#software quality testing

Software testing and quality assurance is an integral component of the software development process; however, as technology continually advances across industries, digital solutions such as mobile apps and web applications require progressively sophisticated tactics to assure top-level performance. Today’s experienced software testers must mingle between their expertise along with cutting-edge tools when assessing IT systems for potential flaws or inconsistencies before the final products reach consumers.

Are you feeling in the dark about software testing? This blog shall provide an in-depth overview of fundamental principles around software testing and our take on the overall review of the four top companies worth considering for your business in 2023. Let’s dive in, shall we?

What is software testing?

A crucial step in developing and releasing software products, software testing is a process of evaluating and correcting the functionality of the features, ensuring they meet all requirements while providing an optimal user experience. It involves evaluation methods that combine scientific logic with creative problem-solving to address any issues or modifications needed for successful execution.

However, is software testing skippable? Which problems will be solved, or which aspects will be adjusted while conducting software testing?

Software testing and its benefits

Improving productivity & product quality

Software quality testing is an invaluable tool for enhancing the quality and productivity of a product. Through rigorous checking, any unexpected bugs can be identified and fixed before launch, ensuring that all requirements are met, safeguarding enterprises from faulty code which could cause issues with compatibility or require costly extra effort to fix them after entering the market later on.

Money savings

It may seem like an unnecessary expense, but software testing can save companies considerable money. By detecting bugs prior to release, not only is the product quality established, high costs such as patch fixes and upgrades shall be avoided intentionally or kept to a minimum; likewise, customer support associated with post-release bug issues reduces drastically.

Strengthening customer trust and satisfaction

Reap the rewards of investing in quality software testing to strengthen customer trust and satisfaction. By putting the product through its paces, businesses can ensure that it meets their exact specifications and provides users with a much safer and better experience – one of the key pillars of success, which ultimately help foster trust between customers and businesses.

Despite these benefits, however, a few organizations struggle due to cost or insufficient techniques when it comes time for testing; this is where specialist software testers come into play. These professionals work closely with firms so they can remain focused on development while at the same time assuring that every stage of quality control has been undertaken properly.

Finding the Right Outsourcing Models

As a business owner or project manager you might be interested in outsourcing software development to another country and getting work done for a lower cost. Cost is one big factor, but also there are different types of outsourcing models, varying management styles, and how the end product may turn out depending on where you decide to outsource to.

To make a better-informed decision, it is important to take into account the average experience of customers hiring companies in different locations worldwide. In this article, I will share some insights into some of the best outsourcing firms here in Vietnam, as well as the different project types you can consider.

Popular Offshore Software Development Models

The level of coordination between the business and the outsourcing team and the access you give to outsourcing partners defines how both sides are involved in the realization of the business project. The forms of cooperation are mainly classified into the following:

1. Low-Level Outsourcing (Operational Outsourcing)

This is where the product management is still left within the customer company, and only development and software quality testing processes are handed to the outsourcing partners. In terms of development processes, low-level solution coding and software delivery are outsourced in this model, as well as manual testing and test development in terms of QA.

2. High-Level Outsourcing (Often Nearshore or Strategic Partnership)

In High-level outsourcing, same as the previous offshore software development model, the customer company owns the product management. Meaning, the outsourcing team designs and performs tests under in-house supervision. But the difference is, project management, solution, and test design are passed to the offshore development center, while the rest is left under in-house supervision. Outsourced processes and solutions are controlled by in-house architect-level software engineers, which requires close collaboration between developers on both sides.

3. Complete Technical Outsourcing (Often Consulting One Stop Solution)

In this offshore software development model, the customer company develops the initial product requirement in-house. And all the technical aspects are outsourced: detailed requirements, documentation, interpretation, solution design, solution development, Quality Assurance scheme, and implementation. On top of these levels of coordination, you can choose to do onshore, nearshore, offshore, onsite, etc. So, identifying both the right outsourcing partner and the right type of outsourcing engagement is not an easy task while the stakes are high, and you may need to talk to multiple partners and try them out to find out what works for you.

