The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, or PNNL, is integrating automated software testing in the early phases of its digital transformation effort to immediately determine potential issues that may arise from new applications and the changes being made to existing systems, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.
Paul Reichlin, director of digital platforms at PNNL, said automated software testing has a foundational role in the modernization initiative, which involves creating new digital platforms from scratch and reimagining disparate business applications.
“We’ve definitely taken the common approach of moving a lot of testing left in the process, so the more we can move it into the development process, the build processes, so we get that faster feedback,” Reichlin explained. “When you’re starting new, you can do a lot with the code in terms of making it more modular and testable … You have those tests to let you know if you broke something.”
According to the PNNL digital director, one goal of the transformation effort is to ensure the systems are designed in a way that meets the requirements of the end users. With automated software testing, users can provide feedback on the applications earlier in the development and build processes and use their input to improve how systems work, he added.
What Does PNNL Do?
PNNL, a Department of Energy national laboratory, focuses on chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science research to support innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses.
