to software testing provides participants with the knowledge and expertise to undertake the ISTQB examination for the Foundation Certificate offered at the end of the third day.

Course Objectives

Those attending the course will learn:

• The fundamental principles of Software Testing 
• How testing fits into the development lifecycle 
• The importance of test process, objectives, techniques and tools 
• Essential functional and non-functional test methods 
• Basic test design and measurement techniques 
• Fundamental test management principles 
• How to select and implement tools effectively

Course Outline

Introduction

• Fundamentals of Testing 
• Why is testing necessary? 
• What is testing? General testing principles
• Fundamental test process
• The psychology of testing

Testing through the lifecycle

• Software development models
• Test levels
• Test types – the targets of testing
• Maintenance testing

Static Reviews

• Reviews and the test process
• Review process
• Static analysis by tools

Test design techniques

• Identifying test conditions and designing test cases
• Categories of test design techniques
• Specification-based or black-box techniques
• Structure-based or white-box techniques
• Experience-based techniques

Test Management

• Test Organisation
• Test planning and estimation
• Test process monitoring and control
• Configuration Management
• Risk and Testing
• Incident Management

 Tool Support for Testing

• Types of test tool
• Effective use of tools: potential benefits and risks
• Introduction of a tool into an organisation

 To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Ruby on Rails (Course Ref: SS-106)

• Dates: May 2010 - Date to be confirmed
• Venue: Apple Corporation, Cork.
• Fees:  Member fee €420
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm

Overview

This Ruby on Rails training course would teaches attendees how to build web applications using the powerful Rails framework.

Ruby on Rails Training Objectives

 Know how to install and configure Ruby, Rails, and any associated packages

 Understand the Rails request cycle

 Explore the Model-View-Controller architecture for server-side applications

 Learn to program the major components of Rails, including Active Record, Action

Controller, and Action View

 Learn Ruby fundamentals

 Configure databases for Rails

 Do test driven development of Rails applications

Ruby on Rails Training Outline

The Rails World

• Rails overview and walkthrough
• What you do with Rails, and why
• Framework principles and tradeoffs
• The Model-View-Controller framework architecture
• Creating a new Rails application
• The Rails application directory layout
• Rails request-handling and URL parsing
• Customizing the application's routing
• Deploying with Mongrel
• The Rails philosophy: "Convention over configuration"

Ruby Skills and Tools

• Objects and methods
• Scalars: strings, numbers, dates and times
• Collections: arrays, hashes
• Sorting and filtering collections
• Classes and modules
• Control flow and conditionals
• Interactive Ruby (IRB)
• Attributes
• Iterators
• Exception and error-handling

Database Creation and Configuration

• Basic MySQL™ creation commands
• Configuring database.yml

Working with ActiveRecord Models

• Modeling a domain
• Generating models with script/generate
• ActiveRecord models and Ruby classes
• ActiveRecord associations
• Writing Rails-friendly SQL
• Data validation techniques
• Avoiding SQL injection

Database maintenance with ActiveRecord Migrations

• Automatically-generated migrations
• Custom migrations
• Writing accurate "down" methods
• Keeping migrations in sync

ActionView Essentials

• HTML/ERb (Embedded Ruby) templates
• Partial templates
• Built-in and custom helper methods
• Layouts
• The 'flash' facility
• Avoiding HTML injection

Using ActionController

• Creating controllers with script/generate
• Planning and writing actions
• Controller/view communication via instance variables
• The special params hash
• Filter methods for specific actions
• Redirecting actions
• Explicit rendering commands
• Session management

Working with Forms in Rails

• ActionPack form helper methods
• "Magic" form-field population
• Processing forms
• Hash-based batch processing of CGI data

Testing in Rails

• Writing fixtures
• Generating fixtures from a database
• Unit testing
• Functional testing

Ajax, JavaScript, and RJS

• JavaScript facilities and support in Rails
• Basic DOM updating with Ajax calls
• RJS templates

Rails Supporting Rails

• The Rails application console
• The source code tree
• The API docs

To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Prince 2 Foundation in Project Management (Course Ref: SS-107)

• Dates: Mon 22nd - Wed 24th March
• Venue: Grand Canal Hotel, Dublin
• Times: 9.30am – 5.00pm
• Fee: Member Fee €400 (includes certification costs)

Overview 

PRINCE2™ (Projects IN a Controlled Environment) is a leading edge approach to managing projects.  With the launch of PRINCE2™  also came its recognition as the de facto standard for managing projects, not just in the IT/IS environment, but for projects of any size and complexity, run in any industry sector.

This is an intensive three-day course leading to delegates sitting the PRINCE2™ Foundation examination on the final day.

Who should attend?

This course is aimed at anyone wishing to gain the qualification and needing to understand the terminology and principles behind the method.

