Some years ago, during an Operational Excellence class at ESADE, Professor Ylla Könneke used an example of efficiency that has been with me ever since. He presented a video comparing a Formula One pit stop in the 50s with the same event nowadays. Most of the steps were -and still are- completely necessary: changing the wheels, reparations, mechanical adjustments; but the preparation, speed, pace, and focus were completely different.
The final goal was exactly the same: to keep the car running so the driver can win the competition. The significant difference is now the entire process takes less than three seconds while in the 50s they needed almost seventy seconds to complete the activities. During that class, dozens of cases of essential -and many time inefficient- activities came to my mind, including some strategies of quality assurance: a part of software development as important in terms of excellence as it is inefficient regarding Time-to-Market.
An efficient and effective approach to software testing
It is clear that the traditional approach to software testing, which sees QA as simply a hurdle that must be cleared after the development process, is costly, inefficient and can have wide-ranging consequences if errors go undetected. This is because in the era of social media and online reviews, poorly performing software can negatively impact the brand as well as customer experience and ultimately customer loyalty.
We strongly believe that defining an End-to-End quality strategy is crucial when it comes to developing and testing software, in the same way that preparation, separation of roles and clear objectives for each member of the team make the difference between the 50s and present-day pit stops.
QA activities need to be integrated in the development teams and testing should be “baked in” to every step of the development process. To achieve this, high degrees of testing automation specialized tools and resources are necessary as well as sensor, data analysis, real time solutions and other technology improvements are crucial in the new way of managing pit stops.
NTT DATA specialists employ model-based testing in combination with well-known testing tools and automation frameworks to create scripts and ensure the widest possible coverage. We also have a specialized offer oriented to the applications, architectures and systems that are widely employed in all the sectors including microservices architectures, Salesforce and mobile apps.
The top 4 software testing trends of 2022
Based on our experience in different geographies, industries and sectors we would like to highlight four software testing trends and key services that many companies will probably have to develop or at least keep in mind over the next few years.
1. Performance and Shift Right
It is increasingly common for validation tests to be done in a real production environment. To carry out these certifications, the cases must be carefully selected and they can be used to test various alternatives of our applications with A/B Testing or Canary Testing or to check their resistance to continuous failures with Chaos Engineering techniques.
2. Salesforce and Vlocity
Making use of standard automation tools together with techniques specially designed to adapt and maintain the scripts, NTT DATA has performed large test automation projects for Vlocity, the vertically-focused solution from Salesforce which allows companies to deploy new solutions in the cloud using the Salesforce platform.
3. Self tested robot strategies in RPA
RPA (short for Robotic Process Automation) is a booming technology that has become increasingly widespread in organizations as a lever for efficiency. But in automated processes we also must ensure quality: NTT Data has defined a set of techniques and frameworks to ensure the correct behavior of automated processes, evolving towards self-tested robot strategies, one of the most differentiating software testing trends.
4. Mobile Testing
Optimal mobile testing is a software testing trend that is here to stay. The NTT DATA Center of Excellence for Mobile Testing gives clients the confidence that an application will work on the widest variety of mobile devices in the market. The tests include not only functional validations but also tests for usability and tests at component level.
But besides strategies, plans, and technical know-how, to meet all these challenges and achieve a real paradigm shift, the cornerstone will always be the team: having a group of specialized professionals, with extensive training and experience and -above all - with the enthusiasm to innovate and think creatively every day to make each pit stop better than the previous one.
NTT Data QA Testing services keeps your car running and ready for the exciting races we have ahead.