People-Related Success Factors

People-related factors

• You need to select the “right” participants to reach your planned review objectives. It is most productive to select people whose skills and viewpoints mean that they need to understand the review object anyway in order to continue their work. Because the review object will usually be used as the basis for designing test cases, it makes sense to have testers take part in a review. The testers are then familiar with the project documents from the start of the development process and can begin specifying test cases right away. Such a test-based viewpoint also aids other aspects of quality assurance, such as verifying an object’s testability.
• Reviews serve to assure the quality of the investigated object(s), so the identification of defects, inaccuracies, and deviations from plan is intended and should be encouraged. However, the reviewers must communicate their findings in an objective, unbiased manner. Reviews must be held in a trusting, confidential atmosphere, and participants should avoid using gestures that indicate boredom, frustration, or hostility to other participants. The author has to be sure that the results of a review don’t influence his standing in the company. The author should see a review as a positive experience and all participants should end up feeling that taking part in the review was time well spent.
• Participants take the time to concentrate on details. Reviews are held so that participants don’t lose their concentration. Don’t attempt to review large documents in one sitting, and limit the length of the review session in advance.
• If necessary, offer participants additional training in advance of the review, especially for a formal review such as an inspection.
• Try to encourage a learning atmosphere so that everyone benefits from each review. This also improves the quality of the review process and individual review techniques.

Why reviews sometimes fail

• If a review fails because of insufficient preparation, this is usually due to poor scheduling
• If the reviewers don’t understand the significance of the review or the effectiveness of the review process in quality improvement, you can use figures from the current project (or from earlier projects) to underscore the importance of the review process
• Reviews can fail due to insufficient or incomplete documentation. Alongside the review object, you have to make sure that all supporting documentation is available with the necessary depth of detail. A review should only go ahead if this is the case.