Effectively Outsourcing Software Testing

As demand for quality, up-to-speed software increases, so does the need for companies to focus on software testing. This important factor in software development is often overlooked, which is unfortunate because in today’s market customer expectations are high. They want their software to perform perfectly, every time without fail. Faulty software will erode a customer’s confidence in repeating business with the developer. A logical answer to this problem is to outsource the examination process to a company that specializes in software testing.

As simple as that answer appears to be, it can be a difficult sell to the developing company. Pros and cons for both sides exist, and companies that have always done their own testing may not even know where to begin in the outsourcing process.

Part of this problem (and a con to outsourcing) stems from the fact that there is simply no standardized software testing methodology across all industries, so a company considering outsourcing should be skeptical regarding the kind of work it can expect from the outsourced vendor.

This can be solved with the use of contracts outlining what the developing company is looking for, and what the testing company is expected to reasonably provide. This is a pro moving forward as more companies determine what the testing market is and what the expenses involved should be. This also forces companies that have been doing all of their testing in-house to examine how thorough (and possibly costly) their own practices have been. Companies that choose to outsource their testing functions now could be providing the benchmark for Software Testing Company of the future.

In terms of how much your company could save by outsourcing its software testing function, it really varies company by company. Additionally, details such as how many customers (and therefore dollars) a company may have lost due to a failure to identify a glitch are difficult to track. And these types of glitches are more common than you might think, because when a company is testing its own products, the deadlines for getting each product out the door can lead to shortcuts in the testing process.

Therefore another pro of outsourcing is that the vendor can usually accomplish tasks in a more efficient manner. The vendor will likely be more accurate and thorough with the product because they do not have the conflict of interest that lies with being attached to the results of it. All they do is test, and they will run every test they need to in order to ensure a quality product for your customers.

It does take a certain kind of company culture to be able to participate in outsourcing and have it be successful. A company should have a clear knowledge of its needs, its budget, and its abilities in communicating with the company it has outsourced work to. A business should be able to give proper training for its employees concerning the outsourced work. If this work has been previously accomplished in-house, it will take time to make the transition. But with a little forethought by the software developer and clear communication between both parties, a profitable relationship can be achieved.