Chap # 09 "System Testing And Deployment"

Testing                                                                                                                                                      

There are two types of Testing mentioned below:

1) Logical Testing: This testing ensures that the system produces correct results.

2) User Acceptance Testing: This follows the logical testing and it tests the system’s behavior in a real environment.

Issues in KMS Testing

·         Human mistakes

·         Shortage of time

·         Unable to decide knowledge completion

·         Does not have reliable specification

·         Subjective nature of tacit knowledge. 

·         The interface of user unfriendly

Logical Testing Approaches

Verify Knowledge base formation

·         Organizing the knowledge as it associates the circular or redundant errors

·         Consistency, correctness, and completeness of knowledge base rules

Verify Knowledge base functionality

·         This deals with confidence and reliability of the knowledge base.

Logical Errors/Attributes

·         Circular errors – opposing in the meaning or logic

·         Redundancy errors - give dissimilar approaches to the same problem

·         Unusable knowledge – it is present if conditions succeed or fail

·         Assumption errors - if one rule is true, one knows the second rule is always true

·         Inconsistent knowledge - similar inputs produce different results

·         Completeness – System/module is not completed

·         Confidence – Deals with confidence of the knowledge base.

·         Correctness – How much correct output

·         Reliability – Deals with reliability of the knowledge base.

 User Acceptance Testing Approach

·         Select a person or a team for testing

·         Decide on user acceptance test criteria

·         Develop a set of test cases unique to the system

·         Maintain a log on various versions of the tests and test results

·         Field-test the system

User Acceptance Testing Approach : 

Test Team/Plan

·         Independent of the design or codification of the system

·         Understand the knowledge problem and computer technology

·         Well versed in the organization’s goals

·         Know how the system being tested will fit into the designated area of operation

Content of Test Plan

·         Items of KM system that require testing

·         Schedule of user acceptance testing

·         Description of test methods that are approved by user and company

·         Guidelines for documenting test results

User Acceptance Criteria

·         Accuracy and correctness of outcome for test items

·         Suitability of the solutions

·         Adaptability to novel input

·         Ease of use

·         Robustness

·         Technical/operational test

User Acceptance Test Techniques

·         Developing a set of test cases

·         Subsystem Validation

·         Maintaining a log on different versions of the tests/test results

·         Field testing the system

Managing Test Phase

The following tasks are included

·         Deciding what, when, how, and where to evaluate the knowledge base.

·         Deciding who will be doing the logical and user acceptance testing.

·         Deciding about a set of evaluation criteria.

·         Deciding about what should be recorded during the test.

   The following statistics are to be recorded:

o   Those rules that always fire and succeed.

o   Those rules that always fire and fail.

o   Those rules that never fire.

o   Those test cases that have failed.

·         Reviewing training cases (provided by the knowledge developer, the expert or the user).

·         Testing all the rules. Two types of errors:

o   Type-I Error: A rule that fails to fire when it is supposed to fire.

o   Type-II Error: A rule that fires when it is not supposed to fire.

KMS Deployment

·         Transfer of KM System from knowledge developer to the organization’s operating unit.

·         Transfer of KM’s skills from knowledge developer to the organization’s operators.

System Deployment

Factors affecting System Deployment

·         Technical

·         Organizational

·         Procedural

·         Behavioral

·         Political

·         Economical

Issues in System Deployment

·         Selection of KB Problem

o   The KM system can be guarantees to be successful if:

• The users have past experience with systems applications.
• The user is actively engaged in defining /identifying the specific systems functions.
• The user is actively involved in user acceptance testing and the final system evaluation.
• It is feasible to implement the system in the working environment without interrupting the ongoing activities.

·         Knowledge Transfer

Two Approaches used for transferring KM system technology in implementation:

o   The system is actually transferred from the knowledge developer directly to the working unit in the organization.

o   Installing the system on the resident hardware.

·         Ease of Understanding the KM System

o   Reliable documentation plays an important role during deployment.

o   Documentation including examples, illustrations, and graphics which might reduce the training time.

·         Integration Alternatives

o   Technical Integration: Takes place in the organization's LAN environment, the resident mainframe, or existing IS infrastructure.

o   Knowledge Sharing Integration: Mostly needs the upgrade of the LAN, the mainframe, or lines.

o   Decision Making Flow Integration: Implies that the manner KM system measures a problem situation must match the user's way of thinking.

o   Workflow Reengineering: Considered when implementation of the new KM system can give changes in the workplace.

·         Maintenance

o   Maintenance is the way of making the corrections that is needed which meet up the user's expectations.

·         Organizational factors

o   Strong leadership;

o   User participation in the process.

o   Organizational politics.

o   Organizational climate.

o   User readiness (willing)

o   Return on investment (ROI) factor.

o   Quality information.

·         Champion's Role

o   Champion is the person that has the position, influence, power/ control, is able to gain and secure organizational support for the new system.

o   In order to work as a member of the project's board of directors he/she must be at the executive level

Post-Implementation Review

·         How KM System has modified the accuracy of decision making?

·         How KM System has changed the opinions of end users?

·         Whether the system has initiated the constructive organizational changes?

·         Whether the system has advantaged the operation cost?

Post-Implementation Review: Security Issues       

·         The new system should give password / protocol protection.

·         Security process must be constantly observed.

·         Access must be confined with respect to the update of the KB.