Need for Speed!

Not everything remains constant; this includes the dynamic world of technology. Quality Assurance (QA) was an efficient approach to ensure whether a product or service meets a specific set of requirements, but despite the waterfall methodology QA seemed to work fine for a while. QA was reliable when the developers and testers had to test the entire system occasionally based on the sprint cycle. This was feasible when the product was less complex, but as the development progressed; it became highly difficult for the QA teams to keep up. Also, what brought the downfall of this effective approach in the cycle of testing is the arrival of the agile development method. In terms of agile methodology, the process of ensuring the quality of a product or service is a step ahead. The lag in the way QA functioned forced the developers and testers to adapt to a better approach, which is Quality Engineering (QE). QE helped them to adopt a shift left approach and perform automated testing.

So What Happens Now?

The shift to Agile and DevOps has made it a mandate to rapidly adopt Quality Engineering. The QE’s shift left approach makes it possible for an application or software to be tested right from the development phase. Unlike the traditional waterfall methodology where testing the product happens after the development, QE provides a great deal more in testing. There is very less scope for bugs or errors and more scope for developing error-free products. Instead of identifying an error after all the development process, QE paves way to detect the issues right away. In QE, the software application or the product is developed and tested simultaneously. This is where Continuous Testing (CT) and Continuous Integration (CI) comes in to drive the software lifecycle better and experience continuous delivery (CD).

Nexus of QE with DevOps 

In spite of DevOps being a successful approach, it lagged when it came to experimentation since many of the organizations were doubtful that DevOps might impact their stability. Also, many companies did not have the required skillsets to monitor and manage the complex architecture of application software. As a result, there was a delay in delivery and the developers had to take up ownership and fix the defects in no time. QE, an End-End testing methodology can be an optimum solution for organizations that are struggling to develop and deploy software applications using their legacy technology. All they need to do is to integrate their testing procedure with the DevOps pipeline and perform continuous testing as they build, test, deploy and deliver.

[Webinar: Learn more about Embedding Quality Engineering in DevOps Pipeline by Sauce Labs and Aspire Systems]

Identifying and implementing the right development using practices such as the following, helps in achieving the desired solution.

  • Test-Driven Development (TDD) – An incremental software development approach that aims to write unit-level tests right before the development phase resulting in early feedback and refactor accordingly.
  • Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) – Another incremental software development approach, that focuses on the overall product and aims to write an acceptance test before the development phase resulting in satisfying the acceptance criteria.
  • Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) – This incremental software development approach, focuses on the behavior of the software and business outcomes. Being a more effective testing effort, it automates the right set of tests and conducts tests in certain languages.

The Perks!

Integrating QE with DevOps helps IT firms scale up their business without spending much time and resources. Implementing frameworks, cloud testing, and selenium testing boost the testing process and result in more accurate results that ease the job of developers and testers. In short, not only organizations get ahead of speed and quality but also enhanced experience and satisfaction for their customers.

At Aspire Systems, we try to help our clientele overcome the challenges and issues they face when it comes to developing quality and error-free software applications. Some of the best solutions are Hyper-Testing, Digital Commerce Quality Automation Framework (DCAF), and Aspire’s Framework for Test Automation (AFTA). These home-grown frameworks consist of tools and platforms that help in all kinds of testing and make complete automation testing possible.

Some of the notable achievements after implementing continuous testing (QE) in a DevOps pipeline on an average for a period of six months are:

  • Enhanced test coverage
  • 40% reduction in testing feedback cycle time
  • 30% reduction in CoQ
  • Upgraded resource utilization and productivity
  • 1000+ enabled access to devices/platforms in the cloud

Implementing end-to-end agile testing with a unified testing approach provides other benefits such as high ROI, low TCO, better customer experience, and improved productivity.

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