When looking to outsource your manual or automated software testing tasks to a software testing quality assurance (QA) company, this guide could be of invaluable assistance in examining and choosing the most appropriate provider.
Additionally, we’ve provided a list of top-tier testing service providers for your consideration.
Recommended IPTV Service Providers
- IPTVGREAT – Rating 4.8/5 ( 600+ Reviews )
- IPTVRESALE – Rating 5/5 ( 200+ Reviews )
- IPTVGANG – Rating 4.7/5 ( 1200+ Reviews )
- IPTVUNLOCK – Rating 5/5 ( 65 Reviews )
- IPTVFOLLOW -Rating 5/5 ( 48 Reviews )
- IPTVTOPS – Rating 5/5 ( 43 Reviews )
The task of software testing is present in nearly every software development project, and it’s a function many companies opt to outsource. Outsourcing is essentially the process of assigning tasks or services to a separate company, whether it’s based in the same country or overseas. In the IT industry, the trend of outsourcing testing services is quite prevalent.
This article is intended to guide you in the decision-making process of whether to outsource your software testing work, and if so, how to choose the correct company to handle this component.
[image credit]
What You Will Learn:
- What to Take into Account While Appraising Software Testing Companies/Service Providers
What to Take into Account While Appraising Software Testing Companies/Service Providers
Classify your company’s activities into primary and secondary tasks. If software testing appears as a secondary task, then it’s recommended to outsource these services.
While software testing is a critical stage of software development, it may not be a central function for most companies. By delegating software testing to a proficient specialist, your organization can concentrate on its main objectives.
The danger of launching a faulty product into the market is magnified by constant changes in requirements and accelerated software development lifecycles.
The cost of ensuring software quality approximately accounts for half of the overall project expense. Building and sustaining an internal QA team requires considerable time and resources, which can often be costly. As a result, establishing an internal specialized testing team can be a challenging endeavor.
When and Why Should You Outsource Software Testing?
Contracting software testing grants companies the opportunity to focus on their primary operations and foster innovation. Concurrently, testing service providers can proficiently ensure superior product quality and positive business outcomes. Delegating testing services to dedicated, skilled, and specialized outsourced QA personnel generates optimal outcomes.
Engagement with an independent team of experts in software testing/QA to handle the testing task saves the organization time and resources, irrespective of the scope of the project and the frequency of testing. Entrusting your QA requirements to a professional QA team can protect your company from unnecessary expenditure and complications.
Here are the primary reasons to consider outsourcing:
- Cost advantages
- Decreased in-house efforts
- Independent QA
- Access to a capable and highly proficient team
- A team that specializes primarily in testing
- Enhanced application quality
- Speedy deliverables that enhance software testing efficiency
- Fully-tested final products
What to Think About Prior to Outsourcing Testing Services
Let’s tackle these aspects individually:
#1) The Engagement Models
The engagement models are a crucial aspect of outsourcing. You need to comprehend the supplier’s commercial strategy and model, designate the geographical location, and conclude which type of outsourcing best serves your necessities. Two options to pick from include incremental outsourcing and total outsourcing.
With incremental outsourcing, the workload is partitioned into smaller sections and each segment is outsourced to varying service providers. This model allows you to engage with multiple service providers. While this model lessens the risks associated with the supplier and retains in-house knowledge of the portfolio and product, the client is required to intricately supervise the outsourced work.
In total outsourcing, the complete workload is allocated to one service provider. Usually, this model proves to be cost-efficient for the client since the supplier assumes the associated risk. However, total outsourcing necessitates meticulous planning and detailed forethought.
#2) Team Location
One pivotal decision to make is whether to choose an offshore testing company or a company located within your home country.
Offshoring can offer superior quality at a cheaper cost. That said, outsourcing to a foreign nation presents an increased risk due to hurdles in communication, cultural differences, and language barriers.
Collaborating with a team within your home country eliminates cultural, time-zone, and language barriers, and facilitates reaching out to the vendor team. If you decide to partner with an offshore service vendor, make sure they have strategies in place to combat these barriers.
Ultimately, the aim of outsourcing is to select a team that enhances your product and reduces costs.
#3) Service Level Agreement (SLAs)
A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between the service provider and the client, stipulating the level of service output that the provider must deliver. Drafting SLAs beforehand is vital to guarantee complete alignment of goals between the service provider and the client. SLAs should encapsulate the engagement model, key performance indicators (KPIs), and the kind of testing required.
Include these key items in your SLA:
- Reporting and project management timelines
- Measures of product quality (test case efficiency, quality of defect reporting, traceability, quality of test plan, etc.)
- Knowledge transfer
- Process compliance
- Understanding of the core business
Example SLA Metrics Dashboard (source)
#4) Mobilization
This stage primarily involves three steps:
- Contract formation
- Creation of SLAs
- Formulation of the SOW (statement of work)
During the mobilization phase, there should be a harmonious coming together of the organizations to ensure seamless outsourcing. The contract, statement of work, and service level agreements should be finalized and clearly communicated to the selected service provider. The lawful interests of both parties should be safeguarded, and fostering an efficacious long-term relationship is essential.
#5) Adaptability & Scalability
Outsourcing contracts need to incorporate flexibility to accommodate shifts in timescale. Factors such as robustness, modifiability, the integration of novel capabilities, and the ease of exit should determine the level of flexibility.
#6) Quality Enhancement
A leading objective of outsourcing is to realize a significant enhancement in quality. As the contract evolves, processes and work methodologies should be continuously refined. The end goal should be an overall enhancement in the quality of the final product.
#7) Change Administration
Frequent alterations in requirements from the client can disturb the testing cycle if not properly managed. To deal with the extra cost, time, and effort triggered by changes in requirements, service providers should have a strong change management protocol in effect.
#8) Protection of Intellectual Property
Safeguarding intellectual property is a priority when outsourcing services. A primary challenge is to protect the businesses’ intellectual property when it’s entrusted to a third party. The vendor is under an obligation to protect the personally identifiable information (PII) supplied by the client and refrain from using it for any purpose other than the business it was intended for.
#9) Communication
Barriers in communication between the client and vendor can obstruct the workflow. Setting up effective communication channels is instrumental for project success. A list of points of contact (POCs) for each field of work should be mutually exchanged by the client and vendor.
#10) Personnel
The QA engineers, leads, managers, and technical personnel appointed by the vendor to the outsourced work should be skillful, possessing expertise in software testing and possessing management skills. Ensure that your work is being overseen by capable personnel.
Clients often arrange interviews at the vendor’s site to guarantee that the resources committed to the project possess the proficiency necessary to undertake the work.
#11) Security
From a business perspective, the protection of data is of paramount significance. Outsourcing providers should have defined policies and standards for information security in place. Some vendors establish dedicated teams to operate in secure environments, such as offshore development centers, where entry is limited to only authorized individuals. These kinds of measures aid in protecting intellectual property and preventing security breaches.
Selecting a Company for QA Outsourcing – Guidelines, Advice & Suggestions
Identifying the right service provider for your software can be a daunting task. Entrusting your software to the wrong vendor for testing can result in disarray.
Here are the risks that come with the wrong vendor choice:
- Disrupted workflow due to timezone, cultural, and language challenges
- Diminished quality
- Lateness in delivery
- Delayed support
- Security violations
- Loss of control over operations
The decision to outsource calls for a thorough examination and comprehensive research prior to assigning the work to a vendor. Take the necessary time to make a well-informed decision.
There is a multitude of software testing vendors in the market, each claiming to be the best. However, the importance of selecting the most suitable one from among these vendors cannot be overstated.
<span