MAIN TRACK TALK

Lessons Learnt from Testing Safety Critical Systems

Throughout Alex’s career, the motto “Making Tech Make Sense” has manifested itself when working with complex, safety critical railway systems. These are the situations in which a mix of skills, experience, teamwork and a little bit of luck helps a team uncover “that bug” which might anger a customer or even put people at risk. This diverse skill set, includes analytical, technical and social skills. While some of these skills take time to develop, others may not be immediately recognized as necessary.

In his talk, after providing some context about what testing in a regulated environment means, Alex will walk you through five ‘hidden skills’ he discovered over 16 years of testing, integrating and validating complex, safety-critical railway systems:

· Train yourself to recognize and accept your biases and limitations as a tester.

· Understand your true role in a team or project.

· Grasp the essence of norms and processes in regulated environments to apply them correctly.

· Good testers ask questions that often translate to ‘What is the actual risk?’

· Changing perspectives and reframing situations is a powerful skill.

What you’ll learn

Session details

Alex Cusmaru

Alex is a passionate tester with more than 15 years of experience in testing, integrating and validating safety-related railway software and systems. In the past, he was the responsible for the validation of operation and control software and the integration of train control systems. Currently, he leads a team of testers and validators for Siemens Mobility in Braunschweig and is constantly looking for new ways to improve test skills, processes and activities. In his spare time, Alex is also a crowd tester, an American football fan and always looking for a new hoppy IPA to ‘test’.