Enhancing Performance Tests with Control Charts

Control charts are statistical tools that help managers and teams analyze performance test results by detecting trends and identifying causes of variation in the process. Introduced by Walter Shewhart in 1924, control charts have been widely used across various industries for continuous improvement and quality management. By analyzing objective qualities such as application performance, developers and testers can use control charts to listen to the voice of their processes and make informed decisions to improve system performance. Control charts do not compare results to goals or targets but rather help identify signals from noise in time series data, enabling teams to differentiate between common causes (system-related) and special causes (external factors). The advantages of using control charts include cost savings through early identification of errors, facilitating systems thinking, promoting continual improvement, and providing an alternative to blame culture.