Westfall Weekly Webinars

Quality 5.0 presented by Tom Gilb

Wednesday, September 17, at 12:01 pm Central

 Quality 4.0 was published a few years ago [Watson, 2019] and Tom felt that it could be improved. First with the definition of ‘quality’, and then with regard to desirable practices. The definition of quality needs to recognize that quality can be a multiplicity, can be quantified, and can be engineered, rather than ‘crafted by traditional practices’. This is not necessary for small-scale IT, the ‘cabin’ or ‘dog-house’ level. But it is absolutely necessary for the many critical large-scale software systems we are responsible for: the skyscraper class, which as we know require lots of architecture and engineering.

Decision Fatigue: How to Choose Faster and Do More

Presented by: Kabrina Ashley

Every day we’re faced with hundreds of choices: emails, meetings, priorities, what to work on next... For high performers, that constant stream of decisions doesn’t just wear you out, it grinds your productivity to a halt. Decision fatigue shows up not only as making poor choices, but also as taking too long to decide, or not deciding at all.
In this engaging talk, Kabrina Ashley unpacks why decision fatigue happens, how high achievers unknowingly set themselves up for it, and most importantly, practical ways to cut through the overwhelm. Instead of more “just take a walk” band-aids, you’ll walk away with real tools to:
•    Spot when you’re hitting the wall of decision fatigue.
•   Make faster, clearer choices in the moment.
•    Build simple structures and habits that eliminate unnecessary decisions altogether.
Participants will leave with a decision-making playbook they can use immediately, practical steps to streamline options, reduce cognitive load, and confidently choose the right next step faster. The result? Less overwhelm, more momentum, and energy back for the decisions that matter most.
 

Available Free Until: 10/28/2025

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To Pursue Agility by Scott Duncan

Presented by: Scott Duncan

There are many behaviors one can adopt to “practice” or “do” Agile. This presentation will focus on the broad pursuit of “agility” and agile fundamentals. I will cover:
•    What it means to demonstrate agility
•    Adapting to and depth of change
•    Two main agile concepts and other key factors
•    The mindset and the manifesto’s values and principles

Available Free Until: 10/21/2025
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Scrum 101 – A Basic Overview of the Agile Scrum Process 

Presented by: Linda Westfall

This webinar is a basic introduction to the Agile Scrum process.  It will describe the duties of the three major Scrum roles of Product Owner, Scrum Development Team and Scrum Master.  It will also discuss the basic steps in the Scrum process including the:
 - Scrum Planning Meeting
 - Sprint (Iteration) and Scrum Meeting (Daily Stand-Up)
 - Sprint Demonstration
 - Sprint Retrospective
 - Product Backlog Refinement Meeting

Available Free Until: 10/14/2025
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Should You Move from Project to Product?  

Presented by: Robin Goldsmith

It seems all of a sudden talks and articles are everywhere about why you should move from a project focus to a product focus.  In part, it’s an attempt to counter increasing concerns about Agile’s actual effectiveness.  Some skeptics suggest it’s motivated by a marketing need to shift attention from Agile, which may be losing market presence.  

Regardless, many do not understand the differences between project and product focus.  In this interactive session, learn about the claimed differences, how real they really are, and how much difference they do make.

Available Free Until: 10/07/2025
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EVO: Sidestepping Conventional IT Testing 

Presented by: Tom Gilb

By upstream, systems-wide, preventative, and incremental methods for coping with multiple qualities. 

Available Free Until: 09/27/2025
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Avoid the Testability Trap

Presented by: Robin Goldsmith

The testing community has long held that the big issue with requirements is whether they are testable.  It’s obviously a problem if you can’t create tests that demonstrate a requirement has been met.  The main reason a requirement is considered untestable is because the requirement is unclear.  While requirements testability indeed is an issue, it’s perhaps overemphasized at the expense of probably more important requirements aspects.  This interactive session explains why and how to avoid the “testability trap.”

Available Free Until: 09/20/25
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Agile Software Testing Techniques

Presented by: Scott Duncan

Agile testing focuses on early, frequent, and automated testing to ensure continuous feedback and quality throughout the development lifecycle. These practices emphasize collaboration, continuous integration, and a shift-left approach to testing. What is nice about these practices is that they can be used in any development approach, not just an Agile one. 

Available Free Until: 09/14/2025
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Plan for Success: Building a Simple Test Automation Strategy 

Presented by: Toysha Walker

Test automation can save time and improve quality, but only with a good plan. This session will walk you through the basics of creating a test automation strategy. We'll discuss why planning is crucial, what questions you need to ask before you automate, and how to decide what tests to automate first. You'll leave with a better understanding of how to set up your automation project for long-term success, avoid common pitfalls, and start seeing the benefits of automation quickly and effectively.

Available free until 09/07/2025
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