Companies worldwide are growing and adapting, which means they’re continually looking to technology and software programs to sustain their business processes. In today’s digitally centered society, end users are more demanding than ever. They don’t care about the underlying software – they just expect it to work on time, every time.
Companies understand these demands from consumers, which is why they invest so much into software to solve their business needs. With the knowledge that these high consumer demands exist, applying quality assurance and the principles of software testing earlier on is essential in the business decision-making process and should be at the forefront of a planning strategy. Far too often, the assumption is that the provider of the software has taken care of quality assurance. However, that may not always be the case, as different companies use the same software in different ways to solve different business challenges. These unique applications of a software make quality assurance an essential part of the planning process.
As a worldwide leader in software quality assurance, iLAB has more than two decades of experience and understands the value we offer when brought in early on a project.
Unbiased Analysis
When you bring iLAB on board early, not only can you expect a team with extensive knowledge and understanding of software quality assurance and testing, but you can also expect an unbiased analysis of how your software is or should be operating. Our purpose is to provide this information and then guide you through the development or implementation of a new application. Oftentimes, a client has not created a formal quality assurance and software testing strategy, or even recruited the necessary team because there’s an assumption that it is simple – not time consuming and something business users can do, in addition to their day jobs. However, underestimating what is required in the initial implementation from the quality perspective will not yield the desired result and may place the organization at risk for delays and production problems. Engaging with us early on in the process means we can help identify the right teams of people and what is required to hit those business goals required from the system. Companies that don’t have the right internal quality resources and necessary quality training in place to successfully test and launch the new software are often left backtracking when defects and system failures are discovered, and oftentimes will not know how to successfully manage the system implementation partner through these quality challenges.
The iLAB team, due to years of experience, will become experts in your business so that your business isn’t required to do the heavy lifting and testing of this application but rather participate in well-managed and productive acceptance testing as a means for training and adoption of the new software. Instead of worrying about quality assurance and testing, we believe every business should be focused on defining what they want from the software and how that software can meet their needs.
Laying the Foundation
When it comes to developing a testing strategy, the right foundation must be in place. What many companies don’t realize is that this process needs to be started early. Bringing in a quality assurance team at the end of a project often results in a missed launch date, a failed program, and more time and money spent fixing development errors that could have been prevented. With a quality assurance team and the development of a strong testing strategy, the correct framework and foundation can be laid for a successful launch of the program.
iLAB starts laying this foundation by helping your business to identify:
- Critical business workflows
- How the system is supposed to work
- Various negative tests that need to take place
- One-off business scenarios that need to be included
Planning for Automation
An automation testing suite is just part of what you can expect with a quality assurance team, and it’s an essential component of an effective testing strategy. The process of developing a complete and successful suite relies not only on the correct skills but on the necessary and robust framework to drive the automation initiatives forward. Having iLAB as your partner, we are able to bring skills, framework, and technology to solve for this necessary investment.
Applying automation early on in the system lifecycle provides great benefit for the project and post go-live support.
Limiting Business Impact
Companies that fail to invest early in quality assurance and testing strategies often find themselves with more expenses and end up using more hours to correct their software after it’s gone live. When quality assurance firms are brought in at the end, most companies find that their application has not met its expectations and cannot deliver to the business needs, and incorrect coding or configuration becomes very expensive to correct.
If these risks and gaps are discovered after a launch, a company will see a significant negative impact, especially in consumer, employee, or client trust. These headaches and unexpected expenses can easily be avoided when the right team is hired from the start. With experts in your corner from the get-go, you can help limit the business impacts that come with the failure to invest in a testing strategy early.
Time-to-Market
No matter if you’re upgrading, configuring, or implementing software, early investment in software testing and quality assurance gives your company confidence that all aspects of your program will work as it’s intended and expected. Companies that invest in quality assurance early and have an automation testing suite in place before going live find they have more risk coverage and have the ability to make future changes more often.
Improving your time-to-market and being confident in your application is just part of what we do at iLAB. We understand that time is money, which is why we stress the importance of investing in quality assurance. The sooner you invest in professional quality assurance, the sooner you can get your application into the hands of your consumers. You can also ensure that your software is ready to go across multiple platforms, including mobile devices.
Get the Right Quality Assurance with iLAB
Investing early in quality assurance, software testing, and preparing an automation suite shouldn’t discourage you or your company. No matter where you are in the development stages, the iLAB team is ready to join you on your journey to create quality software that’s meant to impress. Contact us today to get started or to learn more about quality assurance.