What is QA Testing: Best Practices for Quality Assurance

To ensure the highest quality possible, teams must perform detailed testing of the system. They must employ a variety of testing methods. Strategies such as functional testing, regression testing, and a combination of manual and automated tests can help keep the system error-free. Take a look at this guide as we explore the answer to “What is QA testing?” and what are its benefits to your project.

When software is created, the goal is to deliver the best possible product to the customer. However, quality starts to fall short as companies struggle to keep pace with customer demands for the latest features. The outcome can be costly. According to the Consortium for Information and Software Quality, poor software quality cost US companies $2.08 trillion in 2020. Keeping the system bug-free requires dedicated effort at all project phases. That’s where quality assurance (QA) comes in. With QA, teams take planned steps to ensure the system meets requirements and provides the best customer experience possible. Here we’ll answer questions such as “What is QA testing?” and “Why is QA testing needed?” We’ll also give you a few best practices to help you get started.

What is QA Testing?: The Essentials

Imagine standing in the grocery store picking out an apple. You can instantly evaluate its quality. If it’s the right size, the right shape, or ripe enough. But only after you take the first bite can you tell how good that apple is. Even the best-looking apple might have a sour taste. The same applies to software products. The user interface (UI) might seem fine at first. But as you start scrolling down or navigating pages you may start to see design flaws and errors. That is why validating the system thoroughly is essential to ensuring the system meets all user requirements, validating that the architecture and design support performance requirements, and ensuring integrations with other systems work properly. Overall, system testing helps improve product quality, ensures system security, and helps improve customer satisfaction.

Best Practices for QA Testing

Delivering high-quality software doesn’t happen by chance. The team must be disciplined in their approach. This helps ensure they run all possible scenarios of testing to ensure they eliminate bugs. Here are a few best practices that make this possible.

Have a Plan

A detailed test plan gets the team on the same page about what will be tested, by whom, what resources are needed, and the agreed-upon timelines. The plan also outlines the acceptance criteria. Another item to consider is to ensure the test time frame aligns with project timelines.

Report and Track Bugs

Reporting and documentation are critical to providing insights into the status of testing. Ensure the testers clearly document all bugs. If something is unclear, developers will spend too much time clarifying the issue rather than fixing it. To improve clarity, include screenshots, video, and audio. Also, include information such as OS, hardware, browser, or device where the error occurred. Testers should aim to provide enough information for the developer to recreate the issue.

Run Frequent Regression Testing Cycles

Sometimes, even the simplest change can impact something that was already tested. Regression testing verifies if code changes introduce issues that impact existing functionality. Perform regression testing anytime new code is introduced. During this evaluation, new test cases are not generated. Instead, the team re-executes existing tests to determine that the previous functionality still works. That way, the new code gets validated along with the old code.

Incorporate Agile Methodologies and CI/CD

In traditional projects, QA testing is relegated to a separate phase of the project. However, with an agile approach, QA testing is a part of the design and development phase. That way, quality becomes a guiding principle rather than an afterthought. With agile, the testers and developers collaborate through constant communication and feedback. According to Forbes, companies that use agile benefit from quicker turnaround times, easier maintenance of existing deployments, and superior quality.

The main feature of an agile methodology is that it uses short development and release cycles. Developers release small code changes rather than a large section of code. As a result, testing can take place in small, more focused areas of the system. This ultimately leads to a more thoroughly tested system.

Leveraging automation is the key to seeing benefits from an agile approach. CI/CD is the perfect complement to agile. The code gets automatically tested with a CI/CD pipeline as soon as the developer commits their code to the central repository. If the tests fail, the developer will be notified. They must fix the issue before they can continue with the build. If the build passes, the code is automatically pushed to the next environment. Teams can test more efficiently and release new features more quickly with this approach.

Separate Security and Performance Testing

Validating application security and application performance requires two distinct sets of skills. This is especially true as cyber threats evolve. Having your team attempt to keep up with these changes will dilute the capabilities of team members. Have testers who are proficient with software security perform security tests. Assign testers who are proficient in performance testing to validate the system’s performance. That way, your developers can focus on their core skill set.

Multi-Directional Testing Strategy

Don’t rely on one technique. Instead, employ a variety of the types of techniques noted above. This approach helps ensure better test coverage. As a result, the team has a better chance of detecting “hidden bugs” that might have gotten overlooked had they relied on only one or two methods.

Be sure to Test Compliance With Regulatory Industry Requirements

Most companies have a set of rules and regulations they must follow to protect their company’s data and customers’ personal information. Make sure your system follows all required laws. A few of these regulations include:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): An EU-based regulation to secure the personal information of EU residents,

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): A US-based regulation to protect health information in the US

• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): Protects customers’ payment card information globally.

