Testing your software system is an essential part of software development. It is important to understand how well your system handles numerous stress factors. If you prefer to have a company perform the testing for you, a quick look online will reveal several choices. When choosing a company, look for experience, expertise, and affordability. Testing your software is one of the most important steps in the development process. The decision should not be made lightly.
What to Look for in a Company
Experience
The company should have several successful reviews. Read through the reviews carefully. Also, it may be helpful to see whether they carry the BBB badge. This is the Better Business Bureau. When looking for a company to test your software, it is important to find a dependable and trustworthy business.
Expertise
The company should certainly have qualified employees. The employees should be trained in the programming language in which your software was written. They should also be able to know how to complete a stress test, and a load test, and understand the difference in stress testing vs. load testing. Performance testing in general consists of testing how the software holds up under various conditions.
Affordability
If you are on a budget, which most of us are, then affordability is also an important factor. They say you get what you pay for, so keep that in mind when you scout out companies. You don’t want to throw caution to the wind by choosing the lowest-priced company you can find. Though you also probably don’t want to exceed the spending limits of your budget. The budget should be determined during the initial planning stage of development. If you have provided a benchmark budget, keep within the range of the benchmark in order to stay on target.
Watching for Improvements
Even the smallest code changes can create noticeable effects. As the company tests your software under various conditions, things will most likely become apparent. Bugs from code error or system failure due to overloading may occur. Though this may be the case, it is better to discover these discrepancies under safe conditions. This prevents your software from crashing when being used by paying end-users. That could be disastrous for your business. As you watch for improvements, there are some things to keep in mind about your software. Having a list of priorities will help you chunk the improvements up into smaller pieces, making it easier to tackle.
Focus on Functionality Features First
Obviously, the core software features must be functioning in order for the software to work. This should be priority number one.
Automate When Possible
Many ongoing maintenance type tasks can be automated. This is a simplified way to ensure proper updates are made when necessary.
Know Capacity in Various Situations
Know the capacity of your software under various working conditions. This is where performance testing will definitely come in handy.
Technology Changes
Keep your software up to date and efficient in processing speed. Remember, technology changes, therefore it is necessary to stay ahead in order to be successful.