The
rapidly changing digital landscape of the world has seen key challenges of maintaining
security, increased competition, frequent technological upgrades, faster time
to market, stress on ROI, and rising customer expectations driving the business
goals of companies. And the way to address such challenges and meet those goals
is to incorporate software quality assurance testing in the development phase
itself with Agile and DevOps principles.
The
year 2016 saw the twin principles of Agile and DevOps gain currency amongst
companies in spite of facing unfavourable economic and trade headwinds. It
seems staying ahead of one’s competitors by keeping the customers happy has
become the new mantra, wherein QA testing services have acquired salience
unlike the earlier ‘earn profits at all costs’ dictum.
Besides,
the emergence of Internet of Things and the need to develop efficient systems
running the same have posed challenges for QA testers like never before. The
entire year witnessed trends that aimed at reducing costs and aligning QA
software testing with business goals.
The
modern customer has become choosy and particular about the products or services
that are delivered by companies. One of the foremost thoughts that drive a
customer’s buying spree is the performance of the product, besides the security
it offers. Today’s customers do not settle for anything less vis-a-vis quality given
the plethora of competitors to choose from.
In
view of the presence of such demanding customers, companies have to necessarily
walk on the razor’s edge - of ensuring world class quality and optimizing cost at
the same time. In the last few years, quality has emerged as a key attribute
with quality assurance and testing becoming an integral aspect of the development
processes. In fact, the year 2016 has seen a continuation of Agile and DevOps
adoption by companies, wherein development and quality assurance and software
testing have become a single entity rather than existing as two discreet
functions.
The
five key trends observed in 2016 about quality assurance testing are as
follows:
1.
Growth in digital transformation: Increased competition has led to a
scramble among companies to get a pie of that elusive customers’ acceptance. Software
or applications that are high on quality have increasingly found favour with
customers, so much so that companies have gone for digital transformation of
their QA testing services. The digital transformation process envisaged adoption
of cutting edge technologies, cloud services and virtualization to carry out qualityassurance testing. Furthermore, the focus of digital transformation has been more
on ensuring customer oriented software QA testing and faster release cycles.
2.
Growth in Agile / DevOps: Traditional software quality assurance testing
has taken a back seat with the advent of Agile and DevOps. Instead of being
reactive after glitches have entered the software, the new approach
incorporates software QA testing in the development phase itself to prevent
such an eventuality. Increased synergy between QA testers and developers
ensures better quality of software that passes muster customers’ expectations. In
the new approach, automation of QA testing services, development of right
skills, and formation of a hybrid Agile TCoE hold center stage.
3.
Growth in IoT: An upshot of digital transformation is the spread of
Internet of Things, where objects communicate with each other thanks to
embedded sensors and software. Any software QA company worth its salt has to
include IoT testing in its scheme of things to not only keep pace with this emerging
cutting edge technology, but also to ensure its functionality.
4.
Cost of test environment: Given the cost of establishing a real time test
environment, QA testing software has to rely upon cloud based SaaS and PaaS
resources, and virtualization.
5.
Continuous delivery of QA: Ensuring customer satisfaction implies taking
care of after sales services and updating the software from time to time.
Conclusion:
The
five QA software testing trends of the year 2016 show the discipline of QA to
be evolving in order to keep pace with the times. The trends have highlighted
the centrality of customer satisfaction in the overall QA scheme of things.
Michael works for Gallop Solutions, which is North America's largest Independent Software Testing Services & company operating since 2003 with offices in Philadelphia & California.
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