Perform Risk-Based Testing

With Risk-Based Testing (RBT), teams prioritize their efforts based on the probability of risk. A risk is an occurrence of a specific effect based on predefined and measurable success criteria. Risks often have an impact on costs and quality targets. The team assesses the risk based on things such as the complexity of the system or frequency of use. Using this information, the team prioritizes which areas to test based on the probability of a defect occurring in a specific area.

What is QA Testing Without The Right Business Partner By Your Side?

If you want the best possible outcome for your project, having experts on your team is key. The right business partner gives you a dedicated team of QA testers to ensure your application has the highest quality product.

Aezion gives you all of this and more. Our team can perform all types of testing, including web application, mobile, manual, and automation testing. If you want to explore QA testing for your project, speak with one of our experts. We’ll help develop the best model for your project. Contact us today to discuss your custom project.

6 Tips to Maximize ROI - Enterprise Information Management

 Growing businesses face an abundance of data. That data poses a host of challenges, but if you can overcome them, you’ll unlock valuable insights that can help you continue scaling up. To address the complexities that ever-growing data sets bring, most organizations turn to an Enterprise Information Management (EIM) solution.

We’ve explored how enterprise information management solutions fit within an Enterprise Collaboration Program, and we’ve taken a deep dive into choosing enterprise information management software. Now, let’s go through some best practices to help you make the most of your investment in EIM, so you receive the full benefits of your powerful new solution.

#1 Think Beyond IT During Implementation

With EIM rapidly becoming a standard addition to IT infrastructure, far too many teams are approaching it as “just another software project.” Like other software implementations, EIM solutions tend to have highly technical requirements, but failing to acknowledge and prepare for the broader business impact beyond the IT department will set you up for failure.

A holistic implementation plan is essential because enterprise information management software will have far-reaching effects across your organization. Failing to plan for the adoption and operation of the solution from a company-wide, long-term perspective is enough to compromise your EIM investment before you even get started.

The solution is to adopt a business-centric implementation strategy from day one. Identify company-wide goals associated with the implementation and prioritize them. Then, work backward, adjusting your short- and long-term plans so that they incorporate the most important goals.

#2 Turn Stakeholders Into Internal Champions

You can identify countless stakeholders when it comes to an EIM solution, including those in IT, sales, finance, and so on. Engage those stakeholders and business experts and involve them in the direction and execution of your implementation plan. Your team should consist of experts in solution building, system administration, user adoption, and project management. From there, part of your plan should involve converting those stakeholders into internal champions.

Internal champions play a significant role in implementing any new software, especially one as far-reaching as enterprise information management software. Rolling out the software in phases will allow you to invest in onboarding, training, and check-ins to help garner as many internal champions as possible. Those internal champions can then help you market the software to other teams and get them excited for the rollout in their department. They may even be available to help onboard and train other employees as you scale the rollout up.

#3 Mitigate EIM Implementation Risks and Costs

Phasing the rollout is essential to give your team time to onboard, train, and garner internal champions to help break down the barriers to adoption in other departments. However, the longer it takes to get up and running, the more costs (and associated risks) a company will incur.

For that reason, businesses need to accelerate implementation and adoption when possible. Involving internal champions in the rollout process can prove invaluable in this regard as they can act as “boots on the ground,” fostering buy-in at scale.

#4 Drive Momentum During Launch

When it comes to an EIM solution, the “build it, and they will come” mindset isn’t practical. In many cases, users will view your EIM solution as something optional. They’ll use it if they want to, but they will not pursue it consistently unless you launch it with dedication and purpose. Investing in the adoption phase is crucial here because getting people to use an EIM solution often requires business process changes and new information management protocols—neither of which your staff will pursue on their own.

Driving momentum throughout the adoption period is one of the most critical steps to ensure success. Choosing a team of adoption specialists will provide you with leverage, as they can advocate on behalf of the business and contribute to planning, onboarding, and acceptance. Through multiple channels, they’ll help build awareness regarding the enterprise information management solution and educate future users on the changes and benefits they can expect.

As part of a dedicated and purposeful adoption, you should also invest in extra resources to be available to business users during the launch. These could include solution specialists, in-house support, on-demand videos, documentation, and more. Users will be faster and more willing to address challenges and start using your EIM software with the right resources.

#5 Plan for Long-Term EIM Operations

In many cases, the planning team completely overlooks the long-term operation of the EIM solution as they focus on more pressing matters, like driving adoption. However, operating an EIM solution goes beyond keeping it running on a day-to-day basis. Taking time to consider the ongoing operation of your enterprise information management solution will prove valuable and help your business consistently deliver a good user experience while maintaining a secure, high-performance system.

Performance, security, and availability are the three pillars that will evoke trust among business users, especially early on in the adoption process. From there, you should take operations to the next level by supporting system usage in a way that addresses the changing needs of your user base. This could include tuning data models and workflows or offering extra support to power users. Over time, user experience and functionality will improve, naturally engraining the EIM solution into the core of your business.

