Test

Test Manager

The test manager is responsible for defining overall test strategy. The test strategy defines the approach to testing, specifying the different test phases and the goal of each test phase. Test phases can include unit testing, system testing, integration testing, performance testing, operational testing and backup/recovery testing. The test strategy also defines the severity and impact levels for defects, exit entry criteria for test phases and with the project manager defines the test plan, test cycles and required resources. The test manager is also responsible for deciding on use of test software such as defect management systems and automated test tools.

Deliverables,

• Test Strategy Document

Test Engineers

The test engineers write and execute test scripts and log defects and issues. These are communicated back to the development team and a close working relationship is required between the test and build teams. Test engineers are involved in all areas of testing except unit testing which is a responsibility of the build team.

Deliverables,

• Test Scripts
• Test Results

Support

System Administration

A separate team is often employed to support the software and infrastructure of all environments from development through production environments. This team is responsible for support and maintenance of the data integration software, BI applications, the data warehouse database system, testing tools and defect management systems. Their tasks include allocating access to resources and monitoring the system to ensure stability so that the system meets required service levels. If not being produced by the Technical Architect, the system administrator produces the System Administration Guide which documents all the above processes.

Deliverables,

• System Administration Guide

See Also

The companion article BI Project Deliverables for a review of the deliverables that are typically produced on a BI project and BI Project RACI Matrix for a summary of the roles responsible for each deliverable.

Also see The Multidisciplinary Agile Team which looks at how to organise BI project roles in an agile team.

You may also be interested in,

• Developing BI Applications which discusses the idea of developing BI applications rather than just create a set or reports or dashboards.
• SAP BOE Security Model Patterns which looks at different approaches to building a security model in SAP BusinessObjects

Further Reading

Roles and Responsibilities of a Data Warehouse Team

Reeves, Laura L. A Manager’s Guide to Data Warehousing. John Wiley & Sons. © 2009