This course would benefit:

• Project Managers
• General Managers
• Programme Managers
• Project Team Managers and support staff
• Staff who will have a defined role
• Project Management Consultants

Course Content:

This course would follow a syllabus to prepare delegates to pass the PRINCE2™ Foundation Paper.

Upon successful completion of the course, students would have:

• Gained a basic knowledge and understanding of project management and project-based work.
• Identified the difference between a project and a process.
• Been introduced to the components, elements and processes of PRINCE2™ and the relationships that bind them together.

Course Topics would include areas such as:

• Introduction to Project Management
• Overview of PRINCE2™
• Starting up a project
• The Project Management Team Initiating a project
• The Business Case
• Risk and Quality Management
• All aspects of Planning Controls
• Managing Stage Boundaries
• Quality in a PE Controlling a Stage
• Managing Product Delivery
• Change Control
• Configuration Management and Project Closure

Comprehensive course documentation would be provided, including a copy of the OGC’s “Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2”

Delegates must undertake a period of self-study using materials provided before the course. In addition there is a requirement for evening work to be completed throughout the course. The Foundation examination, a one-hour multiple choice questionnaire exam, takes place in the afternoon of the third day.

 To Book this Course Please Click Here
back to top

 Software Testing Event (Course Ref: SS-108)

• Dates: Wed 17th February 2010
• Venue: IBEC Offices, Dublin
• Times: 5.00pm – 7.30pm
• Fee: Free to Software Skillnet  members - please register with Anna Donegan at anna.donegan@ibec.ie

Sarah Murphy, Xilinx: Title: Lean Test Process Improvement in Agile Testing

The presentation will introduce the audience to the Lean Philosophy and use a case study to demonstrate how test process improvement can be driven from the bottom-up very effectively by empowering the team members of the Test Process Improvement initiative. The removal of waste (anything that doesn’t add value) is at the core of the Lean Philosophy.

Ensuring that the test process is as efficient and effective as it can be facilitates an agility within testing and empowers the test effort to react to change positively and agilely.

The presentation will :

- demonstrate how a team of testers came together and contributed to the improvement of various testing processes and activities.

- address how “easy“ change becomes within the testing organization when it is driven by the testers themselves.

- show how test management can facilitate the empowering of its testers while still maintaining a decorum of control.

- address how the usual resistance to change was surmounted by a TPI effort driven by those who are executing the testing.

- include feedback from a recently held Retrospective with Lessons Learned clearly elaborated on.

Scott Armstrong, SQS UK:Title: Test Automation: A Roadmap for Success 

The presentation :

- aims to debunk the myth that one automation tool fits all; it is essential to tailor and plan the tools and technologies involved to deliver an effective solution.

- highlight that automation is not a panacea for a struggling testing project. In the right circumstances and with the correct strategy, test automation can provide impressive returns on investment, but these efforts must be carefully targeted.

- discuss the factors that need to be considered and the steps that should be taken to ensure the successful delivery of an automation project, and will highlight the problems that are often encountered when deploying a new tool.

- include case studies of SQS Automation projects which ill illustrate these principles in action.back to top

 Software Testing Event(Course Ref: SS-109)

• Dates: Thur 18th February 2010
• Venue: Cork International Airport, Cork
• Times: 4.00pm – 6.00pm
• Fee: Free to Software Skillnet members - please register with Alison at alison@itcork.ie

Sarah Murphy, Xilinx: Title: Lean Test Process Improvement in Agile Testing

The presentation will introduce the audience to the Lean Philosophy and use a case study to demonstrate how test process improvement can be driven from the bottom-up very effectively by empowering the team members of the Test Process Improvement initiative. The removal of waste (anything that doesn’t add value) is at the core of the Lean Philosophy.

Ensuring that the test process is as efficient and effective as it can be facilitates an agility within testing and empowers the test effort to react to change positively and agilely.

The presentation will :

- demonstrate how a team of testers came together and contributed to the improvement of various testing processes and activities.

- address how “easy“ change becomes within the testing organization when it is driven by the testers themselves.

- show how test management can facilitate the empowering of its testers while still maintaining a decorum of control.

- address how the usual resistance to change was surmounted by a TPI effort driven by those who are executing the testing.

- include feedback from a recently held Retrospective with Lessons Learned clearly elaborated on.

Scott Armstrong, SQS UK:Title: Test Automation: A Roadmap for Success 

The presentation :

- aims to debunk the myth that one automation tool fits all; it is essential to tailor and plan the tools and technologies involved to deliver an effective solution.

- highlight that automation is not a panacea for a struggling testing project. In the right circumstances and with the correct strategy, test automation can provide impressive returns on investment, but these efforts must be carefully targeted.

- discuss the factors that need to be considered and the steps that should be taken to ensure the successful delivery of an automation project, and will highlight the problems that are often encountered when deploying a new tool.

- include case studies of SQS Automation projects which ill illustrate these principles in action.

back to top