Manawatu Software Quality Assurance Professionals December 2024 Meetup
The Not So Hidden Cost of Poor Quality Tales from the real world
- 5 December 2024
Tales from the Real World
It’s always a pleasure to see the local community step up and volunteer their time to present at the meetups we facilitate. These events wouldn’t be the same without the support of outstanding organizations like FMG New Zealand, which generously hosts our gatherings, providing venues and facilities without hesitation. Combine this with local proactive speakers, and it reinforces the true spirit of community—one of the many reasons why TTC Global invests time and resources into these events.
For our December session, we were fortunate to welcome a speaker from Massey University’s test team. They delved into the real-world impact of costly quality assurance (QA) issues—what happens when QA is neglected or poorly executed. The session highlighted not only the direct consequences but also the ripple effects on people, businesses, and communities.
Insights from the CrowdStrike Incident
When the CrowdStrike issue occurred, Jarod Carruthers, drawing from his background as a System Administrator, took a personal interest in the unfolding events. Now a professional in Software Quality Assurance, Jarod provided a unique perspective on both the technical and human dimensions of the incident.
His presentation Download PDF captured real-time commentary from professionals in the field managing post-incident recovery. By contextualizing the issue with his system administration expertise, Jarod shed light on the cascading effects such events can have.
Other Case Studies of QA Failures
Jarod also shared two other significant examples of QA failures:
- Knight Capital – A financial technology failure with disastrous monetary consequences.
- Therac-25 – A case linked to alleged fatalities, highlighting the life-or-death stakes of poor QA practices.
The discussion also touched on the infamous United Kingdom Postal Service Horizon issues, raising the pivotal question of the night:
Should Quality Assurance have an independent seat at the top table in organisations? Is now the time for a Chief Quality Assurance Officer?
What do you think? Is now the time?
The Annual December Survey
December wouldn’t be complete without our traditional survey, where we forecast the upcoming year in project workloads, team dynamics, and trends. Here’s a snapshot of this year’s findings:
- Project Workloads: Expected to either increase or remain steady.
- Team Sizes: Predicted to shrink.
- Recruitment Challenges: Anticipated to remain consistent with 2024.
- Work Location Trends: A shift toward more office days is expected.
- Weather Predictions: A sunny outlook for the region—though not everyone agrees!
You can explore the full survey results here:
Looking Ahead to 2025
This December meetup marked a fantastic end to the year, showcasing the strength and support of the Manawatu QA community.
Our next meetup is scheduled for late February 2025, but until then, we leave you with this thought:
Is it time for organizations to appoint a Chief Quality Assurance Officer (CQAO)?