Changing trends in Software Quality Assurance

The global digital landscape is witnessing rapid changes thanks to developments like the advent of advanced technologies, digital convergence, the emergence of social media, and proliferation of a number of device platforms and channels of communication. These changes, besides whetting the appetite of customers for better quality products, have also created challenges and complexities for businesses. According to the World Quality Report for 2018 – 2019, end user satisfaction has emerged as the top priority for businesses to address. As the software development process adopts new technologies and paradigms to cater to the emerging user requirements, software quality assurance too is witnessing disruptions. Let us discuss the changing trends in software quality assurance testing in some detail.

#1. Adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning: The adoption of AI and machine language processing by software quality assurance services is based on two premises. The first one is about using AI and machine learning to enhance the capabilities of QA software testing while the second is about testing the AI algorithms. AI, by using neural networks and Natural Language Processing can help the QA process in several ways such as:

• Creating sophisticated test automation scripts to predict glitches by analyzing huge databases.
• Providing developers with the option of carrying out initial testing before passing on the code to testers. The testing can help developers in identifying the source of bugs in the codes quite easily.
• Looking into areas like databases, memory, servers, internal file contents etc. to test if the test outcomes match the expected results.
• Simulating virtual users and analyze their interaction with various features of applications.

#2. Performance engineering emerges as the key: The growing complexity of software applications has brought in the discipline of performance engineering. It is not about merely testing the performance of a feature or functionality on specific metrics but analyzing how various elements of an application or system function combinedly. These elements comprise performance, functionality, usability, security, system configuration etc. The discipline of performance engineering deals with improving the quality of high value elements of a system or application. It is achieved by breaking the individual components of a system and finding out how they collaborate with each other.

#3. Internet of Things (IoT) Testing: The advancements in digital technologies have led to the development of next generation devices that communicate with each other. In other words, modern devices like LED TVs, refrigerators, cars, and others have software applications build into them, which help to perform functions based on user commands. To ensure such connected devices function to their optimal level, the embedded pieces of software are needed to be tested. These types of software, when form part of the medical devices, play a critical role in saving the lives of patients by correctly diagnosing the ailments. Thus, it gives more reason to test their efficacy through QA software testing. There are several quality assurance software testing services such as compatibility testing, usability testing, scalability testing, regression testing, performance testing, and security testing.

#4. Big data testing: Today’s devices interfacing with several digital elements generate a humongous quantum of data. The analysis of such data is critical to derive suitable inferences, which may be of help in realizing the objectives of a business. The data should be validated against parameters such as consistency, accuracy, conformity, duplication, and completeness.

#5. Test Automation: Software quality assurance often involves the testing of processes that are repetitive in nature. This can lead the testers suffer from visual fatigue thereby losing track of the test parameters. The manual way of testing complex test variables is glitch prone and time consuming leading to adverse consequences. To address the issue, the software quality assurance services take recourse to test automation. Here, the QA experts write automated test scripts (even by taking the help of AI) to test various test variables. Even though not all tests can be automated, the ones subjected to automation can come out glitch free not to speak of increasing the test coverage area. Testers can use several test automation platforms (open source or premium) to write test scripts.

Conclusion

Testing experts should keep abreast of the latest technologies and paradigms in testing software applications. They are an important cog in the wheel in delivering glitch free software products and ensuring customer satisfaction. The latest trends in QA must be followed to stay ahead of the competition.