Sw testing (or software testing) is an indispensable step in ensuring software quality. It allows, first of all, to identify any errors and ensure that the digital product meets the client’s expectations. But not only that, it enables a more satisfying CX (customer experience) to be offered to the end user, something that should not be underestimated today when user experience is a competitive factor, often even more so than the product itself and its price.
Let's look together at everything you need to know to take full advantage of software testing.
According to a recent study, CX is already a priority for most organisations. In addition, 81% see it as an important competitive differentiator.
Then again, providing quality CX is certainly essential to not losing customers: as a PWC survey also notes, users are quick to abandon a brand they like when faced with negative experiences.
And it's not just about customer retention: the vast majority of customers are willing to pay a premium of up to 13%-18% in exchange for great customer experience.
Since most of the experiences offered by businesses today are digital, software must therefore be perfect: error-free, usable with different devices seamlessly, easy to use, and capable of responding completely and precisely to the needs for which it was produced. Only adequate sw testing at different stages can ensure all these characteristics.
Not surprisingly, in the increasingly popular agile/DevOps development paradigm, sw testing is an integral part of the process at all stages, from design to deployment to subsequent maintenance.
After all, the sooner errors are identified, the less is spent. An analysis by IBM's Systems Sciences Institute highlights this: the cost of error discovered in the maintenance phase (when the software is already in production) is equal to 100 times an error identified in the design phase.
The need to repeat sw testing at different stages runs up against the fact that many companies do not have the experience and expertise internally to ensure quality sw testing, with time and costs compatible with business plans. It is therefore not surprising that the global market for outsourced sw testing is growing rapidly, as confirmed by Business Research Insights' estimates.
The reasons for this increase include not only the high need for software development in a framework of increasing dissemination of digital technologies, but also the many advantages of outsourcing, such as having teams of qualified experts available, avoiding the need to hire in-house staff, acquire dedicated tools and processing resources. In summary: less fixed costs and acceleration of the sw testing process.
Developed in-house or outsourced to partners, there are different types of tests to select from depending on your company's specific problems: fully manual, semi-automated (where the tester's activity is supported by tools) or fully automated.
More traditional software testing methods are, however, often too slow (as well as costly) for today's dynamic market. Only in some cases, for example, is it worthwhile to use fully automated testing, which is expensive in any case.
The crowdtesting approach, employing a community of qualified testers, selected on the basis of potential users, and joined by experienced bug hunters, is a competitive solution that can come to your aid.
Crowdtesting enhances the benefits of outsourced sw testing:
Crowdtesting can support the different stages of application development with different types of tests: multidevice coverage, exploratory, usability, regression, performance, security, acceptance.
Of course, ultimately the value of sw testing based on a crowd approach depends largely on the quality of the circle of testers it relies on. For this, it is crucial to rely on the right partner: find out why to choose our community!