Lessons learned, pitfalls, and strategies to overcome pitfalls
Looking back over my career experiences, which were described earlier in this chapter, I identified common pitfalls and strategies to overcome those pitfalls. The following sections highlight some of my learnings from the point of view of quality, testing, test automation, standardization, security, and feedback.
The importance of quality
The primary lesson I learned about quality is that too many organizations have a too narrow understanding of how to define, measure, and achieve the level of quality appropriate for their mission. Dr. Edward Deming, a renowned quality management expert, defined quality as a continuous process rather than a static attribute. He emphasized that quality is not merely about meeting specifications or having a product free of defects but involves meeting customer needs and exceeding their expectations.
The pursuit of “zero defects” is not an appropriate goal and pursuing...
