You might not know it, but today is the perfect time for software testers and quality assurance teams to take a step back, reflect on progress, and ensure you finish the year off strongly.
Did 2024 start with ambitious goals, only to see them sit on the back burner while the daily grind consumed your focus? Did you plan to make big changes, only to have unexpected challenges knock you off course?
For instance, if it was lack of budget there is some help I can offer at the end of the article.
If you’re nodding in agreement, don’t worry—you’re not alone. The good news is that out of all possible days, today is the best one to start realigning and refocusing. What are the chances of that?
Don’t believe me? In that case, you may not have heard the Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.” This powerful and time-honoured phrase reminds us that while we can’t change the past, we can take action today to influence our future.
This principle holds true in software testing, where the ability to adapt and recalibrate is crucial for success. So, with that in mind, I’ve included four easy steps you can start implementing today to get you and your team 2024 back on track.
4 Easy Steps to Finish 2024 in Style
The great thing is that effective changes are often a lot easier to implement than you think. They may seem daunting, especially if they’ve been hanging over you since the start of the year, but they’re probably much less challenging than you think.
The following four straightforward steps will help break down your changes into manageable chunks and give you a clear path to success.
Step 1: Revisit Your Original Goals
The first step in getting back on track is to revisit the goals you set at the beginning of the year. What were you hoping to achieve in 2024? Whether it was reducing the number of defects, improving automation coverage, or enhancing collaboration between development and QA teams, or something else, it’s essential to reassess those objectives.
Ask yourself:
- Are these goals still relevant? Sometimes, the industry landscape or project requirements shift, and what was important in January might not be as critical now.
- Have you made progress? If not, why? Identifying the roadblocks is the first step toward overcoming them.
If your goals still hold, reaffirm them and commit to seeing them through. If they need adjustment, don’t be afraid to pivot. The key is to ensure that your objectives are aligned with the current needs of your business, project and team.
Share your goals with your team and colleagues, use other people as a sounding board, and hone your ideas, but also trust your judgement and try not to listen to the naysayers too much.
Step 2: Identify What’s Holding You Back
After reaffirming your goals, it’s time to dig into what’s been holding you and your team back. Perhaps you are spending too much time on the inefficient processes you want to change. Maybe it’s a resourcing issue, a skills gap or a communication breakdown within the team.
Common obstacles that stifle test teams include:
- Over-reliance on manual testing: Manual testing can be time-consuming and prone to human error.
- Inadequate tools or technologies: Are your current tools outdated, require too much effort to do the job or not fully meeting your needs? For example, are you using Excel or Word for testing?
- Team dynamics: If collaboration between testers and developers isn’t as smooth as it should be, this could be a significant barrier.
- Money: There is no budget to make improvements
Step 3: Implement Actionable Changes
It’s now time to implement changes. This might mean revisiting your testing processes, adopting new tools, or investing in training for your team. The key is to make these changes actionable and measurable.
Some actionable changes might include:
- Increasing automation: Automation is the perfect solution if manual testing is a bottleneck. You don’t have to go all-in initially; you can start by automating a few more repetitive and time-consuming tests. This will free your testers to focus on more complex and exploratory testing.
- Upgrading your toolset: Nowadays, SaaS licensing models make it easier (and cheaper) than ever to obtain professional test tools, whether for test management, automation, or performance testing. Choose tools that integrate well with your existing development approaches, and you’ll soon streamline workflows and improve productivity.
- Enhancing team communication: Foster a culture of open communication. Regular meetings, shared documentation, and collaborative tools will help bridge gaps between development and testing teams.
- Create an Effective Business Case: You may be able to release budget for investment by demonstrating the savings and efficiencies that your new tools or processes will unlock. Highlight the return on investment of accelerated projects, reduced testing effort, and/or fewer live incidents.
Remember, the goal is not to make changes for the sake of it but to implement strategies that directly address the challenges you’ve identified.
Step 4: Monitor Progress and Stay Flexible
The final step is to monitor your progress and stay flexible. After implementing changes, regularly check in to see how they impact your team’s productivity and the quality of your work. Are you seeing improvements?
If not, don’t be afraid to tweak your approach. This isn’t a once-and-done exercise, it’s a cultural shift. The ability to pivot and adjust your strategies is increasingly important in the ever-changing world of software development.
Key software testing progress points to monitor include:
- Test coverage: Are you covering more requirements with your tests? Are you seeing fewer issues leak through to subsequent development stages?
- Defect rates: Are you catching more bugs earlier? Is the severity of defects decreasing as you approach go live?
- Velocity: Areyou able to test faster or achieve more in the same amount of time?
- Team morale and efficiency: Are your testers feeling more empowered and efficient? Are there fewer arguments with the development team?
Finish 2024 With a Charge Towards the Line
Getting back on track for 2024 isn’t about making sweeping changes; it’s about making strategic adjustments that address your and your team’s specific challenges.
You can turn the year around and finish strong by revisiting your goals, identifying what’s holding you back, implementing actionable changes, and monitoring your progress.
Remember the Japanese proverb: the seeds you plant today will grow into the trees that provide shade and shelter in the future. It’s not too late to set the stage for success for the remainder of 2024 and well beyond.
Changes Are Easier With the Right Test Tools
Test tools make a huge difference, whether it’s test management, automation, or performance. Old, ineffective, or inefficient test tools will suck time and productivity out of a test team.
Upgrading to powerful, modern tools will allow you to do more with less, implement tangible change and drive success throughout your testing activities.
Are you interested in seeing what modern test tools can do, how little they cost, and how much they can accelerate your processes?
If you’re nodding again, click the button below to get in touch and implement an actionable change!
Bonus: How to Unlock Money for Test Tools
Is a lack of budget holding you back?
I have developed a proven 8-step process that will allow you to get funding even if you have already been told no.
Of course, this free guide will will not give you access to a magic money tree. However, it will show you how to:
✓ Think like a stakeholder
✓ Rally an army of supporters
✓ Find a budget where none existed
✓ Develop a positive ROI
✓ Craft a compelling business case
✓ Understand your procurement department
✓ Influence the purchase process
✓ Turn a “No” into a “Yes!”
Click the link below and learn how to get the budget to buy the tools you need!
