Elisabeth Hendrickson, a consultant at Curious Duck Digital Laboratory, is an expert in systems thinking and quality engineering. She dives into how understanding interconnected problem elements can enhance software quality. The conversation emphasizes the critical need for human oversight in AI-driven coding environments. Hendrickson also discusses the importance of a culture that supports shift-left strategies and proactive quality management to balance productivity and value in the age of rapid code production.
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insights INSIGHT
Systems Thinking Reveals Hidden Causes
Systems thinking focuses on relationships and interactions rather than isolated parts.
Late surprises in software delivery often result from cumulative decisions with unintended consequences.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use Causal Maps to Find Causes
Use causal maps and data to identify relationships causing quality issues.
Trace backwards with tools like 5 Whys to discover hidden links and contributing forces.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Better Testing Worsened Quality
Elisabeth shared how better independent testing revealed more bugs but worsened final quality.
Developers stopped local checks under schedule pressure, increasing late-stage defects and chaos.
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This is the Engineering Culture Podcast, from the people behind InfoQ.com and the QCon conferences.
In this podcast, Shane Hastie, Lead Editor for Culture & Methods, spoke to Elisabeth Hendrickson about using systems thinking to understanding relationships between problem elements rather than focusing on individual parts, and how quality engineering practices become even more critical in the age of AI where tools can accelerate code production but humans need to remain in charge of verification and validation.
Read a transcript of this interview: http://bit.ly/3JfJhIc
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