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Vida Waran
Lead - QA at Tata Consultancy Services
Professional Background
Vida Waran is a highly accomplished Quality Assurance professional with over 17 years of extensive experience in the field of software quality assurance. Since embarking on her career in 2006, she has cultivated a wealth of knowledge and expertise that has enabled her to evolve into her current position as a Lead QA at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Her career journey is marked by her ability to lead teams and manage quality assurance processes effectively, ensuring that software products meet the highest standards before reaching the market.
Before joining TCS, Vida held several notable roles, including Lead QA at UXP Systems Canada, where she was instrumental in managing the QA team and testing mobile applications across various smart devices. Her dedication to quality and ability to coordinate complex testing environments undoubtedly contributed to her success in this role.
Earlier in her career, Vida led the QA team at IPsmarx Technology, focusing on testing softswitch and user interfaces within the VoIP domain. This experience honed her skills in navigating complex software and systems, preparing her for future challenges in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Vida's career began at Virtusa, where she served as a QA analyst. During her tenure there, she focused on web-based applications for prominent clients, including Citi Bank and Service Master (TGLC, AHS) in the United States, utilizing Pega PRPC technology. This foundational experience set the stage for her future roles and deepened her understanding of critical testing methodologies and practices.
Education and Achievements
Vida's educational background is as impressive as her career trajectory. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), a PG Diploma in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts (ICFAI), and professional certifications from both the British Computer Society (BCS) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS). Additionally, she has studied Software Quality Assurance at the QAI, underscoring her commitment to staying ahead of trends and best practices in the industry.
In addition to her impressive degrees and certifications, Vida also pursued studies in English at the University of Colombo, further diversifying her skill set and enabling her to communicate effectively in diverse environments.
Specialties and Skills
With her extensive background in quality assurance, Vida has developed a robust skill set that includes various SQA concepts such as test planning, test approach formulation, and test estimation. Her expertise extends to writing and executing test cases along with creating software traceability matrices, defect reporting, and defect triage.
Vida is proficient in GUI Automation utilizing tools such as Selenium Web Driver, Java, IntelliJ, and TestNG, showcasing her technical versatility. She is well-versed in Agile methodologies, including Scrum practices, sprint planning, story writing, and task breakdown, allowing her to adapt fluidly to changing project requirements and team dynamics.
Her technical expertise spans various operating systems, including Windows 10, Windows XP, Windows 7, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android, as well as Red Hat CentOS (Linux). This adaptability to different systems is invaluable in her role as a QA leader, enabling her to test applications in varied environments effectively.
Vida's adept use of tools such as HP Quality Center (QC), Test Link, Jira, and Green Hopper, along with her experience with various devices and applications, illustrate her comprehensive understanding of the QA landscape and her ability to leverage technology for improved quality assurance outcomes.
Notable Teams and Contributions
Throughout her career, Vida Waran has had the opportunity to lead and collaborate with a multitude of teams, significantly impacting the quality assurance landscape within each organization she’s been part of. As Team Lead at Tata Consultancy Services, she continues to drive quality and efficiency across projects, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
At SQA Leaders, she excelled as a Software QA Lead/API Tester and Selenium Web Driver tester, where she leveraged her skills to enhance testing processes and improve overall product quality. Her leadership role at GlobalLogic involved managing the QA efforts for Rogers – Eclipse, underscoring her capability to steer complex projects in fast-paced environments.
Additionally, as a Senior QA Team Lead at UXP Systems, Vida played a crucial role in shaping the testing processes and methodologies used across the company, resulting in consistently high-quality deliverables.
Before stepping into leadership roles, Vida also served as a Software Engineer at Virtusa, where foundational skills were built that would serve her throughout her career. Notably, her past experience as a lecturer at Gateway Computer Services demonstrates her dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering new talent in the IT industry.
Achievements
- Developed and executed robust test strategies that improved application quality and reduced time to market.
- Successfully led QA teams in multinational companies, including Tata Consultancy Services and GlobalLogic, focusing on diverse domains ranging from VoIP to mobile applications.
- Spearheaded the implementation of Agile methodologies to enhance team collaboration and project delivery speed and efficiency.
- Contributed to the education of future IT professionals through her role as a lecturer in computer sciences.
- Earned multiple professional certifications, demonstrating her commitment to continuous professional development and mastery of software quality assurance best practices.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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