#6 Reflect and Continuously Refine your EIM Strategy

After every stage of your plan, recognize internal champions, reflect on the benefits realized so far, and celebrate and promote the success of your EIM solution. By engaging the right people, you’ll gain insight into improving the software to help foster additional buy-in and offer more value to your organization. From there, you need to consider the outcomes of each stage of the plan objectively.

As you move forward, ask yourself if your business users are satisfied, if the support teams are confident, and if you’re achieving the expected results. As you answer these questions, carefully refine your strategy and continuously set goals that help you improve on important points.

Next Steps with Your Enterprise Information Management Solution

Aeizon has helped many companies pursue successful enterprise information management implementations, and we recognize that the complexities you’ll need to address go far beyond these tips. Contact us to discuss your EIM strategy and get help to ensure your successful rollout.

Now Is The Time To Start Thinking About Artificial Intelligence

 Big businesses are forging ahead with artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home are just the tip of the iceberg. AI is appearing in chatbots, smart robots, and expert systems. But, is AI something the smaller businesses should be investing in now? Or, is artificial intelligence the sole preserve of big corporations? Here’s why every business should be starting to look at the benefits of AI right now.

What Is Artificial Intelligence?

Strictly speaking, AI refers to computer software that can mimic independent thought. True AI, though, is something that is only found today in research labs and science fiction movies. The term AI is currently being used to describe several different technologies. It includes things such as machine learning, speech recognition, and natural language generation.

How Is AI Used in Business Now?

Artificial intelligence is already being used in a wide variety of business applications. The application that most people are aware of is that of speech recognition. Especially in personal assistant applications like Siri, Cortana, and Alexa. AI is used in many other business applications as well. Banks are beginning to use chatbots to answer consumer inquiries and perform basic banking transactions. AI is behind the robotic automation of warehouses and production lines. Artificial intelligence is also being applied to business intelligence. Walmart, for example, uses SAP’s cloud-based HANA to process and analyze high-volume transaction data. Businesses like eBay are using an AI system called Dono to gain insight into customer behavior.

How to Prepare Your Business for AI

Businesses of all sizes need to start thinking now about how artificial intelligence will impact on their sector. It is the early adopters of AI that will reap the rewards. Like all new technologies, AI may have begun life with the major corporations, but it is now becoming more accessible to small businesses. In the future, AI will become more readily available, and it will become cheaper to access. Here are the steps that every business needs to take to prepare for AI

Familiarize Yourself with AI Technology

Now is the time to start learning about AI. Research the existing applications of AI and investigate the expected future applications. Understanding what AI can do now, and what it will do, will start you thinking about how you could apply AI in your business.

Take a Fresh Look at Your Business

Start with a blank piece of paper and look at how AI could give your business a competitive edge. Look at how the technology might be employed to automate repetitive tasks and solve problems. Consider these possibilities in business terms. Define quantifiable outcomes for them, and then measure the potential benefit to your business.

Grow Your Use of AI over Time

Use AI to reduce costs and then reinvest those savings in further uses of the technology. If you have a website that generates a lot of customer inquiries, for example, consider the possibility of using a chatbot to answer them. In some cases, chatbots have reduced costs by 30%. Implementing AI in a gradual fashion will be much less of a risk and it will make the implementation self-funding.

Think About KPIs

Think about the key performance indicators (KPIs) that demonstrate how well your business is operating. Look at how you can optimize those KPIs, one at a time. Data is at the heart of every AI implementation. So, look at how AI can be utilized to improve your critical processes. Start making technology a major part of your future strategy. Artificial intelligence has applications in almost all areas of business. It could, for example, be used for streamlining your HR function, predicting sales trends, or automating manual tasks.

Don’t Let the Fear of Failure Hold You Back

AI is still in its infancy, but it is the businesses that embrace it now that will be the winners. Don’t let the fear of setbacks dissuade you from implementing the technology. If you could revolutionize one critical component of your business, it could put you miles ahead of your competition.

Deploying Your Own Applications

Some people see AI as a threat to jobs. The truth is that, like many other technological advancements of the past, AI will change how people work. But, it will also create new business and employment opportunities. It is certain, though, that businesses that ignore AI, will do so at their peril. AI can improve how your business operates today. It could also lead to new business opportunities for you tomorrow. Amazon found this with its own AI development. It led them from being a purely eCommerce business to being competitors with Microsoft and Google. Almost anything is possible when you begin to explore the potential of AI.

AI Applications for business already exist. There are intelligent CRM systems, like Einstein AI for SalesForce, AI-powered marketing platforms, like Acquisio, and there are chatbots for a variety of business applications. The best software developers are also now building AI into business solutions for their customers. Contact Aezion to discuss your requirements and receive a proposal for developing your own custom artificial intelligence application.