What's the Value of Software Testing?

Software testing has become a significant phase of software development life cycle. Some companies deploy testers to thoroughly test the software applications developed by their developers, whereas others involve software testing professionals from the planning phase of the project. A company can avail several benefits by deploying a team of experienced software testing professionals. Along with improving the quality of your product, the tester can further reduce the overall time required for developing and launching the application.

Many people feel that software testing is carried out with the sole intention of detecting and fixing bugs as soon as possible. Most companies even deploy dedicated testers to find bugs during each phase of software development life cycle. However, the sole purpose of software testing is not to find and fix the bugs at the earliest to reduce the repair costs. But the tester can also do some independent analysis to improve the quality of the software, as he is not directly involved in software development process. Often the testing results help in improving the features and performance of your application.

Further, you can decide and communicate the exact value of the project only when the software is tested thoroughly. The test results can also be shared with developers, project managers, directors, and other stakeholders of the project to determine the real value of your investment. Also, the software is not tested by an inexperienced professional. The software testing report is prepared by professionals with adequate knowledge, skills, creativity and experience. So the report can also be used as a base to take key managerial decisions.

5 Significant Dimensions of Software Testing

• Constructive Demonstration: The primary objective of software testing is to demonstrate the working of the application in a constructive way. The testing professionals will run the application under different scenarios to check each feature, requirement and use case. At the same time, the testing professionals also verify and validate if the developers have build the right application that can meet the client’s requirements. The test results will further help various stakeholders in deciding if the project is completed as per the initial planning and objectives.
• Search and Detection: Software testing is also done to detect bugs, errors and unexpected behaviors by avoiding any delay. The early detection of bugs and errors also make it easier for a company to fix the problems without incurring any extra repair cost. Along with the bugs and errors, the testers also look for unspecified and unexpected behavior of the software under different conditions. The comprehensive evaluation even results in reducing and mitigating the risks associated with poor performance of the application.
• Risk Elimination: Companies often explore options to eliminate the risks associated with the software usage. As most software applications nowadays target different web browsers, operating systems and devices, it has become essential to detect and mitigate all types of risk. Many organizations use software testing as a medium to identify the risks associated with the system, and fix these immediately to improve user experience. Some software testing automation tools even allow professionals to write testing scripts by easily emulating user behavior.
• Information Collection and Evaluation: While testing a software application, the testers gather information that can be used and evaluated to take key managerial decisions. As the testers check the quality, reliability and performance of the application by keeping themselves in the shoes of end-users, they can provide you accurate information about the current status of the project. Also, you can evaluate the information shared by your testing team to make effective future forecasts. The test results can also be shared by various stakeholders to take right investment decisions.
• Development Support and Completion: Along with detecting bugs and errors, testers also analyze the root cause of the problem in a systematic way. They can even designs early test cases to simultaneously drive software development and testing. Some of the ideas and suggestions received from the testing team can also be used to improve the software development process in future. Also, the identification of any regression during the early phases of development will contribute towards accelerating development, and getting higher productivity.

Based on your needs, you can choose from a variety of software testing tools to evaluate the features and performance of your software. Some of the testing automation tools even act just like an end-user, and make it easier for users to evaluate the user experience without putting any extra time and effort. However, you must understand the important dimensions of software testing to generate real value for your business. If you are looking to outsource software testing, make sure you consider these five dimensions positively.

If you want to hire software testers for your software testing services needs, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.