In the current economic climate, it is imperative that you seek out every conceivable advantage for your small business. After all, while the level of confidence among SMEs may have increased towards the end of 2016, profits fell for a second consecutive quarter while the number of ventures projecting growth also tumbled.
The upshot of this is that SMEs must strive to identify key competitive advantages that they have in the current economy, while improving efficiency throughout every aspect of the business.
It is particularly important that small business implement automated testing procedures when managing individual packages of software, for example, particularly as brands continue to invest heavily in the development of their e-commerce and online operations. Without this, SMEs could incur huge costs and delays that hinder their output and prevent them from achieving their full potential.
The key benefits of automated testing for SMEs
Make no mistake; automated testing can increase the efficiency of your software, primarily by using tools to execute automatic tests in order to compare actual results against expected results. Test automation in software testing can assess the competence of your software, without having to repetitively manually test. While automated testing can be expensive, it can also have huge business advantages, particularly because once created, they can be repeated.
With that said, here are some ways that test automation from companies such as Sogeti can benefit your business, whether you own a small start-up or a burgeoning, medium-sized venture:
Results in fast feedback
Unlike manual testing, automated testing ensures quick feedback, which is particularly important if a team is mid-project. This allows any potential issues and bugs to be fixed before writing additional code, reducing the likelihood of related errors and increasing the efficiency of the dev team.
Allows for quicker results
Automated testing can be performed far quicker than manual testing, particularly for large and complex systems. Not only does this allow for faster results and reduced working hours spent testing, but it also means that tests can be carried out on a more regular basis.
Provides more business hours
Typically, automation tests are repeated throughout development stages and releases. While these tests can be carried out manually, using automated checks can save a lot of time, allowing developers to focus on important and stimulating work, resulting in more productive business hours.
Reduces business costs
Along with saving business hours, automated testing also results in reduced business costs. This is because the time required to run tests is reduced from days to mere hours. It also increases the quality of work, thus decreasing the need for repair work after release, reducing project costs.
Ensures uniform testing
Using automated checks ensures that tests are consistent, which not only reduces the potential number of errors that could occur when manual testing, but also guarantees that all software is tested to the same rigorous and consistent standards.
Confirms that fixes work
When changes have been made to software or bugs and errors have been fixed, automated testing checks that the programme is functioning correctly. These checks can identify any new issues that have arisen as a result of changes, or confirm that the problems have been fixed.
Automated testing can be hugely beneficial to small businesses, providing quicker results, confirmation and feedback, while also ensuring consistency, reduced costs and an increase in the number of productive hours.
These advantages may afford your SME a competitive advantage in the current economic climate, which may ultimately make the difference between success and failure in 2017.