Operational Readiness Testing
Christian Brødsjø & Bjørn Christian Schirmer
Promis Qualify & Norwegian Veterinary Institute
What happens when 700 scientists, technicians, and maintenance staff; along with 500 students and a bunch of horses, cattle, crayfish, fish and mice decide to wrap up thousands of infectious biological samples, and move into a brand new €700 million state-of-the-art facility? In 2020, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science will relocate from their existing campus in Oslo to new facilities in Ås, 30km outside of the capital. How does a public-sector institution – the Norwegian authorities’ main advisor in topics related to prevention, handling and elimination of zoonosis and serious infectious diseases in fish and land animals – ensure their operational readiness before the official inauguration? Openings of prestigious building projects have historically been plagued with embarrassing scandals, budget overruns, construction delays and other problems that have impacted openings due to lack of adequate testing, operational trials and remediation prior to opening.
This is the inspiring story of how a team of software testing experts, stakeholders and end-users approached the difficult assignment of assessing the operational readiness of a complex new campus, designed to enhance biological research and enable the use of new technologies for diagnostics as well as education. The test scope consists of no less than eight interconnected buildings and a total area of 63.000 m2, as well as new processes and procedures, advanced medical systems and research equipment. The building process has taken 7 years due to an inherent complexity of systems, each presenting a unique challenge to designers, builders and testers! The campus includes high security bio safety facilities for identifying highly infectious animal diseases, animal clinics treating anything from small pets to cattle and race horses, autopsy halls, a modern bio bank, laboratories and auditoriums. The risk of failure is high, but our team is ready to take on the difficult challenge!
Key Takeaways:
- Lessons learned – tools and methods from agile software testing can successfully be applied in securing the operational readiness of large-scale integrated building projects
- Letting real end-users test and try your product while still under construction will help you identify and mitigate risks before operational impacts can occur
- State of the art facilities, IT systems and equipment are useless if staff does not know how to operate them.
About Me!
Dedicated test manager with more than a decade of hands-on experience from large, highly complex and safety-critical software development projects in a wide range of domains. Fascinated by the exciting interface between technology and business, and always striving for continuous improvement and promoting the value of professional testing. Proud father of three boys and one little princess. Passionate reader and avid collector of antique history books.
Co-Speaker
Slightly nerdy microbiologist with experience from both laboratory and field work, specializing in food safety and quality. New to the testing game, but highly motivated by ensuring a smooth transition to new high-tech and high-safety laboratories. Engaged father of two boys. Enjoys football both on the pitch and from the couch.