Software testing has a lot of mystery surrounding it, Quality Assurance team members in a Software Testing & QA Company are often personified to be the virtual demons in the lives of the Development teams, and why not? They raise questions and doubts. They point out mistakes and make life hell till the time mistakes are not sorted.

The world does not take easily to the ones who question and seek changes.

 

“If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake “

Confucius

 

But it is questions that lead to revelations, revelations to introspection and introspection to knowledge, a chance to correct; a chance to change. Change in this case brings credibility to the software itself!

This is the scheme of things, this is the way it is for software development and testing.

“Nothing is forever except change”
Buddha

A lot of discussions ensue on how to test, what to test, and the different types of testing. As new ways of doing things emerge, test strategies evolve and newer niches of testing take shape too. We have brand-new methods of testing for contemporary approaches.

And all this just when we thought testing for mobiles and the wearables was it.

The principle of life is that nothing is stagnant and changes drive the human fold. Artificial intelligence, digital assistants, chatbots, IoT, and drones all become mainstream today, which only indicates the importance of the newer testing genres.

The Changing Technologies to Test

Internet of Things

IoT in itself is a huge ecosystem of a variety of devices, their platforms, the network connecting them, the software driving them, and of course the people using them as well. IoT testing becomes sophisticated to keep the data, data exchanges as well as devices safe ensuring satisfying user experiences.

Mobile Tech

With mobile devices becoming indispensable, testing the mobile solutions means facing graver challenges and the safety of data to ensure privacy as well as mobile device management means that mobile testing gears up to manage a huge invasion.

Big Data

Data becomes larger than life today turning into the most important resource for an enterprise. The task to test big data for proper curation, privacy & security becomes a bigger task than ever expected earlier for a Software Testing & QA Company.

BI & Analytics

Business intelligence remains completely in sync with the structured & unstructured Big Data to generate actionable insights into the enterprise’s own data. It then becomes imperative that well-defined Business Intelligence testing is in place for ensured accuracy & dependability.

UI and UX

Since user experiences drive the success or failure of apps, websites, portals & enterprise software today testing this abstract notion becomes tougher every passing day. A powerful software needs to be made captivating enough by an unforgettable user experience. The proper testing of visuals, animations, navigations, sequences, aesthetics of presentation and the storytelling a UX indulges in makes the software more relevant and useful.

The Changing Avatars of Testing

Globalization Testing

A most practical approach to testing of products & apps to be released across the world, globalization testing yields seamlessness to software to be deployed around the world. Ensuring cultural acceptances, adherence to government norms and socio-economic factors are no mean feat!

Crowdsourced Testing

Crowdsourcing changes the way economies function & also the way testing is envisioned in the most flexible and economic way, drawing out a maximum from a large number of testers with different abilities. Almost completely dependent on the Cloud, crowdsourcing for testing means that the best of the world comes together to deliver fool-proof systems.

Cloud Testing

Cloud Testing makes possible quicker testing for a Software Testing & QA Company with minimal infrastructure, interconnecting various devices into a single virtual testing center and reducing the turnaround times dramatically with quality in place.

The Changing Approaches for Testing

Extreme & Continuous Testing

In Extreme Programming, Continuous Integration becomes a part of the automated tests designed with a test-driven development strategy verifying them continuously before integrating with the mainline with an aim to deliver near-perfect systems all the time.

Agile & DevOps

With a ‘test first, test continuously’ approach. Agile testing reduces a large amount of risks of software failure offering appropriate and workable solutions to keep the quality of the systems deliver the first priority. Best suited to Agile & DevOps project execution methodologies, this niche in testing increases the effectiveness of testing itself tremendously.

Test automation

Automation in testing lends a definitive edge by speeding up the testing process, as well as optimizing resources like time invested and staffing. Manual testing cannot be completely eliminated where human intellect is needed. However, more & more businesses are adopting automated testing to keep control over investments, while eliminating manual labor in repetitive tasks.

 

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”
Henry Ford

 

Being a part of this universe simply means that we remain connected. Together it is for testing and development too and this is the reason why DevOps and Agile fit into the picture. Walking hand in hand simply means we comprehend and uncomplicate situations on time and without any repercussions.

But working together is no mean feat!

 

“Sometimes we’re tested. Not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.”

Unknown

 

Defects and failures are the inherent outcomes of testing. Proper test strategies & plans devised to take corrective actions and remedy the situations become very critical.

Mature Ops takes the pointing out of mistakes by the testing teams on a positive note. The quest to find bugs and errors by the QA teams is not taken as negative criticism but in fact a chance to remedy at the onset; rather than later, after it is too late and the software has been implemented already or the app has been released.

 

“Karma is the universal law of Cause & Effect.
You reap what you sow”
Ancient Hindu Philosophy

 

The testing cycle in itself is a journey the teams embark upon. Much like our lives itself, with a fair share of ups & downs, challenges to combat, and things to learn. A prudent test strategy comes up with judicious workflows to set the problems right before release. The acumen almost derives from the theory of Karma as the software developed & released faces the fate in sync with what happened during development.

The errors are but the karmic results are avoidable in the true sense.

 

In a Nutshell

“The Important thing is to not stop Questioning”

 

The cycle then of software from conceptualization to the time it starts fulfilling its purpose, needs to be introspective and reflective. The tests it undergoes are but to bring out its true worth undoubtedly and not to be taken as a hindrance.

It is important that the QA teams in a Software Testing & QA Company pose purposeful questions in the tests they devise and that the development teams strike out any discrepancies found.

The cycle then of software from conceptualization to the time it starts fulfilling its purpose, needs to be introspective and reflective. The tests it undergoes are but to bring out its true worth undoubtedly and not to be taken as a hindrance.

It is important that the QA teams in a Software Testing & QA Company pose purposeful questions in the tests they devise and that the development teams strike out any discrepancies found.