Errors in productive operation are expensive, but so is software testing. This is why the efficiency of software testing in the project is particularly important. This efficiency depends on various factors, including
- Optimal test depth and test strategy
- Reusability of resources
- Targeted regression tests
However, our project experience shows that these opportunities are not sufficiently utilized in many companies. Test projects are spread across the company and test processes are set up anew each time. Existing tools are not used and meaningful automation is not applied.
So there can be no question of efficient software testing.
One way to counter these problems and increase efficiency in software testing and even for all projects in the company is to consolidate testing activities in an internal or external test center. The following objectives are generally pursued:
- Support for project management through a comprehensible presentation of quality
- An independent quality check
- The expansion and bundling of test know-how
Success factors
An analysis of the company environment and careful planning are essential prerequisites for the successful introduction of a test center. Four factors have a particularly strong influence on the success of the test center:
The competence
The development and bundling of test-relevant competencies, such as test methodology, tool practice, risk management and test process improvement, supplemented by relevant know-how from the specialist area, forms the basis for the design of effective tests.
The cast
Both the involvement of all those involved (key users, operations, technical experts, etc.) and the provision of sufficient information for those responsible for the project (project management, client, etc.) are essential for the acceptance of the test center’s activities within the company.
The infrastructure
In addition to workstations, their equipment and the test environments, communication tools and “feel-good factors” are important aspects in the design of a test center.
The integration
The success of a test center depends largely on the integration of activities into the development processes, but also into the overall organization (configuration, change and error management, requirements analysis, etc.). Interfaces must be clearly defined. In addition, the activities and results of the test center must be transparent and traceable for everyone in the project or organization.
Fazit
The successful establishment of a test center not only makes testing more efficient, but also benefits all project participants thanks to the standardized processes:
- For project management, test projects are easier to plan and set up and can be tracked more transparently. Testing is more cost-effective, as tools, experience, processes and infrastructure do not have to be provided anew each time. Quality can be planned.
- The company adopts a secure, reliable and stable system because it has been tested according to agreed standards with regard to the target platform.
- The specialist department and key users are involved in development at an early stage and therefore receive software that provides all the required functionalities and is usable and performant. As part of the test team, the users are already familiar with the new system before it is introduced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are testing activities in companies often inefficient?
Because testing projects are spread out across the company, and test processes have to be set up from scratch each time. The project experience described in the 2009 article also showed that: Existing tools remained unused, and meaningful automation was not implemented. As a result, knowledge that already exists in-house is lost, and every project has to rebuild it from scratch.
What factors determine whether software testing is cost-effective?
Three key factors are decisive: optimal test depth combined with an appropriate test strategy, the reusability of resources, and targeted regression testing. The rationale is simple: errors in production are costly, but testing itself is as well. Efficiency, therefore, determines whether the effort is worth it in relation to the damage avoided.
What should a test center accomplish within a company?
A test center consolidates testing activities—whether internal or external—and pursues three goals: It supports project management by providing a transparent view of quality, delivers a quality assessment independent of the project, and builds up testing expertise rather than dispersing it across individual projects.
What needs to be clarified before setting up a test center?
Analyzing the corporate environment and careful planning are prerequisites, not optional extras. Four areas have a particularly strong influence on success: consolidated expertise, staffing with the right people, infrastructure, and integration into existing processes. In addition to workstations and test environments, the infrastructure also includes communication tools and factors that contribute to a positive work environment.
What skills does a central testing team need?
Test methodology, practical tool use, risk management, and test process improvement form the technical core. It is crucial to supplement this with domain expertise: Only by combining testing knowledge with application knowledge can truly effective tests be designed. Mere methodological knowledge without an understanding of the subject matter is not sufficient.
Who should be involved in the work of a test center?
Key users, operations staff, and subject-matter experts must be involved, and project management and the client must be kept adequately informed. Both aim for the same goal: acceptance of the testing activities within the organization. A test center that operates without this involvement will be perceived as an outsider, regardless of the quality of its results.
Is it enough to simply set up a test center organizationally and let it operate?
No. Success depends largely on how well the activities are integrated into the development processes and the overall organization—for example, into configuration management, change management, defect management, and requirements analysis. The interfaces must be clearly defined. In addition, activities and results must remain transparent and traceable for everyone involved in the project.
How do operations and business units benefit from standardized test processes?
The operations team takes over a system that has been tested against the target platform according to agreed-upon standards—meaning it runs more stably and with higher reliability. The business unit and key users are involved early in the development process and receive software that offers the required functions and is both usable and high-performing. As part of the testing team, users are already familiar with the system before its implementation.