Next Offshore Destination - Vietnam

Vietnam is getting recognized by many enterprises around the world, as a top-performing offshore destination. Before and after COVID, Vietnam is consistent with its foreign investment policy and creates a warm business environment, and welcomes business. No need to hide that Vietnam’s economic growth topped 8% last year, foreign direct investment rose steeply to over $6 billion, and exports surged by over 20%. On top of that, the government’s plan on investing in young talents including work ethics and language capabilities is starting to pay off. And we see companies shifting their offshore center from India to Vietnam for the example given the cost savings and quality of end-product.

So, who are the top software development and QA firms in Vietnam?

・Saigon Technology ・FPT ・S3 ・Terralogic ・Shift Asia ・InApp ・Cowell ・Fram ・TP&P ・Agiletech

Shift Asia

“SHIFT ASIA is a quality assurance start-up located in HCMC, Vietnam founded in 2016. As part of the SHIFT group, it has served clients in the greater APAC region, enabling digital transformation and automation for their products with a technological edge and tailored customer services. In addition to having a strong backbone and excellent customer service experience, it has over 150 skilled engineers, app developers, and testers. The company portfolio includes clients mainly in ERP, finance, banking, healthcare, travel, e-commerce, and gaming verticals offering proven methods for each industry.”

When the entire global digital landscape is underpinned on the reliability or performance of software, the role of software reliability testing becomes critical. In the metrics of gauging performance, reliability is often pegged above efficiency owing to the following reasons:

 ·         The lack of product reliability can be telling on the brand value of a company. This may lead the end-users to shy away from buying the software, thus impacting sales.

·         For critical systems like navigation control in an aircraft or an embedded software in a medical device, any system failure can have serious consequences.

·         An inefficient system can be improved by working on small sections of the program suite. However, an unreliable system can be difficult to improve as the glitches leading to such unreliability are not localized but distributed throughout the suite.

·         Inefficient systems can lead to delays and have their own sets of issues. However, the consequences of unreliable systems can be more telling on their immediate surroundings or the people handling them.

·         Inefficient programs can take a long time to execute. This may help programmers or users to find out the issues and remedy them. However, unreliable systems may not sound any alarm until it is too late. For example, a design flaw in an aircraft may not be visible during testing but can manifest itself in the form of a crash.

·         Executing each function fully at least once.

·         Reducing the interaction between functions.

·         Checking the new functionality for its quality and accuracy.

·         Identifying bugs that could get into the system after the new addition or modification.

 Since reliability is a critical factor when it comes to the execution of software, software reliability testing needs to be pursued in right earnest. However, let us first understand what software quality testing in terms of validating reliability is all about.

 What is software reliability testing?

 Reliability testing as a part of software quality assurance services ensures consistent performance and functioning of the software. This means the software should render fault-free performance in a given environment and time period. Importantly, the end-users tend to believe in the outcome of any software. They mostly have blind faith in the performance of software, which may lead to unforeseen consequences. For example, a glitch-prone banking software can be hacked into by cybercriminals with disastrous results. However, users do not brook such a possibility while using the software. Thus, software quality testing becomes the key to ensuring their trust.

 How to make your software failure-free courtesy software testing services?

 The reliability of software can be assured by executing a number of tests as detailed below:

 ·         Feature testing: This type of software testing services checks the features and functionality of the software. It tests if the application runs according to the expected outcomes. Also, it checks the interoperability of the software with other components and environments. The test comprises the following activities -

·         Regression testing: This type of testing is done when a new version of the software is added to the build. This validates the new version to be free of any glitches. The activities associated with this type of testing are as follows.

·         Load testing: This type of testing checks whether a particular functionality works to its optimum when subjected to the highest workload. The test ensures the software responds within a minimum time, say 5 seconds, to the user commands. If this test is not conducted, then the system can crash abruptly or suffer from latency. This can lead to frustrating user experiences and creating a negative impression of the brand.

