Software Testing: Latest Trends

  2014 has become the battleground between two competing trends in software testing. On the one hand, some companies are integrating testing earlier in the development cycle with testing methods like Agile. This often involves companies establishing a Testing Center of Excellence (TCOE) to coordinate testing methodologies with business development in order to build products reliably from the ground up. The other trend is toward independent testing options, either via a third-party firm or crowd sourced testers. Independent testing can offer greater testing coverage and costs less than an in-house testing team.

        There are several factors driving this split in 2014. First and foremost, the percentage of IT budgets dedicated to software testing is rising quickly. The World Quality Report 2013-2014 was jointly produced by Capgemini, Sogeti, and HP from interviews with 1500 CIOs, VPs of applications, IT directors, and QA/Testing managers. This report revealed that 23% of IT budgets went to Quality in 2013. This percentage is up from 18% in 2012, and is predicted to reach 28% by 2015.

Testing Trend #1: Integrated Testing

  Nearly half of the businesses in the World Quality Report integrate testing in the development lifecycle is too late (during or after development phases). This has led some enterprises to commit to greater in-house quality control integration. TCOEs are popular, and allow IT departments to standardize testing methods, automate processes, and compile metrics. Agile testing methodology is also popular.

     Meanwhile, many businesses also report trouble integrating Agile into development environments. Testing throughout a development cycle may ensure greater reliability in theory, but in practice, such integration also makes testing team vulnerable to business interests and schedules that might hinder testing. Some businesses also have trouble identifying testing areas earlier in the development process.

Testing Trend #2: Independent Software Testing

             Since 2011, the costs involved in Software testing have put pressure on businesses to outsource. The independent testing industry is set to enjoy 9.5% annual growth until 2018, according to a report from business research firm Nelson Hall. The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), an Indian trade association, reports that much of that increased business will go offshore, with India receiving the greatest share.

     

        While many companies seek to cut costs with third-party testing firms, the quality of these firms is debatable. Since it is often difficult to determine the effectiveness of specific testing methods, cost is often the primary factor in outsourced testing. This creates a lemon market, as companies rush to the bottom of the cost spectrum heedless of testing quality. While this is not true of all independent testing firms, it is certainly a concern for businesses looking to outsource.

Testing Trend #3: Crowd-sourced Testing

     Crowd testing became a popular option in 2013, and that trend has continued in 2014. Crowd testing allows businesses to cut costs by only paying for effective testing.

      Crowdsourcing also provides a solution to localization and fragmentation, giving businesses ample testing coverage without restricting development cycles. 

         As technological innovation continues to make impossible demands on software control teams, some businesses may be tempted to rush development at the cost of quality. But, software quality is quickly catching up to the latest digital trends, so quality cannot simply be a fantasy. Businesses cannot ignore end user satisfaction.

        Whether businesses choose to integrate testing in the development cycle with TCOEs, outsource testing to an independent testing firm, or take advantage of crowdsourcing, 2014 is bound to be a heated and exciting time in software testing