How to choose the best test management service? Have you been baffled by this question?
Testing has been and always will be an important part of any development and creation process.
It is the only way to validate what we created is what we wanted or not. But since most of the software development is now moving to agile managing testing effectively becomes an uphill task.
Coming back to the first question, So what is the very possible way out of this?
There are many test management service providers in the market today. And they can provide you with end to end testing solutions for your business. With the testing work outsourced your team can focus on delivering with better velocity in every sprint.
There are several other advantages as well if you decide to use the help of a test management service provider. Let me now give you an insight into the advantages of using a test management service.
Independent and Impartial Validation:
One thumb rule in testing is that testing is best performed by an independent team located away from the development team for the best results. BY outsourcing your testing tasks you stick to this thumb rule. It also ensures that your testing results are impartial and accurate.
Professional Approach
In product teams focused on development, most of the time testing takes a back seat.
More often than not the processes are bypassed and rules are bent to meet the deadlines.
Consequences? Quality goes for a toss. This problem can be easily by entrusting your testing activities to a competent test management service provider.
Greater Bandwidth For Product Development
In an agile environment that has become the industry norm, the onus is on delivering standalone usable functionality after every iteration.
It is always a race against time for the developers who are not only expected to do a unit testing of their code but also a peer testing for another team member’s code.
By giving this testing task to an independent validating team the developers will get a greater bandwidth for developing their modules and also reduce the pressure for them.
Better Reporting And Tracking
The main idea behind the testing process is not only to find issues but also reporting the defects to the correct teams and tracking them to closure.
A good test management service provider would help with timely and accurate tracking of the issues and bugs.
They would also be able to provide you with the right kind of metrics and statistics which will clearly indicate the quality of your product.
Yes, we now know why it is important to avail of the services of a test management company. But do not make the mistake of selecting just any test management service provider.
You could be taking a huge risk by doing that. Testing is a very important aspect of product success.
You need to be double sure about whom you want to entrust this big responsibility. The testing is one aspect that can make or break your product.
But please don’t panic. In this section, we list some very important points which will help decide the best test management service for your business.
Efficiency
Yes, as simple as it may seem, the efficiency of the testing process is the first and foremost criteria to be considered when choosing a test management service.
By efficiency, we mean not only finding the bugs but also issues that could critically impact the software or product.
They should also be able to think out of the box and suggest changes and enhancements in the product based on its actual use.
Ideally, they would think and use the product as an end customer would do.
Industry Experience
When you decide to outsource some of your work, make sure they are capable enough to handle the work.
Choose a test management company that has an industry standing of at least 5 years or more. Also, take time to look at the profiles of their clients to understand the kind of projects they would have handled.
Focused Testing Approach
For the testing to be more effective and result oriented, it needs to be planned out well.
The best test management service provider would have a focused approach to testing which is more focused on testing the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) features.
At the same time, it will also make sure the complete product is tested effectively with all the possible data flows and integration points.
Experience And Skill
The success of the testing effort is based on the skill, experience, and expertise of the testers. The more skilled your testers are in the product and domain, the better would be the testing performed.
If you are using automation tools, then expertise in automation is also needed.
Now, when you decide to select a test management service, you need to make sure that they have the right set of people who have ample knowledge and expertise in testing products or software which may be similar to your requirement.
For example, if you are developing a mobile app, then you need to make sure the service provider has testers with exposure to mobile app testing.
Hardware Requirements
In some cases, your product or software may require some extra hardware or have some specific user requirements.
Make sure these are communicated well to the service provider at the onset to make sure they can provide the right kind of testing services.
Let us again take the example of a mobile app. While testing a mobile app, one would need to make sure that the app has a responsive design. And to test that they would need access to multiple mobile devices with different screen sizes and resolutions.
Also Read: Top 10 Mobile App Testing Companies in India
On the same lines if your mobile app needs an internet connection to talk to certain backend servers and systems, then the service provider should be able to test this internet connectivity in Wi-Fi, 4G, 3G and hot spot connections for getting accurate results.
Hence the best test management service provider should be able to handle the specific hardware and other requirements needed for complete testing of the product.
Use of Latest Tools And Technologies
The best testing service provider would have access to the latest tools and technologies in the market which would include both free and open source products.
This would ensure that the testing is done with quality and also will be in line with the latest market trends. Some service providers would have only one or two tools and would try to test every product with that.
This is not the right practice. Every product should be tested with tools that are best suited for it based on the development language, platform and also based on where it will be deployed or used.
While selecting the best test management service makes sure they are using the right tools and technologies to test your product.
Speed To Market
One of the main reasons, for selecting a third party for doing the testing, is to save time. Hence it is important the service provider can help you speed up your process and reach the market or clients faster.
In today’s fast-paced world, it is not only important to create value or products which are needed by the clients but getting them to the market first is also the key.
With new products hitting the market almost daily, your speed to market becomes a paramount criterion for product success. Choose a test management service, which can help you improve your speed to market.
Real-Time Connectivity
There are times when your product and software may be to be tested out of different regions to understand how it performs.
This is also a good reason for choosing a test management service provider.
Instead of just mocking the locations on the systems and devices, the provider should be able to provide you with real-time connectivity with people and testers as per your needs across the globe.
Budget
Last but not least the money involved. Understand that when you decide to outsource the work, there is a cost involved. Quality comes with a price.
If someone is providing you this quality dirt cheap, then there are 99% chances they are not genuine or will mess up with your work.
Don’t go for very pricey providers which may not work out for you. Choose the apt one which fits in all the above points along with your pockets too.
Taking the services of the experts in every phase of manufacturing and production is the way things are being developed and produced.
With many specialized teams and companies available it can be quite a challenge to select the one that fits you the best.
The points above would help you choose the best test management service provider for your business. Best of luck.
