I’m Chris Saunders, a technologist passionate about the technology industry.
This site delves into various roles within software development, from Accessibility Specialist to Zero-Day Analyst, highlighting role and a story from my career about the role.
Software Development Roles: Skill Attributes Visualisation
This 3D scatter plot visualises various software development roles based on three key skill attributes:
Project Timeline (x-axis): Representing the spectrum from project start to project end.
Focus Orientation (y-axis): Spanning from people focused to technology focused roles.
Thinking Style (z-axis): Differentiating between operational thinking and strategic thinking.
Each marker represents a distinct role, with its position indicating the relative emphasis on each of
these attributes. Use the chart to explore how different roles balance these skills. How one person in a
3D space could assume another role nearby in the space.
Click the "Reset Chart View" button to reset the chart to its default view.
Click the "Set Y and X Front View" button to set the chart to see Y on the left and X on the bottom.
Click the "Set Y and Z Front View" button to set the chart to see Y on the left and Z on the bottom.
Interacting with the 3D Scatter Plot:
Zoom:
Mouse Scroll: Scroll the mouse wheel up and down to zoom in and out.
Rotate:
Click and Drag: Click and drag on the plot to rotate it in any direction.
Right Click and Drag: Right-click and drag on the plot to pan it left, right, up, or down.
Reset Chart View:
Reset Button: Click the "Reset Chart View" button below the plot to reset the view to its
default position (Y axis left, X axis bottom, and Z axis depth).
Explore:
Hover: Hover over a data point to see additional information about the role it represents.
"Q" for Quality Manager. Software Development Roles: A to Z
A Quality Manager oversees the quality assurance and control processes within an organisation. They ensure that products or services meet established standards of quality, reliability, and performance. Quality Managers develop and implement quality management systems, conduct audits, and analyse data to identify areas for improvement.
Personal Story: As a Test Manager at a healthcare medical device company in the United Kingdom, I worked closely with a Quality Manager. Our collaboration was crucial in ensuring we met the highest standards of quality and compliance for ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) and ISO 13485 (Medical Devices – Quality Management Systems). The Quality Manager provided strategic oversight, established frameworks for quality assurance, and ensured that QA processes aligned with organisational goals and industry standards. As a Test Manager, I led the testers, whose contributions to quality assurance included rigorous testing activities.
Distinction Between Testers and QA:
It's important to understand the difference between Testers and QA, especially as many New Zealand consultancies incorrectly use the term "QA" when they actually mean testers or testing activities:
Testers: Focus primarily on executing tests to gather information about a system, identify defects, and ensure that software meets functional and non-functional requirements.
QA: Encompasses a broader role, including establishing quality standards, defining QA processes, conducting audits, ensuring compliance with standards and regulations, and driving continuous improvement across the entire organisation.
Interesting Quality Management Fact: The concept of quality management dates back to the early 20th century, with pioneers like Shewhart and Deming laying the groundwork for modern quality assurance practices.
