by Mit ThakkarCompanies operating in the product sector are often on the look out to partner with other organizations that can accelerate the product delivery timeline. Partnerships are often explored in scenarios where in-house expertise is not available within the organization.
Setting up ODC (Off-Shore Development Centers) is another idea that enterprises explore when they have seek specialized services (e.g. automation testing, performance testing, etc.) from a particular service provider. Many startups as well as enterprises want to leverage the immense benefits offered by software testing consulting, as it helps them save costs and accelerate delivery.
KiwiQA is one of the companies that has successfully pioneered the concept of software testing consulting, having helped a number of clients trim down costs involved in setting an in-house testing department. Test consulting offers long-term benefits for all the stakeholders involved in the process.
In this blog, we look at why new-age startups and age-old enterprises should embrace software testing consulting to stay ahead in the fast-paced product-led world.
Identification of best-suited tools and frameworks
Tools and frameworks play an integral role in the successful execution of an automation testing strategy. They are pillars of orchestrating test execution. When choosing the tools and frameworks for test execution, it becomes important to reflect outwards along with reflecting inwards within the organization.
What this essentially means is that a thorough analysis of the tools and frameworks used within the organization needs to be done at a high priority. At the same time, you need to ensure to adopt the latest & best-suited tools for test execution.
Tools could be around automation testing, performance testing, security testing, continuous testing, or any other form of testing. This is where engaging with an experienced test services provider like KiwiQA can play a key role, as it can help in suggesting ideal tools that meet the budget and requirements of your project.
Also Read: Five Signs Your Business Needs QA Consulting Services
Crafting An Ideal Test Strategy
There is a major difference between test plan and test strategy. Test plan is created on a per-project basis whereas test strategy is created at a departmental level. Picture this – Inefficient execution of a test plan could jeoparidize the progress of the project, whereas devising a not-so-great test strategy could halt the growth of the department.
An experienced software testing consulting services provider can help in defining a winning test strategy. An ideal strategy comprises of the following:
- Identification of techniques that need to be applied to the testing methodology for achieving optimal test coverage. This in turn helps in building a top-notch quality product.
- Identification of potential roadblocks that could hamper the testing phase of the project. This will be immensely helpful in expediting the product development and testing phases.
- Prioritization of the deployment environments on which product testing needs to be carried out before releasing the final product.
- Automation testing go hand-in-hand with CI/CD tools. This combination ensures that not a single line of untested code enters into the staging as well as production environments. The availability of a plethora of CI/CD tools could lead to confusion when it comes to choosing an ideal tool. This is where a proven software testing consulting services provider could be beneficial, as its experience in executing large-scale testing projects could help in choosing the best-suited CI/CD tools for the project.
Prioritization Of Test Metrics that Matter
Creation of an ideal test strategy or a fool-proof test plan is just the start of the testing phase. Testing outcome entirely depends on the execution of the test plan.
Every software project is different, due to which the one-size fits all approach to creating test strategy does not work. The test KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) would also vary from one project to another. Test coverage, browser coverage, bug severity, TAT (Turn Around Time) of bug resolution, etc. are some of the common metrics used for measuring the effectiveness of a test strategy.
It might not be necessary to consider all the test metrics on top priority. As a project owner, you would not want to slip on the test execution frontL. This is where a company that has experience in providing software testing consulting at scale can prove to be a catalyst for your project.
The consulting company can play an instrumental role in the creation of a test plan that prioritizes the key testing KPIs based on the type and scale of the project. Standardization and measurement of the testing metrics can be achieved effectively by partnering with a testing services provider that knows the tricks of the game.
Also Read: Key Performance Metrics for Effective Performance Testing
Freezing Testing Infrastructure
There is huge ROI (Return on Investment) on test automation. Once you have identified the tools and frameworks required for automation testing, the next critical step is identification of the testing infrastructure. Once you have shortlisted the key candidates (e.g. UI automation, unit test automation, etc.) in the test automation pyramid, you need to identify the ideal test infrastructure.
Testing on a cloud-based infrastructure provides numerous benefits related to scalability, reliability, and extensibility of the test scenarios. Cloud testing also helps in achieving improved test coverage since tests can be run on different input (e.g. browser, device, etc.) combinations at a larger scale.
Though most of the testing services providers have know-how about cloud testing, only a handful of them have expertise in the successful execution of cloud testing. The first step is zeroing on the best cloud testing provider from an overly crowded market of cloud testing providers. Since expert testing services provider has experience working with different cloud testing companies; they can help their clients achieve test execution at scale.
Also Read: Tips to Define Test Scope for Software Testing
Cost Optimization
Setting up an in-house test team (or test department) can involve significant cost to the company. Also, the investment in setting up a test team can end up bcoming an expenditure in case the project is cancelled due to some business (or technical) circumstances.
Instead of setting up in-house test teams, organizations are increasingly looking at trimming down costs by outsourcing the testing activities to a proven consulting company. Sine the consulting company has experience with a range of projects, it can help in expediting the testing phase (without compromising on the product quality).
Large-scale testing companies like KiwiQA also have expertise in setting up CoEs (Centers Of Excellence). This provides an opportunity to large organizations to further cut down costs by avoiding the need to boost their in-house army of software testers.
Conclusion
We are living in a time where a slight bad user experience can take the customer miles away from the product. After this stage, it becomes an uphill task to win back the lost customer.
This is the primary reason why companies are spending a lot in ensuring that their product meets all the quality guidelines. Testing consulting can be super beneficial in expediting the testing process, whilst keeping the costs under a tight grip!
A global and proven software testing consulting services provider like KiwiQA can help in facilitating testing process for expedited product delivery. About time startups as well as global enterprises leverage the potential of software testing consulting to stay ahead in this hyper-competitive market!
