Richard Estra

Richard Estra is a Senior Software Test/QA Engineer. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has been working in the software industry for the past 35 years. He has participated in the complete range of testing responsibilities including requirements analysis, test strategizing, test planning and documentation, testing execution, defect recording, root cause analysis, defect avoidance, metrics gathering/reporting and customer support. He has extensive knowledge of increasing the software quality and end user experience by utilizing software test process improvement and optimization techniques, and is looking for his next challenge in testing/QA. Email Richard at [email protected] or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardestra/

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All Stories by Richard Estra

Get Your Defect-Tracking Database Back on Track

When defects are ignored or mismanaged, it can compromise the integrity of the defect-tracking database. When this happens, defects could go unfixed, or code fixes may not be verified by the production release. Before you can resolve a compromised defect-tracking database, you need to know how to recognize one.

It’s 10 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Defect Fix Is?

Have you ever had to ask whether your defect fix was deployed to a particular environment? You shouldn’t need to, because the answer should always be readily available. Having to request information on the status of your defect fix indicates inefficiencies and a lack of maturity within your organization’s process.

Are You Unintentionally Unapproachable?

Could you be giving off an air of unapproachability without meaning to? Is it possible that you exhibit some unwelcome behaviors that are so subtle you’re not even aware of them? Think about whether you have any of the following habits that could give your coworkers the impression that you are unapproachable.

Achieve Success by Joining a Failing Project

We all want to be associated with success, so when there’s a failing project, most of us want nothing to do with it. However, if you’re looking for a way to give your career a boost, you may want to rethink that. If you’re not afraid of a challenge, here are some ways embracing a failing project can help your career.

Beware the Bad Apple: 3 Types to Watch for on a Team

We all know some obvious personality types that can be less than ideal to work with. However, there are other personality traits you may want to beware of as well. Although these characteristics may seem perfectly harmless on the surface, in excess they can be just as dangerous to a project as the more glaring types.

The 6 P’s of Getting Started on a New Project

Ideally, when an employee is transferred to an existing project, there would be at least one team member designated to train the new person. However, this isn’t always the case, and you may be left to fend for yourself. If you suddenly find yourself on a new project, take control and get started with the six P’s.

Make the Most of Your Downtime with the 3 P’s

Downtime doesn’t need to mean unproductive time. It doesn’t have to be spent passively waiting for your next assignment. Instead, you can take advantage of your downtime and use it productively. If you want to maximize your downtime but don’t know where to start, focus on the three P’s: product, process, and people.