Matrices to understand large projects
When working large test projects, I have a couple of matrices that I try to develop early on to better understand who's doing what, where are they doing it, and when they are doing it. These include matrices that show:
For me, these three views of the project can often paint a summary picture of everything that's happening. This allows me to quickly communicate to other project managers involved in the project or program. It also allows me to communicate updates in a format that those same PMs will take the time to look at. (I find very few people even bother to look at a 30+ page document that's been updated.)
- type or phase of testing by owner (including specific scope of coverage by team)
- type or phase of testing by environment (including data needs/integration dependencies)
- type or phase of testing by iteration (including dates, resources, and summaries of coverage for each iteration)
For me, these three views of the project can often paint a summary picture of everything that's happening. This allows me to quickly communicate to other project managers involved in the project or program. It also allows me to communicate updates in a format that those same PMs will take the time to look at. (I find very few people even bother to look at a 30+ page document that's been updated.)