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| Outsourcing Software Testing Services |
When intense competition in the digital landscape is forcing
enterprises to come out with new software products at a faster rate, the demand
for software testing services has gained prominence. This is due to the fact
that customers want the best quality products at competitive prices, which can
only be achieved after subjecting the products to a rigorous quality assurance
process. However, there is always a dilemma that business enterprises face –
whether to outsource software testing or opt for in-house testing? The industry
seems to be split down the middle about acknowledging the efficacy of
outsourcing software testing services or engaging in-house resources. In fact,
the answer to this conundrum depends on the requirement or objectives of business.
In an Agile-DevOps driven development and testing ecosystem
underpinned on Continuous Integration and Delivery, the effectiveness of
software testing solutions can determine the success of a product or service.
In the ultimate analysis, choosing between outsourcing software testing
services and in-house testing depends on a slew of factors such as the
objectives and goals of enterprises, budget, and turnaround time. Let us find out how the two fare against each
other.
Outsourcing software testing services versus in-house testing
Outsourcing per se is growing at a phenomenal rate, be it for the
development or testing of products and services. There is a growing realization
among enterprises that outsourcing can yield deliverables like robust quality,
swift timeliness, and cost savings. So, let us delve into the benefits of software
testing outsourcing.
Quality assurance: In a dynamically changing business landscape where quality has
become the sole differentiator for enterprises, the testing of software
applications would require the availability of advanced tools and technologies
not to speak of the expertise of human resources. Since an experienced testing
agency shall have the requisite tools, technologies, and expertise, you can be
rest assured about the quality of the application being delivered to the
market. Also, the experts of an outsourced software
testing company will take a fresh approach at testing and ensure hidden
glitches are brought to light. The experts have an added incentive to unearth
glitches or bugs to ensure the credibility of the agency is kept intact. On the
other hand, the in-house testing team may not be willing to go out of line with
the development team and treat the latter with deference.
Cost savings: Hiring and maintaining an in-house testing team can be a costly
proposition, especially for start-ups. Moreover, post hiring, there is no
guarantee that they would be productive and efficient in delivering services.
And should the team members outlive their utility, especially during lean times
with less or no projects in the offing, they can turn out to be fairly
expensive for the organization. On the other hand, software testing outsourcing
can help you optimize cost by paying the agency the negotiated amount. So, in
order to keep your product competitive, you need to optimize the cost of
development and testing, and what better way to go about it than by
outsourcing.
Scalability: There may be times when a sudden project requirement would require
a large number of testers. In such times, scaling up your in-house testing team
can be difficult given the stringent timelines and cost escalation. However,
outsourcing can come to your rescue wherein you can hire an agency with the
requisite number of testers till the time the project is completed. The
arrangement can be flexible with the onus of ramping up or down the number of
testers resting with the outsourced agency.
Notwithstanding the benefits of leveraging the services of a
testing agency, there are some areas of dissonance as well.
- The outsourced agency can be separated from your enterprise by geography, time zone and language. These limitations can hamper productivity for your in-house resources. So, before choosing the testing agency, ensure these factors are taken care of, especially the language.
- Since the company cannot oversee the day to day progress of the testing project executed by the outsourced agency, there can be a perceived communication gap.
- Outsourcing the testing of software applications containing sensitive personal and business information can lead to security issues.
Conclusion
Since both in-house and outsourcing team of testers have their
respective pros and cons, the decision to outsource (or otherwise) shall
ultimately rest on the business objectives. At a time when rising competition
dictates the policies of enterprises, it is time outsourcing the testing
services or otherwise was decided on its merits.
Diya works for Cigniti Technologies, Global Leaders in Independent
Quality Engineering & Software
Testing Services Company to be appraised at CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level
5, and is also ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified.
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