Over the last year or so, software quality assurance and testing processes have seen quite an evolution thanks to rapidly changing technology. Automation grew exponentially in use cases, continuous testing became the norm, and machine learning began to grow in popularity for QA.
While it’s unlikely that an automated process or machine will be able to take over the role of a human software QA tester in the short term, these technologies and important practices will continue to grow and influence the industry for years to come.
What Will the Future of QA Testing Look Like?
Intense Cybersecurity Testing – According to a study conducted by IBM, the average cost of a data breach was approximately $8.19 million in 2019. With global spending on cybersecurity products and services averaging $124 billion in 2019, it’s safe to say that the importance of cybersecurity testing for all software products will only continue to grow. This includes compliance and penetration testing, vulnerability scanners, and static code analysis.
Expanded Roles of Testers – Without a knowledge base of coding, testers will be unable to understand automated testing metrics such as statement coverage, unit test coverage, and cyclomatic complexity. Testers work in close quarters with developers, and will only continue to do so more intensely as testing centered around artificial intelligence and machine learning grows in popularity. To be able to provide intelligent insights for these systems to complete their tasks, testers must expand their development and coding knowledge.
Upgraded Testing Processes – The combination of shorter release cycles and the need for mobile, cloud, and web applications means that a traditional testing process will not cut it anymore. The software QA processes of today and tomorrow require upgraded metrics to accurately reflect the expectations of the expedited cycles and omnipresence across platforms. In the future, testing will require a commitment to continually updated strategies to keep up with the surge of new technology.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning – These two technologies will make QA and testing services cheaper, faster, and better overall. AI and machine learning are fairly new, so they will take time to mature, but they will also change the skills required for the role of a software QA tester. Data science and analytics knowledge, as well as behavior-driven development, will become must-have skills in these roles. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a pivotal component in modern test automation tools, offering numerous advantages such as heightened efficiency, faster feedback loops, and consistent test execution. Yet, challenges like overlooking human-centric testing aspects, script maintenance issues, and initial investment costs exist. To navigate these complexities, companies must carefully assess the pros and cons of automation tools to identify the optimal fit for their projects.
RPA Implementation – Robotic process automation tools have already started to infiltrate the world of QA, but they will become more common as they continue to boost collaboration, save time, and help organizations scale while maintaining stability.
Blockchain Testing – Software testing companies are beginning to adopt software QA processes for blockchain as well. Blockchain tech has evolved from its association with only bitcoin or digital currency and made its way into sectors like transportation, healthcare, retail, finance, and even the academic world. This tech can find and eradicate the inefficient aspects of the supply chain.
Mobile Testing – As mobile tech has begun to evolve from the iPhone and iPad to foldable smartphones, software testers have felt an enormous amount of pressure to help ensure that applications can keep up. The volume of test cases required to keep up with these new devices will continue to increase. This may also increase the risk of slower releases and feedback cycles due to the sheer number of devices apps and software that will require unique testing.
Why Is Software Quality Assurance Still Required?
Quality assurance testing ensures that developers are using the right processes during development so that a company can deliver the best possible service or product. The goal of this process is to help align the overall business goals with the deliverable product while also enforcing any specific requirements and applicable standards.
Quality assurance helps find the weaknesses or problems that have arisen during development and mitigates them before an end-user ever sees the product. Some may say that developers should be the ones responsible for QA while they are developing the product.
However, the role of a software QA tester should be separated to act as a new perspective on areas that may be easily looked over by someone who has been so deeply invested in the project.
QA Will Always Be Important
As tech advances in 2020 and beyond, the software QA industry will continue to push testers to improve their skills and expertise to keep up. Although aspects such as artificial intelligence and machine learning will help expedite and improve the QA process, testing teams will need to constantly analyze and adjust their methods to avoid gaps and improve time-to-market.
In a world where users are becoming more and more selective about products and services based on quality, security, experience, and reviews, software quality assurance can make or break a company.
