In most of the agile environments now, software testing is considered an integral part and rightly so. The importance of software testing is undeniable. Humans tend to make mistakes when it comes to accounting for all the errors as they can be overlooked. And if not tested properly, these errors can incur huge costs.

Following are the topics that we will touch upon in this article:

• Factors affecting software testing productivity
• Productivity and efficiency in software testing industry

The software testing process requires the testing team as well as the development team to share their input to deliver accurate software to clients. It’s the responsibility of both the teams to ensure that the outcome is exactly what is required and is delivered on time. However, it’s often a given that near the end of the process, the testing team will cause congestion and slow everything around them. But it’s also important to consider the amount of pressure testing teams face and understand the need to complete the delivery cycle.

Let’s start by understanding the factors that affect software testing productivity.

Factors that affect software testing productivity

·        Improper Communication

Effective communication requires effort. Rather than simply emailing employees about the software testing details, use a combination of various modes of communication such as calls, emails, meetings, etc. to ensure that all the details have been conveyed clearly. The problem with only emailing employees is that only a few people read the complete emails.

·        Weak Test Prioritization

Prioritize prioritization. Yes, many teams do the mistake of spending very less time planning and prioritizing test cases. As a result, being stuck and this is where congestion becomes a real issue. It’s important to always keep in mind that risky and high-value strands should be the top priority. Otherwise, the defects can accumulate at any point in time and trouble you.’

·        Poor Dependency at the Management Level

Before you go ahead with any other step, it’s important to consider factors such as code quality, development level of completion, test environments, test data, test requirements, and other tests. It’s imperative to manage these dependencies properly to prevent unnecessary downtime and slowing down the entire process significantly. The use of software testing tools can be helpful in tracking, executing, planning, designing, and further steps in the testing process. These tools provide good traceability for tracking above mentioned dependencies.

Productivity and efficiency in software testing industry

Both of these factors are of utmost significance in the world of software testing. Especially now when release cycles are rapidly speeding at enterprise levels because of Agile, with continuous and rapid practices for timely project deliveries. Companies are now moving towards automated software testing tools for testing more than half of test cases and doing less manual testing to keep up with the pace required to deliver projects on time.