Getting the Best out of Distributed TeamsCindy Glaser Nancy Kastl
About the Topic
Whether working with a test team in Baltimore or a development group in Bangalore, testers are increasingly required to work and interact in a distributed team environment. To the overall organization, this arrangement is seen as a way to bring down the bottom line and take advantage of a 24 hour work schedule, but we know the reality and the unique challenges in terms of coordination, communication and successful completion of projects. Even if you do not work in a distributed environment currently, chances are you will be in the near future. Get off on the right foot by knowing what to expect and how to succeed. This mini-workshop gives participants an opportunity to learn from one another through a facilitated discussion.
About the Speaker
Cindy Glaser, in her 14 years as a QA analyst and test team manager at IBM, AT&T, Siemens, Morningstar, Inc. and Sears Holdings, has managed and worked with distributed teams in India, China, the Netherlands, Japan and Argentina, as well as exotic locales such as Chicago and New Jersey. From her experience with the setup and daily management of test activities among widely spread teams, she's keenly aware of what it takes to make them succeed (and even more keenly aware of what makes them fail). Cindy's other QA-related passions involve risk management and cost and schedule containment while minimizing the impact to quality. Cindy has also served on the board of the Chicago Quality Assurance Association for the past five years.
Nancy Kastl, CSQA, is President of the Kaslen Group and an accomplished professional with over twenty-five years of experience as a consultant, manager, facilitator, and instructor. She provides her expertise in strategic planning, measurement, quality management, software testing, process re-engineering, program management offices, and project management. She has established, staffed, and managed distributed QA testing teams. Nancy is a former VP of Quality Assurance at Harris Bank and is the founder and President of the Chicago Quality Assurance Association. She is a frequent conference speaker and is currently the QUEST conference chairperson. Nancy has served on the Purdue University IT Advisory Committee and the QAI Certification Board.
