What is Software Testing – Value addition?
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What is Software Testing Process
This is a process to evaluate software application/’s developed satisfy specified requirements. In simple words, testing is executing a software in order to identify any gaps, errors, or missing requirements in opposite to the actual requirements.
Definition
According to ANSI/IEEE 1059 standard – It is defined as a process of analyzing a software to detect the differences between developed and required conditions (that is defects/errors/bugs) and to evaluate the features of the software.
Why Software Testing needed and what if not included in process?
Now a days in this digital world, need of variety of application usage before major factor in our life. It may be eCommerce, Digital Banking, Defense or it may be in Health care.
An application implemented consists of multiple functionalities which interacts with of various systems, layers and components.
This urgent needs & fast pace development may lead to missing of requirements or implementing buggy software. Due to need for constant changes, Development and implementation of applications were carried out in fast pace.
For instance, we access our bank online, What if these systems turn out to be defective. We all aware that one small bug make a huge impact on business in terms of financial loss and reputation.
In such situations to deliver a quality product / application we need a software testing process.
In other words why testing process became very significant and integral part as part of SDLC were as follows.
Cost-effectiveness
One of the benefits of testing is cost-effectiveness.
Every time developers carelessness might not be root cause for a defect, but It may be at Requirements / Design phase too.
It may be because of complexity of a system, Also for simple to complex applications we cannot rule of requirement miss to design flaws.
So identifying defect /issue is not just related to application but also way before it.
Similarly if the design issues go undetected, then it will become more difficult to trace back and fix it. However all such issues can be identified at early stages by Ambiguity analysis.
Sometimes, while fixing one bug we may introduce another one in some other module unknowingly. This can be identified by Regression, Exploratory Testing types.
It is better to start testing earlier phase of the software development life cycle. Also by regular testing we can ensure there is no miss from development oppose to the actual requirement.
Product Quality
Software Testing helps to deliver a quality product against the requirement specification documents. This would help client to keep their reputation in their area of business, in turn get revenue increase.
Performance
Performance of application is one of the major aspect for users experience.
For an instance, if an bank application is taking huge time to process your transaction you wont prefer to use such application.
So Performance testing plays major role in improving customer satisfaction.
Security
People trying to exploit the weakness of application security increased enormously.
Security lapse can give Hackers gain unauthorized access to data. Buy stealing user personal and financial information and use it for their benefit.
Users always look for secured products, won’t prefer vulnerable product.
This is probably the most sensitive and vulnerable part of testing.
Security Testing (penetration testing & security testing) helps in removing vulnerabilities in the product.
Customer Satisfaction
In any business, the ultimate goal is to give the best customer experience.
Software testing improves the user experience of an application and gives satisfaction to the customers. Happy customers mean more revenue for a business.
Due to these reasons, software testing becomes a very significant and integral part of the Software Development process.