For Christian Mercier, the software testing of the future treats deviations found in testing as a driver for the product rather than a disruption, and everyone involved consciously decides what level of quality they want. Testing remains a craft, and its outcome depends on the skill, knowledge and commitment of the people doing it.
Key Takeaways
- Software testing has to deal with more complex systems, more automation and bigger consequences for users, for example in automated lending or autonomous systems.
- Lean, stripped-down testing is acceptable if everyone involved consciously sets the quality level in advance and communicates it openly.
- Teams need a person who takes ownership of testing out of conviction and inspires others.
- Anyone who uses software for testing has to understand its capabilities and limits, because there is no such thing as defect-free software.
About Christian Mercier
Christian Mercier has worked in financial services since 1996. From branch banking to CRM, strategy and IT, and from savings banks to regional state banks and major banking groups, he has gathered a wide range of experience. He started out in classic project work, and today his focus is on agile methods. Christian Mercier helps his clients implement requirements to a high standard of quality. Long before agility was everywhere, he was already working on methods to create transparency and improve project communication. In implementation, he places great value on usability and system maturity, which is why setting up testing the agile way, or testing in an agile environment, is especially close to his heart.
What Challenges Will Software Testing Face in the Future?
The challenges ahead are many.
The first things that come to mind are new technologies and ever more complex systems. On top of that, these often have an ever greater impact on the people using them, whether through automated lending processes, fully autonomous systems or artificial intelligence that talks to real customers.
At the same time, testing is becoming more and more automated, and the development process relies on more and more software support. So while software is being developed and tested, the environments in which it is developed and tested are changing too. That isn’t new even today, but its importance will grow as iterative delivery keeps speeding up.
The most important point, in my view, is that we catch up on what has been neglected in recent years and build a consistent awareness of quality. Nobody involved should experience a deviation found in a test as unpleasant or disruptive anymore. It has to be recognized as a positive driver for the product. Of course, that only works if we look at the long-term return on investment and not only at the initial investment.
There will still be quick prototypes, quick-and-dirty solutions and low-cost offerings, and there should be. But in those cases the quality level has to be clearly defined in advance and communicated openly. Because a deviation is still a deviation, and when in doubt it has to be accepted consciously rather than simply swept off the table to save costs. If everyone involved, from the client to the people doing the implementation to the most important link in the chain, the customer, agrees on the quality, meaning the positive relationship between expectation and implementation, there is nothing wrong with lean, stripped-down testing. But everyone has to make that decision consciously. And creating exactly that awareness is what I consider the biggest challenge.
What Ideas or Solutions Could Address These Challenges?
Besides keeping up with new technologies and techniques, I think it is above all necessary to develop and strengthen how we see ourselves. As with any activity, the result becomes excellent when a job turns into a calling. So teams, agile or traditional, don’t need just anyone who happens to have testing on their plate. They need someone who takes ownership of testing with full conviction and passion and inspires others along the way.
How do we find people like that? The good news is: they already exist! If they are deployed and supported in the right way, they find it easier to bring the people around them along, and that creates a positive effect over the long term.
What Does the Software Testing of the Future Look Like?
In my view, testing will remain the good old “craft” it has always been, where the result depends largely on the skill, knowledge and commitment of the people involved. Even if the tests are fully automated and integrated into a toolchain, and every software increment runs through all of them, the result still depends on good planning, solid analysis, efficient design, conscientious implementation, reliable execution and understandable evaluation.
Making sure all of that happens must, in my opinion, remain the job of qualified and committed people. In a fast-moving, cost-driven environment, that takes not only solid expertise but above all a certain ability to inspire, so that the other stakeholders sign up for the quality mission.
The dusty image of a tester who clicks through the same test cases over and over has to keep changing, toward a tester who understands the people and systems involved and can anchor the idea of quality deep in how the work is done.
How Can Testers and Test Managers Prepare for This Today?
From my point of view, as a software tester I need a deep basic understanding of how the technologies work in general, plus a detailed understanding of the areas and aspects to be tested. That means I have to engage with the technologies of the future today so that I understand them tomorrow. This covers not only the software under test, but also the software that accompanies, supports or runs the test. We all know there is no such thing as defect-free software. So when I use software for testing, I need to understand its capabilities and limits better than I do today. Only then can I use it properly and interpret the results correctly.
One thing, in my view, won’t change: to get good results, I have to start testing as early as possible and see it as part of the overall development process. “Quality as an attitude” is what makes everyone involved successful. Because we can only be successful in the long run if we do things with passion and genuine conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are New Technologies Increasing the Pressure on Software Testing?
Because systems are becoming more complex, and their decisions have a more direct impact on people. Examples cited include automated loan approval processes, fully autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence that interacts with real customers. In addition, development and test environments change even as work progresses, as the level of automation and tool support in the development process increases.
How should a team handle deviations found during testing?
A detected deviation should be viewed as a positive driver for the product, not as an unpleasant disruption. However, this understanding only holds true if one considers not just the initial investment, but the long-term return on investment. Without this consistent focus on quality, testing remains a burdensome task rather than a contribution to the bottom line.
Can rapid prototyping and “quick-and-dirty” solutions be reconciled with quality standards?
Yes, on one condition: the quality level must be defined in advance and communicated externally. A deviation remains a deviation even in this context. It may be consciously accepted when in doubt, but it must not simply be brushed aside for cost reasons. If clients, implementers, and customers agree on the balance between expectations and implementation, there’s no reason not to opt for streamlined testing.
Is it enough to simply assign the testing task to someone on the team?
No. Teams, whether agile or traditional, don’t need someone who merely has testing as an additional item on their to-do list, but rather someone who is genuinely committed to the topic and inspires others. Such people exist. If they are deployed and supported correctly, they will inspire those around them and create a long-term positive impact.
Does full test automation make experienced testing professionals obsolete?
No. Even if tests are fully integrated into a toolchain and every software increment runs through all tests, the result depends on good planning, solid analysis, efficient design, conscientious implementation, reliable execution, and clear evaluation. Testing remains a craft whose outcome is determined by the skill, knowledge, and dedication of those involved.
What do testers need to know about the tools they use?
They must understand the tools’ capabilities and limitations, because there is no such thing as error-free software, not even when it comes to testing tools. Anyone who uses software for testing can only use it properly and interpret the results correctly if they understand how it works. This applies to the software being tested as well as to tools that accompany, support, or execute the test.
At what point in the development process should testing begin?
As early as possible. Testing should be viewed as an integral part of the entire development process, not as a separate, downstream phase. This principle holds true regardless of how technologies and tools evolve. Complementing this is quality as an attitude: it is key for everyone involved, from the client to the developers to the customer.
