Top 5 common pitfalls of software testing

10. august 2021

Most companies acknowledge the importance of test and Quality Assurance during software development processes. Yet, at Itera we often meet customers who, despite the best of intentions, fall short due to common mistakes. Here are the top 5 pitfalls to avoid when you perform software testing and QA of your new product:

1. When testing happens too late in the development cycle

When testing happens too late in the development cycle, it often leads to an increase in cost of defect, when fixed later in the development lifecycle. This can easily be avoided if you start testing earlier at the requirements and design stages, to catch all ambiguities and fix issues before code is even being developed. To achieve this – a thorough approach must be applied from the beginning.

2. Lack of professional test resources

In organizations lacking access to professional test resources, it can be easy to allocate business users or other personnel to test activities. Such an approach can lead to missed functional and non-functional defects, business users switching from their direct tasks and responsibilities to testing, delays with delivery and so on. This can be avoided by ensuring access to professional test resources from the beginning.

3. Lack of capacity to cover desired functionality, regression and scope

A common pitfall many will recognize is lack of capacity. This often means a compromise in what functionality is covered by thorough testing. Ensuring that staffing and resource planning is on the agenda throughout your project is the key to avoid this pitfall.

4. Compromising on rare test competences

Sometimes the ideal competences for testing in a project can be hard to find, like for example in terms of security-testing or performance-testing. If this is the case for your project, then know that there is help to find. Don’t compromise on quality, find a partner who can deliver the skillset you need – on demand.

5. When testing doesn’t follow best practice methodology

A clear and defined approach to testing includes analysis of the test requirements, design of both tests and test management system, as well as continuous tests, both manually and automated. Not following best practice methodology will inevitably leave gaps in your test practices and can have consequences that make or break your product.

Itera offer plug and play solutions to all these problems. Our test as a service offering ranges from advisory and consulting on test management and automation, training and certifications, to the complete build and setup of test processes for our customers organizations.

Hulda Guðmundsdóttir

Director of Business Development