Don’t misunderstand me. As a former Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Project Officer I am a big fan of process. It is when we become slaves of process that this alter ego wins. It isn’t limited to QA people, either. Project managers can become mired in process. How do we stop this insanity?
Question the process. Processes are meant to speed up development by adding consistency to the performance. Over time they should evolve and improve. That doesn’t always happen. If a process doesn’t make sense, question it. Find out the purpose behind it and determine if it is going to help or hinder you in achieving that goal. Remember, the processes do not belong to the QA group. They belong to the team that uses them. If one doesn’t make sense it is your responsibility to initiate a change.
Focus on purpose. Once you understand the spirit of the law focus on it. If the process needs to be bent, bend away. Very few processes were intended to be rigid. Granted, if you are working with nuclear materials there are some specific processes you need to follow. But when you are managing a project the letter of the law is not always required. Do what makes sense using the process as a guideline and the spirit as the driver. One example is status reporting. The letter of the law may require status reports be produced weekly. If the project is on hold for several weeks with no activity shift the reporting schedule. Clear it with your management and then document in each report when the next one is due.
Allow for exemptions. Sometimes it just makes sense to bypass a process. If you have a strict Quality Assurance group or are subject to Sarbanes-Oxley requirements it is important that you get permission, usually in writing, to do so. Corners can be cut, but you need to ensure that the project and company are not placed at risk by slicing too much.
Don’t destroy Mrs. Process but bring her back to the light.
