Lesson 5 of 5
Conflict and pressure
10 min
Test leads sit where bad news arrives first. Defects mean somebody's work is wrong; failing exit criteria mean somebody's date is at risk. Conflict is therefore normal. What separates good test leads is how they handle it: with defined rules, visible trade-offs and decisions made by the people accountable for them.
Defect disputes
The most frequent fight is about classification. The tester says "defect", the consultant says "works as designed" or "that is a change request", and both may be right from where they stand. Settle it by process, not by persuasion.
- Does the system behave differently from an approved requirement or design?Yes → defect · No → next question
- Is the requirement or design itself wrong for the business?Yes → change request, decided by the process owner · No → next question
- Is the behavior SAP standard and acceptable to the process owner?Yes → close as "works as designed" with the owner's note · No → change request
- Is the severity disputed?Yes → apply the written severity definitions; triage lead decides, process owner can escalate
| Severity | Definition (example) | Contoso example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Critical | Process cannot complete; no workaround; blocks go-live | Billing for Great Lakes Fleet Services cannot be created |
| 2 High | Process completes with a significant error or an unacceptable workaround | Revenue posts to the wrong GL account |
| 3 Medium | Error with an acceptable workaround | A field default is wrong but can be changed manually |
| 4 Low | Cosmetic or minor usability issue | Label text inconsistent on a report |
Written severity definitions stop arguments about labels and focus triage on impact.
Schedule compression
Sooner or later, build runs late and test time shrinks while the go-live date stays fixed. The worst response is the silent one: testers quietly skip lower-priority tests, cut negative tests or accept thinner evidence, and the status report still shows green. That hides risk from the people who should decide whether to accept it.
The right response is to make the trade-off explicit. Present options, each with what it costs and what risk it leaves, and ask the accountable owners to choose.
| Option | Cost | Residual risk |
|---|---|---|
| Add testers or extend hours | Budget, fatigue, onboarding time | Low if people are skilled; rising with fatigue |
| Move the date | Business disruption, program cost | Low for quality; high for program politics |
| Reduce scope with risk acceptance | Untested areas carried into production | Owned and visible; mitigate with hypercare |
| Re-sequence by risk | Low-risk tests move later | Low if the low-risk tests are still run before go-live |
Options for schedule compression. The test lead presents; the accountable owners decide.
Pressure from above
Sometimes the pressure is direct: a sponsor asks why testing "keeps finding problems" or suggests that the test lead is slowing the program down. Answer with the same discipline you apply to defects. Show what was found, what it would have cost in production (a wrong invoice to Great Lakes Fleet Services, a blocked goods receipt from Lakeside Components), and what decision you need. Keep a clear record of what you recommended and what was decided. That record protects the program, and it protects you.
Keeping the team healthy
Long cycles and pressure erode quality quietly. Watch for signs: rising pass rates with falling evidence quality, defects closed without retest, testers working nights. Rotate tedious work, protect weekends where you can, celebrate milestones and keep escalations factual and impersonal. A team that trusts its lead to defend honest results will keep reporting them.
What would you do?
Two weeks are cut from Contoso's UAT. Grace asks Priya to "make it work" without changing the go-live date. What should Priya do first?
- Settle defect disputes with a written classification path and severity definitions.
- Never cut coverage silently; present options with cost and residual risk.
- Accountable owners decide trade-offs, and every reduction is recorded with its acceptor.
- Watch team health; pressure shows up first as thinner evidence and skipped retests.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Under schedule compression, what should a test lead do first?
2. The system behaves exactly as designed, but the design does not suit the business. How should it be classified?
3. Which area should be protected first when time is short?
4. Which is an early warning sign of quality erosion under pressure?