Games in the workplace: Revolutionary or run-of-the-mill?

Quality means very different things to different people - and when it comes to software all perceptions of quality are valid, and all approaches must be tested. So to produce high quality software in today's networked universe, you need to test all possible combinations which isn't practically feasible, or you need to test differently. When we run our tests, we essentially train the software. Traditional test strategies focus on feature or component level testing through either manual or automated means, but may not account for end-user scenario-based1 testing or usability related aspects of the product as a whole. On the Lync team, we use productivity games2 specifically designed for our features and signature scenarios as a way to complement traditional workplace testing methodologies, and to expand how we test software. This paper discuss how we used productivity games to enhance the quality of our products by improving team collaboration, employee engagement, and cost savings. We illustrate the use of productivity games in the workplace as a way to involve many faces of quality into the software development lifecycle3 by including all major stakeholders into the gaming experience and targeting multiple platforms. We also show examples of how structured productivity games improve software quality, ensure a highly productive workforce and transform an often mundane task of software testing into a fun activity. While our research shows that productivity games have improved the quality of our product, this paper does not provide actual results of the metrics on this due to proprietary concerns.