Will your Performance Testing strategy determine your business excellence?

The digital world is driven by myriad software applications that run on both modern and legacy systems and are backed by a plethora of platforms, frameworks, operating systems, and networks. And unless these applications perform to their optimal levels with all features and functionalities working in tandem, the stated business objectives will not be achieved. Each software application can have built-in glitches, which, if not dealt with earnestly during performance testing (and other types of testing,) can render the application to suffer from inadequacies. Since the functioning of the digital environment is underpinned on achieving customer satisfaction, the inadequacies can impact the business negatively. Moreover, the advent of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Blockchain, and Cloud Computing has added to the complexities of building and operating software applications. And if the growing incidences of cyber securities issues are taken into account, then the cocktail of complexities becomes even more stark.

To address the technological challenges that software applications have to grapple with, they need to undergo performance testing. It ensures software robustness, operational readiness, and error handling capacity. The test can come in handy during business critical situations when glitches or the lack of error handling capacity of the software can make things to go haywire. For example, airlines reservation systems should account for an extra rush of passengers during holidays. And unless the systems go through the process of application performance testing, they can lead to latency or downtime when subjected to stress. Also, eCommerce sites experience loads during events such as Black Friday, Thanksgiving etc., which can lead to issues such as shopping cart abandonment, poor conversion rates, and a decreased order value. These factors combinedly can bring down the value proposition of the brand in the eyes of customers. However, all such outcomes can be prevented should the software applications and the hardware running them are validated for quality by the performance testing services.

Repercussions of not carrying out performance testing

Software applications can function seamlessly in normal operational conditions. However, the moment they are subjected to stress, they can behave erratically or erroneously. It is only by adopting a proper performance testing methodology that such behaviour can be pre-empted. Let us understand the repercussions of not executing performance testing.

• The application may fail during peak times leading to customer dissatisfaction.
• Any rework later can be challenging, time consuming, and costly.
• Should the software go LIVE without the users getting any prior hands-on experience, there can be problems in handling performance issues that may crop up in the actual operating environment.
• Check if the features and functionalities of software deliver outcomes that are expected.

Applying performance engineering

In the DevOps scheme of ensuring Continuous Integration and Delivery (CI/CD,) the focus is on identifying and eliminating glitches in the initial stages of software development. This calls for incorporating performance engineering, wherein each segment of the software is designed to achieve operational excellence. This leads to the quick delivery of efficient and responsive systems that enhance productivity, reduce waste, improve efficiency, and boost revenue.

Suitable performance testing strategy for your business

Get information on the type and quantum of load: First and foremost, it is crucial to understand the kind of load the system is going to expect. This will help you to figure out the kind of response time needed to handle the load. Thus, run tests when the load is significantly high to evaluate the response time. To enable the same, use an appropriate test automation tool to create any number of virtual users to mimic the real load across channels, branches, and geographies. While executing the test, record the minimum, maximum, and average response time of the system.

Carry out stress test: By executing a stress test, you can figure out the behaviour of software when subjected to extreme stress conditions. This way, the breaking point of software can be ascertained.

Elasticity and scalability: The testing includes understanding whether the performance of the software is on expected lines and can be scaled up to the desired level should the need arise.

Conclusion

In an increasingly digitized environment where business outcomes hinge on achieving customer satisfaction, the performance of software applications becomes paramount. By chalking out a suitable performance testing strategy, both the customers and business deliverables can be handled effectively.

Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, Global Leaders in Independent Software Testing Services Company to be appraised at Cmmi-Svc v1.3, Maturity Level 5, and is also Iso 9001:2015 & Iso 27001:2013 certified.