Perform Or Perish - The Truth Of The Software World

Software is the glue that binds the whole IT infrastructure in a company and across the global online landscape. Moreover, the success of any business in the online sphere depends on the quality and performance of its products and their eventual adoption by the end customers. It has been observed that businesses, in order to reach the market quickly, often give software testing a miss.

The predominant thinking among companies looking at cost optimization and maximizing profits is that QA is an adjunct that can be done without. They feel all software applications are supposed to work seamlessly and there is no need to spend time, effort, and money into ensuring so. However, in today’s world of competitive populism and achieving brand equity, this type of thought process is a recipe for disaster. Remember, building a brand brick by brick can wither away in no time should a software application delivers a bad user experience. This can eventually impact the brand value of a business as well.

Today, when cybercrime has raised its ugly head leading businesses and individuals to grapple with data theft and loss of reputation, software testing should be pursued with all vigor. It will ultimately ensure the software delivered to the end customer remains glitch-free and delivers the best user experience. In a competitive business environment where every business wants to grab the elusive customer pie, the quality of software application will ultimately decide who wins the race. The writing on the wall for businesses is - perform or perish, where perform entails conducting software testing across the SDLC.

What is software application testing?

It involves executing a series of steps to identify glitches that are inherent in the software. The software testing methodology may differ based on the specific business objectives - manual or automated. However, it is geared towards checking the performance, security, compatibility, usability, reliability, and integration of the software application.

In the Software Development Life Cycle, each unit of the software code needs to be tested to deliver the expected outcomes. If not, the same is sent back to the development team for rectification. In the Agile driven software testing methodology, the testing goes on alongside development in an integrated module called the sprint. Post rectification, the QA team again conducts the tests till the unit performs to its optimum. The various software testing approach comprises unit testing, functional testing, security testing, regression testing, stress and load testing, usability testing, system testing, integration testing, and acceptance testing.

What are the software testing challenges?

There are challenges galore when it comes to testing software with multiple features/functionalities and having connections to other software systems. Some of the challenges are -

• There is no single foolproof method to test the entirety of a software application given the plethora of device platforms available. The QA team needs to employ various test combinations and scenarios depending on the target demography and business goals.
• Setting up a uniform testing mechanism in an organization having various processes, teams, and branches that are spread across locations and time zones can be a challenge.
• Lack of proper communication between the development and QA teams can hinder the testing efforts. For example, changes in the app features should be communicated to the QA team to ensure timely bug identification and removal.
• An effective software testing approach should ensure the application works across devices, operating platforms, browsers, and networks. This can prove to be challenging for companies following manual testing or using an inappropriate tool for automated testing.

What are the benefits of software testing?

Businesses need to include QA process in their SDLC to derive a slew of benefits.

• A rigorous testing of software application will eliminate glitches and enhance the quality of software. Such software will stand a greater chance of finding acceptance by the customers. This will help the business to consolidate its brand equity in the market.
• QA testing ensures the software’s adherence to industry quality standards and helps to avoid the risks or pitfalls of non-compliance.
• Any modern software testing leads to business optimization with outcomes such as better-quality products, satisfied customers, enhanced brand image, reduced cost of operation or customer service, and increased ROI.

Conclusion

In a highly competitive business environment where perform or perish is the mantra, businesses need to adopt QA testing in their workflows to remain profitable.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, Global Leaders in Independent Quality Engineering & Software Testing Services to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.