RE: Tools, was Re: Manual validation

>In the case of an organisation managing a web team, another role for
tools is in automatic 
>monitoring of updates in support of an overall QA strategy. 

I agree with Nick's Comments on using Accessibility Testing to support
the Overall QA Process. While Agreeing, I thought that I could add some
detail to the concept that would show how this could effectively be
realized. 

- Integration with Existing Quality Assurance Systems
By Integrating with Existing systems you will decrease the training
curve and make it easier to integrate accessibility validation into the
current QA Processes

- Integration with Test Management Systems
A Global test management system allows for QA Specialist to share
information about testing and technical scripts as well as web site or
web based application development. 

* Something like Mercury Interactive's TestDirector is a good example of
a global test management system in use today.

- Integration with Web Application Test Management Systems
Countles Scripts have been developed to test the quality of commercial,
government and all web sites. The accessibility testing solution should
be integrated into this type of test structure to allow for testing of
dynamic user driven content, pages, or streams of content. 

* Something like Mercury Interactive's QuickTest is a good example of a
global test management system in use today.
 
- Integration with Content Management and Authoring Systems
Whether it be a FrontPage or the Microsoft .Net Enterprise Servers, the
accessibility test management system should provide integration with the
systems currently being used by the organizations.

- The solution must provide data sharing, collection, and other relevant
team services
Multi User data, Reports, human testing data, run data, etc are
necessary for management to accurately understand their current state of
accessibility as well as for development and QA teams to standardize on
practices and applicable test scripts.

- Automated email or other alerting of Failures, Warnings or other
configurable events in a "event driven accessibility management system"

- Most Importantly the solution should be capable of integrating the
"Human" (Referred to as manual in these posts) Testing with the Machine
testing in the same content or test management system. 

Whether these integrations are Direct Integrations or achieved by
Exposing Full and Open API's that allow for further customization and
Integration by other developers or internal resources is fine. However,
it is important that the tools can be customized without requiring
intensive training or extensive programming experience. An easy way of
putting it is that internal IT Staff should be able to customize and
extend the solution, if resources are available. 

To Accomplish this the solution should be Open and Extendable, via
Programmers API's and individual customization features allowing for
customization down to individual checks and sub-checks (Requiring no
Programming Skills). Additionally the tool istself should be able to
test documents or extracted streams of content on the fly. 

By providing integration into: Training, QA Systems and Processes,
Content Authoring and Management Systems while making available Robust
Team Services in an event managed Accessibility Solution an organization
will find it possible to achieve their goals for content that is
accessible by all regardless of physical or technical ability.

And Lastly a platform and client free solution that provides integration
with all of the above elements allows for accessibility management for
even the most diverse organizations environments.


Cheers,
Rob Yonaitis
HiSoftware Accessibility Test Managent Solutions -
http://www.hisoftware.com/access

HiSoftware wins the 2002 da Vinci AwardT...   
Category: "Electronics & Information Technology."
http://www.hisoftware.com/press/davinci.html

Received on Sunday, 22 September 2002 21:56:11 UTC