How software testing saves you money: five compelling arguments
Have you ever launched a game or an app only to find it constantly crashing and lagging? Now imagine if this happened to millions of users. The worst part is, your company is the developer of this software. A nightmare scenario, right? Unfortunately, this happens quite often.
Companies then have to spend heavily to fix issues and regain user trust. However, they could have saved a lot of money initially by opting for quality assurance testing services, say experts from the global IT engineering and consulting platform Avenga.
How does software testing save money and improve product?
Early error detection
When errors surface late in the software development process, everything needs to be redone. This hits the budget and deadlines hard. If companies used quality assurance testing services from the start, these problems could be avoided.
Fixing defects after release costs five times more than fixing them during unit testing. The earlier an error is found, the less money is needed to fix it.
Satisfied customers
When software runs smoothly, users are happy. This means fewer complaints and returns, which saves the company money. Quality testing ensures high product quality from the beginning.
Happy users are more likely to recommend the product to friends and colleagues, expanding the customer base and increasing revenue. Well-tested products also attract new users, as positive reviews and high ratings boost popularity.
Good reputation
Error-free and high-quality software helps a company build a good reputation. People trust your product and spread the word.
A good reputation is a powerful asset. It attracts more customers and partners. Nobody wants to work with a company whose products are always glitchy. But if your software is reliable, you'll get recommendations. A good reputation opens new opportunities for collaboration and business growth.
Avoiding legal and financial consequences
Software errors can lead to serious problems. For instance, if an accounting app malfunctions, it will result in incorrect calculations. Clients will lose money and sue you.
Here's an example: In 2012, Knight Capital lost nearly half a billion dollars due to a software error, almost leading to its bankruptcy. It was a business nightmare.
Another case: In 1962, NASA's Mariner-1 spacecraft was destroyed due to a small coding error, costing the agency over $18 million. Such errors can have severe financial consequences.
Testing helps prevent these situations. When software is tested at all stages, the likelihood of major bugs is significantly reduced. This means you avoid legal costs and compensation payouts.
Testing also helps comply with legal standards. For example, if the software must meet data protection requirements, testing ensures all rules are followed. This helps avoid fines and legal issues.
Benefits of automated testing
Many companies are shifting from manual to automated testing. This saves a lot of time and money. For instance, if creating automated tests takes 500 hours but then reduces manual testing time by 20 hours per week, the initial investment will pay off in about 25 weeks. Automation reduces errors and speeds up product release, increasing revenue and lowering error correction costs.
Moreover, automation boosts team productivity. Automated tests can run around the clock, allowing for faster error detection and correction. It also frees specialists from routine tasks.
Automation enables efficient scaling of testing. When the user base increases sharply, automated software testing can quickly identify problems and prevent failures. This helps avoid emergency fixes and loss of company reputation.
Return on Investment (ROI) from Testing
ROI measures how profitable testing is. To calculate it, subtract the testing costs from the benefits gained, divide this difference by the costs, and multiply by 100.
For example, if automated testing costs $100,000 and the benefit is $250,000, the ROI is 150%. This means that for every dollar invested, the company earns $1.50 in profit. The main benefits are time savings, quality improvement, error reduction, and faster product release.
How professionals detect errors
Application testing is a crucial step. Here’s how professionals do it:
Functionality testing: Ensuring each function works as intended, like the "Save" button actually saving data.
Device testing: Running the app on various phones, tablets, and computers to ensure it works correctly everywhere.
Load testing: Checking how the app performs when used by many people simultaneously to ensure it doesn't slow down or crash.
Security testing: Ensuring user data cannot be stolen.
Bug testing: Finding and fixing bugs so the app runs smoothly.
Avenga, in particular, conducts comprehensive testing to ensure high development quality. They use API testing, regression testing, and accessibility testing. This way, they provide their clients with reliable and high-quality solutions, reducing development costs and enhancing productivity.