How to Make Sure Your Testing Process is Efficient?
Though the software testing process was always a vital part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), nowadays, more and more companies are better acknowledging the importance of testing and keeping it at the top of their mind.
Moreover, organizations understand that to ensure high-quality software and meet user requirements, they must allocate appropriate resources for the testing efforts, such as funds, professional workforce, etc. As a result, the testing process is becoming more complicated with a heavy responsibility to deliver outcomes and fast.
As published in the 2022 State of testing report, 86% of organizations work in Agile or Agile-like methodology. That caused some changes in the testing process in organizations, and now more than ever, testing is becoming a collective effort, not only for the testing team.
In addition, this will also change the perception that testing needs to be done at the end of the project, and testing now is shifted left and done as early as possible.
Since software QA is a long and complex process with a significant influence on the final product, it is crucial to ensure that your company's testing process is as efficient and effective as possible. To ensure that, in this article, we will provide you with some tips and key points to follow in your testing process.
1. Test as soon as possible
Before Agile methodology had become the most common approach in software companies, the dominant approach was Waterfall. In this methodology, the testing process was at the final stages of the project, after the development stage finished. However, since the rise of Agile methodology, the software testing process has become an integral part of the early stages of software development.
This perception, also known as “shift left,” helps many organizations to shorten the time to market and reduce the costs of bugs and defects in the software. Finding bugs at early stages allows developers to change the software while in motion and is significantly cheaper than finding them at late stages.
2. Involve Developers in the testing process
One of the most significant changes in recent years is making the QA testing a cross-department process assigned to both testers and non-testers staff members. Developers play an important role in software development since they write the internal software code. As a result, organizations can leverage in-depth professional knowledge to test the software and improve the quality of the code.
Some testing types require knowledge of the internal code and are known as “white-box testing.” Developers could perform those tests since they have all the skills to execute them successfully and effectively. Unit testing, for example, is a white-box test type that is run by developers that intend to check units of the code, one after another.
3. Think about the end-user
The final product is designed for users, so it is valuable to think about them, their needs, their usage, and their software usage. Many testing types, like functional testing, are executed from an end-user point of view to simulate real-life scenarios. Performing testing from a user perspective and not a tester’s perspective will increase user satisfaction.
4. Do not skip steps along the way
As mentioned before, the software QA process is long, complex, and includes various testing types. Every test type has a different purpose and contributes to completing the software development in the best way. Don’t give up on any test type since they are all essential and help you identify problems within the software.
Moreover, the software testing process includes working with documentation files like test plans and test cases. To make this process as efficient as possible, it is crucial to follow each step detailed in these documents and keep them up-to-date. Working closely with these files will significantly assist you in making sure the testing process is working correctly.
5. Think about negative scenarios too
When approaching to test the software, it is essential to remember that negative testing is part of the process, just like positive testing. As testers, we want to verify the software is working as expected and free of bugs. Therefore we should anticipate situations where invalid data is inserted into the software. Negative testing aims to understand the software's behavior, find various defects, and keep the software reliable.
By following the negative software testing principles, we significantly reduce the risk of unstable software and ensure complete coverage of our testing process. An excellent example of negative testing would be when an unsupported file format is uploaded into the software or typing numbers in the name box.
6. Communicate more and ask for feedback
As stated before, the testing process is cross-department teamwork, so it is essential to encourage open communication between the different employees. This will generate a positive work environment when employees feel comfortable asking questions and actively participating in the team. Achieving this desired atmosphere would substantially improve the testing process and improve outcomes.
Furthermore, open communication is about receiving feedback from peers about our work. A healthy work environment allows us to feel free to ask colleagues’ opinions about our testing and for them to give constructive feedback. You would be surprised how much you can learn from your co-workers and enhance your testing skills.
7. Use a test management platform
In modern days, we use many different types of software solutions to make our daily routine simpler and easier. It is no different in software testing; many vendors offer various software testing tools that could assist you in your testing efforts. A test management platform is one of the practical solutions to optimize and control the entire testing process.
PractiTest, for instance, is an end-to-end SaaS test management platform that centralizes all your QA work and processes and enables one source of truth across your organization.
