Why Failing to Test is Wrong
Testing your digital technology is at least as important as routine check-ups on your car, home furnace and personal health. If you fail to monitor performance in any of these areas, systems can become faulty without detection.
The longer you ignore growing digital problems, the more expensive and complex the fixes. You may go from maintaining a piece of hardware to replacing it altogether. You may ultimately uncover numerous inaccuracies in business activities or transactions that are expensive to reverse or fix.
Automated Testing
Fortunately, many of the testing processes for digital solutions are automated. Computer hardware and software platforms require basic maintenance and monitoring to guard against viruses and other technical problems. However, various online support services and software tools provide automated testing that alert you to viruses and errors.
Load and performance testing of websites and software applications is vital in the digital age. Slow loading times on software applications negatively impact the user experience.
Manual Testing
Regular testing of your application program interface is essential to ensure ongoing compatibility of systems and software programs. API testing is typically managed by a quality assurance expert whether hired or outsourced.
Over time, usage of digital technology can reveal bugs and defects that previously went undetected. Testing helps identify problems before they lead to fatal errors. Having experts with ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System certification ensures the best QA processes are used.
If you hold confidential data, thorough security testing is necessary for ethical and legal reasons.
Employee Testing
Internal users of digital solutions also engage in testing, such as acceptance testing. The goal is for employees to determine whether a digital technology is effective and efficient in completing the intended tasks.
When testing customer-interfacing solutions, service reps are often involved in the evaluation. The goal is to identify potential inefficiencies or flaws that prevent the intended outcome from the customer’s use of the solution.
User-Based Testing
When dealing with products, it is important to get users involved in the testing process. Beta testing is a standard way to have a small sample of potential customers try out a new technology solution. The goal is to get feedback on the overall user experience, as well as potential bugs in the technology interface.
Ongoing testing of the user experience is also important, as errors and bugs can spring up over time. The number of people using a cloud-based program could overload servers and impact load time and processing, for instance.
Conclusions
Internal and external testing of digital solutions is a necessary element of long-term business success. Unlike hard goods, which remain stable for the duration of their life, the performance of digital technology can fluctuate over time. Applying various automated and manual tests helps you identify and fix problems before they become extremely expensive.
Learn more about our QA and testing services to see whether outsourcing your digital testing is the right move!
Original Source – Who’s Testing Your Digital Solutions?
