Today is Earth Day! How We Testers Can “Go Green” to Celebrate It?

Hi Everyone! It’s that day of the year once again. April 22^nd, Earth Day. Learn more about it here and here.

I am certain that, as individuals, we all appreciate the wonderful gifts Earth has given us – from breathing life, natural beauty, to our intellectual prowess. I believe that we each play a part in maintaining its purity. Congratulations to all of us!

In this period, the mantra is “Promote Sustainable Practices.” When you look around, everything echoes this sentiment – billboards, ads, arts and crafts for kids, and TV programs capture this idea of promoting sustainable habits. And rightly so, as the color “green” symbolizes advancement and progress.

Therefore, the STH team is adopting sustainable practices. As testers, we translate “green” as meeting deadlines, staying within our budget, and delivering high-quality work, don’t we?

When a task is accomplished on time, a project or task is completed within the set budget, or the quality meets expectations – we denote success by the color green. In our field, “green” stands for “go-ahead”.

Earth Day – 3 Ways Testers Can Observe It by Promoting Sustainability!

Here are some ways to incorporate sustainable practices. We believe that these three areas can make a significant difference:

#1) Plan

Enhance planning. Test planning, a required activity in the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC), consumes a third of the total testing effort. Testing is much more than a last-minute exercise of randomly scrutinizing software and identifying flaws. It doesn’t function that way. Even informal planning should involve deciding what needs to be done, when, how, and by whom.

Planning has much more depth than just drafting a calendar and marking deadlines. It’s a detailed, essential, and thorough process that illustrates the testing process as accurately as possible.

Hence, plan effectively. Moreover, manage your daily tasks. Learn advanced skills of time management. Maintain order. Organize your job in a way that reduces confusion, enables easy access to everything you need, and optimizes efficiency. In the IT field, identify a framework that fits your requirements.

#2) People

Locating the perfect person for a job at the correct time can be quite a challenge. However, don’t let that deter your search. The right team member can significantly contribute to success. If you already have such a person, maintain the momentum. If you are searching, find individuals who are positive, knowledgeable, skilled, and ethical. Once you find the right person, treat them well. Also, ensure equal opportunities for all.

If a new team member needs to catch up, be patient, give them the benefit of the doubt, mentor and foster their development. If you happen to be that new team member, don’t shy away from hard work, as each experience counts.

Finally, let’s focus on helping one another rather than undermining each other. Such behavior is counterproductive. Additionally, for onsite and offshore teams, strive to complement one another instead of compete. Respect each other’s private space and time.

#3) Process

This is where we get a bit technical. The process involves crafting an effective strategy, setting guidelines, documenting all relevant details, abiding by the process, reviewing outcomes, and ensuring its efficacy. Processes are established to guarantee consistency, uniformity, and repeatability of specific activities, thus ensuring reliable results.

Since the success of IT projects hinges on teamwork, having a well-defined process is key. Allocate time in creating an efficient process. Implement it. Study the results. Observe and compile data over time. Modify the process as needed to better suit your needs.

In essence, develop processes and focus on their maturation to secure 100% assured results.

With the apt plan, the right personnel, and effective processes, we will face only “green” triumphs in our journey.

And remember to:

1. Print responsibly.
2. Use energy-saving devices to conserve power.
3. Carpool or better yet, use public transport or walk when feasible.
4. Follow the traditional mantra – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Happy Earth Day, everyone, from Vijay, Swati, and the entire STH team!