Medtronic’s Quality Empowerment: Quality is Everybody’s Responsibility

Nikita Patel, a seasoned Senior Test Engineer at Medtronic, recently explored how we can collectively ensure quality in software development. In her session at the Mobile Testing and Experience Summit 2024, Nikita delved into the shift from viewing quality as the sole responsibility of specific teams to embracing it as a collaborative effort across the entire organization. She shared her insights on empowering every team member to champion excellence, offering attendees a journey of enlightenment and actionable strategies.

With over a decade of testing expertise, Nikita brings a wealth of knowledge to her discussion. Her extensive experience spans web, backend, and mobile testing across diverse industries, including gaming, clinical research, and surgical robotics. At Medtronic, a medical technology company specializing in device-based medical therapies, she is responsible for the software quality of the TouchSurgery ecosystem mobile applications. Nikita’s background in clinical research and surgical robotics makes her an ideal fit for Medtronic. She offers a unique perspective on incorporating mobile quality and user satisfaction into each project.

Importance of Quality

Nikita emphasized the importance of quality in mobile testing. She began her session by featuring the numerous benefits of a high-quality product, including greater client satisfaction, a better reputation, higher ratings, and increased revenue. Quality assurance is not just about meeting technical specifications; it’s about ensuring a positive user experience and the overall success of the mobile application. Nikita introduced the shared concept of quality, where the responsibility for ensuring quality extends beyond test engineers to encompass the entire organization. This approach not only saves time and money but also ensures that high-quality apps contribute to long-term success in the competitive mobile app market.

Challenges in Ensuring Quality on Mobile

As with anything, there are various challenges to ensuring mobile quality. Device fragmentation, different operating systems, and diverse user environments complicate the testing process. Risk factors such as security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and functionality glitches must be meticulously managed. Replicating real-world user scenarios during testing can also be tricky.

Missed Quality

Missing the quality mark in mobile applications can have severe consequences. Nakita highlighted real-world examples where quality lapses led to the loss of customers, money, and reputation. For instance, the OmniPod insulin management system had a bug that misinterpreted a decimal point, leading to potentially dangerous overdoses. This seemingly small error posed a significant safety hazard to patients and led to substantial revenue loss. These examples underscore the critical importance of comprehensive testing and quality assurance.

Quality: A Shared Endeavor

Nikita’s core message was that quality is a shared responsibility across the organization. It should not rest solely on the shoulders of test engineers or a small group of developers. Instead, fostering a culture where everyone is committed to quality can lead to better outcomes. By integrating quality into every stage of development, from initial planning to final release, organizations can ensure a more thorough and effective testing process, ultimately leading to superior products.

Benefits of Shared Quality 

When quality is a shared endeavor, the benefits are manifold. Continuous testing becomes an integral part of the process, leading to higher customer satisfaction, a stronger product reputation, and long-term success. Involving all team members in quality assurance helps identify and address issues early,and reduces the risk of critical failures. This collective approach also fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, motivating everyone to strive for excellence.

“Collaboration and constant communication are key. If a team member is not involved, make sure to get them involved at every step.”

Nikita Patel, Senior Test Engineer at Medtronic

Role of An Individual 

Nikita provided a comprehensive breakdown of the roles within a shared quality endeavor at Medtronic. Initially skeptical about its impact on job security, she found the opposite to be true. Shared quality enforcement requires active participation from every individual involved, including product owners/managers, developers, designers, and testers. This collective effort ensures that quality is ingrained into the product’s foundation. Below is a breakdown of each individual’s role:

Product owner/manager – define requirements and encourage quality assurance involvement.

Developers –  produce clear code and collaborate with testers to prevent bugs.

Designers – focus on user experience quality alongside test engineers.

Test Engineers – empower the developers and designers to take a more rounded approach.

“Quality is everyone’s responsibility. Get everyone on board for major releases to gather feedback and save time.”

Nikita Patel, Senior Test Engineer at Medtronic

Continuous Testing in DevOps

Continuous testing is a crucial aspect of quality assurance in a DevOps environment. It involves integrating automated tests into the development pipeline, allowing for immediate feedback on code changes. This approach helps catch defects early, reducing the time and cost associated with fixing them later. Continuous testing ensures that every code change is validated against predefined quality criteria, maintaining high standards throughout the development cycle.

How to Achieve Quality in Your Organization

Achieving quality in your organization requires a strategic approach and commitment from all stakeholders. Here are some best practices and strategies for transitioning to a quality-centric culture.

“I organized an in-house testing session with the entire engineering department, which provided more feedback in one hour than I could have gathered in two weeks.”

Nikita Patel, Senior Test Engineer at Medtronic

Best Practices

1. Automate Testing: Implement automated testing tools, like Kobiton to ensure consistent and repeatable tests.
2. Shift Left Testing: Integrate testing early in the development process to catch issues sooner.
3. In House (crowd) Testing: Foster communication and collaboration between developers, testers, and other stakeholders. Nakita suggests scheduling an hour on everybody’s calendar to have a testing session to get immeasurable feedback in a short amount of time.
4. Invest in Training: Provide ongoing training for team members to keep them updated on the latest testing methodologies and tools.
5. Use Real User Data: Incorporate real user data and scenarios into your testing to better simulate actual usage conditions.

How to Transition

1. Start Small: Begin with a pilot project to demonstrate the benefits of a shared quality approach.
2. Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable goals for quality improvement.
3. Engage Leadership: Secure buy-in from leadership to support the transition.
4. Encourage Ownership: Empower team members to take ownership of quality in their respective areas.
5. Iterate and Improve: Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies and make improvements as needed.

By following these steps, organizations can create a culture of quality that permeates every aspect of their development process, leading to better products and more satisfied customers.

Empowering a Quality-Driven Workforce

At MTES 2024, Nakita showcased the importance of collaborative test quality at Medtronic,  in the relentless pursuit of mobile excellence. By fostering collaboration among developers and testers, Medtronic ensures that their applications not only meet rigorous quality standards but also deliver exceptional user satisfaction. Adopting similar strategies can help other organizations achieve significant improvements in app quality.

We encourage you to explore more sessions and resources from MTES 2024 to gain further insights into mobile testing best practices. Check out the related sessions and readings to continue your journey towards mobile excellence.