Quality supersedes quantity, and this very axiom stands particularly true in the software testing and quality assurance domain. After struggling amid a pandemic, software firms have started evolving in their testing trends. Today, people understand and accept digital acceleration and technology more than ever.
Companies have now started the integration of agile testing reasonably early in the software development methodology. Factors such as reliability and error elimination are the focal point of the software quality testing trends in 2021.
Let’s go through some of the latest and innovative QA & software testing trends of 2021.
QA and Software Testing Trends: 2021
#1 Test Automation (Scriptless)
With an increase in web development, test automation has garnered its fair share of attention. However, manual testing is too slow and might even be redundant when adhering to the market demands. Off late, scriptless automation of software quality testing is being implemented by various companies worldwide. It helps maximize the QA testing scalability while allowing the developers and testers to automatically run the tests without worrying about coding problems. According to Gartner, by 2023, 40% of large enterprises will use AI-augmented automation to increase productivity.
With the implementation of this technique, IT firms have now started achieving faster results with reduced time to market the software product.
#2 Combine Automated + Manual Testing
Now, you might think that we are counteracting the statement given earlier. However, what we want to say is that achieving the right balance for QA testing is essential. While automation helps you save much time and achieve better results while handling mammoth tasks efficiently, manual testing helps evade errors with automated processes.
There are multiple aspects of software testing and quality assurance that are impossible to handle without manual testing. While automation delivers speed and efficiency, manual testing brings factors such as user experience, usability, & design.
#3 Data is Crucial
Back when a significant part of the world was offline, data wasn’t as important. However, as the world is moving faster towards the digital world, data has become very crucial. As per Statista, the global market revenue forecast for Big Data usage and mining would reach a whopping 103 billion U.S. dollars by the year 2021.
Latest algorithm frameworks aid in the precise testing procedure. Using multiple tools for collecting data is a fantastic trend that you can look forward to.
The teams engaged in software quality assurance testing are in search of ways to efficiently process the data into appropriate insights while validating them against multiple criteria that includes:
1. Duplication
2. Consistency
3. Validity
4. Accuracy
5. Completeness
The moral use of data allows a substantial increase in product quality.
Decode the myths and realities of software testing.
#4 IoT-Based Testing
A major part of the software quality audit is to make sure that different segments of the system integrate & work in sync perfectly. And IoT is no doubt a revolutionary technology that helps in the process of software integration.
IoT-driven software testing ensures that all operating systems, communication protocols, software, & hardware implementations in various devices are completely in sync & ready for delivery. It brings in a well-connected & efficient smart device that helps defend any threats or vulnerabilities.
#5 Performance Engineering
Making high-end software is something being chased by all companies. However, achieving this feat requires a lot to focus on varying elements such as usability, cybersecurity, business value, & technology stacks.
Balancing this with the UX & market demand can be particularly time-consuming in the long run. Today, with a team of dedicated software QA testers, you can quickly reduce bugs & bottlenecks in the early segments of the process.
In simple words, performance engineering serves as a substitute for the performance testing norms that are primarily focused on the MVPs or finished applications.
#6 Regression Testing
Another unique QA testing variant, regression testing, has been dubbed as a powerful tool for 2021. This testing procedure is implemented when a potential application change is made and when the new feature is conjoined.
With this testing practice in place, engineers use it to ensure & check whether old-fashioned and tested software can perform well after the design changes. This software testing methodology is exceptionally functional if your design requires frequent and continuous changes to the application, especially when there are bugs or errors in the main design.
#7 DevOps Culture
If you are constantly updated with the latest software world, you must have surely heard of DevOps. This widespread practice involves bringing together operations and development teams to create an effective testing culture. In simple terms, DevOps testing culture is all about shared collaborations that happen amid the Development (Dev) & the Operations (Ops) team and thus the name!
This modern-day code deployment protocol helps in a significantly mature collaboration & coordination between various teams while accelerating the software delivery protocol aiding faster releases. Not just that, DevOps culture in practice helps ensure access to effective feedback for the delivery of quality software & ensures enhanced customer satisfaction.
#8 Integration Testing
With respect to software testing and quality assurance, one must keep in mind that each system module needs to be integrated with different application components to ensure a smooth work process for the entire system. Enterprises involve integrated testing to ensure each application module is secure and functions effectively in a group effort.
When leveraged by software companies, integration testing tends to provide a range of benefits like identification of processes at the system level for issue detection such as broken databases, corrupt module integration, etc. It also helps in the quicker identification of problems at the early stages of software testing.
#9 User Acceptance Testing
After the software has been developed, the software quality testing team checks its usability and functionality using the UA testing procedure. It is done before the software moves to the production stage. This phase of software testing counts as the final one before its launch, wherein the stakeholders can check if their product has been segmented and crafted as per the requirements.
At this stage, the stakeholders can also check for any errors before moving ahead to the functionality testing phase. UA testing is critical to any software testing process, especially in the year 2021, as more and more users are now critical of the overall design and ease of use of the software.
If the product isn’t easy to use and decode by the end-users, the market hits for the software would come down drastically, thus affecting stakeholders and businesses that have invested in the same.
#10 Accessibility Testing
In the online age that we are living, mobile apps and connected devices are millions in numbers. There is an undeniable need for web and mobile apps to be handy for differently-abled people and ensure that software services reach most end-users. However, the market today isn’t as thriving for individuals with some disabilities.
Today though, it is mandatory for businesses to leverage the importance of accessibility testing to reach different types of end-users. The software quality assurance testing protocol doesn’t just focus on verifying application usability but also ensures that it focuses on better user acceptance. It includes testing in auditory, visual, physical, cognitive, speech, learning, language, and neurological disabilities.
#11 Selenium Testing
Software businesses that adopt DevOps and Agile processes must leverage the test automation process using various software quality testing tools to ensure faster releases. It also provides a quicker release of the product in the market. A commonly used testing tool for this protocol is Selenium. This lightweight & developer-friendly tool is widely used to automate web applications.
This testing tool also provides a playback option for authoring the functional tests with no need for learning the test script language or the Selenium IDE.
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Conclusion
To ensure the product fits the market requirements, most enterprises focus on quality while relying on professionals who invest in future-forward methodologies to remain market relevant. By hiring the best software testing company, you can ensure that your product matures in a versatile manner before the final launch for the end-users. The key is to invest in technologies that won’t be irrelevant soon and aids the company without any interruption!