·         Security testing: Given that a large number of software is dealing with sensitive personal and business information, security testing has become integral to reliability testing. It relates to identifying the vulnerabilities and preventing any unauthorized access. Also, the testing checks if the software complies with the industry accepted rules, standards, etc. This is more apparent with software that deals with banking and financial transactions.

  Conclusion

 The reliability of software is arguably the most important facet of any software application. Also, it is relatively costly than other forms of testing thus necessitating proper test management. As the complexity of software increases with each passing day, software quality engineering can play a key role in driving reliability. Reliability testing can go a long way in ensuring better user experiences and maintain the competitive edge of businesses.

In today’s competitive digital landscape where businesses want to grab the elusive pie of ‘customer satisfaction’, it is software reliability that ensures success. When customer centricity has become the core around which software is designed, developed, tested and delivered, companies have their tasks cut out. The need of the hour is to deliver an omni channel experience to the customers by designing software that is compelling, secure, and robust.

What does it take to make customers happy?

The digital transformation initiatives by businesses and entities have given convenience, communication and speed a whole new meaning. It is ultimately the software that lies at the core of such initiatives wherein complex tasks involving many touchpoints and variables are performed at the twinkle of an eye. In fact, software like Enterprise Resource Management and Customer Relationship Management have redefined how businesses are managed. Also, the advent of advanced technologies like AI, IoT and others has brought in automation, rendering a whole new experience to the business and end customer.

Customers, on their part, have got access to sundry software applications and device platforms to execute a range of activities in a jiffy. The activities include paying for utility services, booking cabs, seats in a restaurant or theatre, and making online purchases among others. Now, since the market is flush with a host of software belonging to every possible domain, customers have a problem of plenty. Given the changing market dynamics, the quest for businesses is to ensure software reliability. In other words, the software should display the following attributes for customers to take note of and possibly stay with.

Robustness: The software should be able to function on a range of devices, operating systems, browsers, and networks without any glitch.

Scalable: It is a subset of robustness wherein software should be able to function seamlessly even when the number of users at a given point of time increases. To ensure the same, the workflow of developing the software should be integrated with a robust software quality testing process, in the Agile-DevOps model.

Security: Arguably the biggest challenge for software quality assurance services is to ensure all vulnerabilities and gaps are duly plugged. Moreover, the security testing aspect should not be a onetime validation process but a continuous one throughout the SDLC. In fact, security should be developed into a culture to be followed across departments in an organization. Thus, if DevOps is about enhancing the quality of software during and beyond the SDLC, DevSecOps is also about incorporating security into the entire scheme of things. Since software stores critical business and personal information, customers should not get at the wrong end of the stick as far as security is concerned. The software testing services should conduct penetration testing exercise to identify and plug security related vulnerabilities.

Rich features: The software should be engaging enough for the customers to take notice. It should come with easy to use interfaces, attractive graphics, visible icons etc. For example, an eCommerce application should have an easy to view product catalog, rich images, and an easy checkout option. To ensure customer centricity, software quality assurance services should provide for the seamless functioning of every feature.

Easy loading: With an increase in mobile penetration and the availability of numerous applications, the attention span of customers has reduced considerably. Software developers and testers have to achieve a fine balance between reducing the size of an application for faster loading and enhancing its features to create the initial connect. In a digital landscape of reducing attention span, the use of software can only increase if it loads and operates fast.

How does the lack of software reliability testing impact a brand?

Should a software application fail in eliminating the glitches by not adhering to software quality testing, the consequences can be telling on the brand.

A bad customer experience can lead     customers to stop using the software. This can have a direct impact on the     ROI unless remedial measures are undertaken by updating its version.

A compromised software can lead to the     theft of critical business or customer data. This can leave customers     dissatisfied and angry leading to the filing of lawsuits.

Regulatory agencies can come down hard     on such brands by imposing stiff penalties.

Conclusion

As the imprint of software applications increases, businesses can gain customer approval only when the software stands firm on the crucible of reliability, security, user friendliness, and convenience. Unless customer centricity is made the focus of software development, brands will continue to do the catching up – for customer approbation.