When we think about writing software, we realize that we need a team of programmers. However, this is only a small part of the team that creates it. You need to know that testers play an important role in this process. Thanks to them we can be sure that our product will work well. Why shouldn’t you save money on testing and what does it mean from a business point of view?
There are two types of testing in different circumstances and has different functions:
- Manual testing
Specifics of manual tests can be guessed by the name – they are performed by people, without the use of machines. Testing manually does not require knowledge of different scripts. However, this is a long process, in which there is a risk of error. Thanks to human participation, we can better investigate whether the use of our application is easy and intuitive enough. By testing manually, we can also save money in the long run, about which we will soon.
- Automatic testing
Automatic testing is carried out using software. Appropriate scripts allow us to test our application quickly and with the help of repeatable processes. They do not require much human intervention (their task is to create scripts), and the test can be turned on for a long time.
The tester needs programming skills, and the machine can sometimes overlook obvious errors (not foreseen in the test script). A programmed computer cannot examine the ease of use of the application well. The costs of automatic testing can be higher due to the need to employ a qualified person. However, with a longer period of automatic testing, it turns out that the amount of money put into it, can be lower than in the case of manual testing.
Why invest in testing?
Even though everyone wants their software to work well, testing is still a sector of work where budget cuts are most likely to be made. However, is it really a saving? If you’ve ever played games more advanced than Pacman, you should know how easy it is to play with a bug in the game.
When a company that produces games serially releases items with a lot of bugs, it can count on a bad reception among the community of players. You, too, can get laid! Are you sure you want this? By betting on a well tested product, you can count on a reduction in the number of bugs, as well as increase the satisfaction that users feel when using your application.
A mistake likes to come out after a while…
When you make changes to your software, you should test them well. It may happen that a minor change has spoiled existing functions. Even when at first glance everything seems to be in the best order, it often turns out that somewhere in our program there is a problem waiting to spoil everything in the least expected moment.
Especially in the case of larger projects. When we write many lines of code, similarly, more errors could have been made. We can also not require the person writing the program to be able to fully objectively determine that everything is done perfectly.
No wonder – when we create something, it’s hard for us to relate to it objectively. Anyway, it is better when programmers do their job and program as best they can, without taking care of and stressing possible errors. This is what qualified testers do.
Where can we find savings?
I guess you can already agree with me that testing is necessary and not worth avoiding in the budget. The fact is that testing can extend the waiting time for our order, which will translate into the date of its publication. It is true – maybe it is not the fastest process, but it allows for better building of customer relations in the future. Reducing errors to a minimum affects the conversion rate, which you count on.
If a customer finds a bug in your application, they will expect you to fix it. And it is then that you will bear the costs associated with testing, which you wanted to avoid so much. Unfortunately, testing at a later stage can be much more expensive. If you outsource the repair to another entity than before, you can expect another countless number of tests – someone else’s code requires a serious check for correctness.
If the problems are found early enough, you can count on savings – fewer of them will be found after the product is launched on the market. Fewer clients will be dissatisfied with the inconveniences your application is armed with – maybe even nobody will pay attention to them.
This way you can count on the satisfaction of your product. Satisfaction usually makes people respect you and recommend you to each other – the more people they hear about you, the more they will use your services, and so on. What is most important can be contained in the old and well-known proverb – always cautiously insured. Insured and with more satisfied customers and more cash in his pocket.