In this digital era, all enterprises strive to assure quality in their services and solutions. The significance of Quality Assurance (QA) in software industry is beyond debate. The testing process is performed across the software development to assure standard and quality in the final product. Additionally, this facilitates the product’s timely release, enabling market penetration and helping the business reach its goals while sustaining uninterrupted operations.
However, the enterprises face several challenges in terms of insufficient talents or testing expertise, time, resource, and budgetary constraints, and the demand to accelerate the product’s market release.
This is why many IT businesses are fraught between completing testing activities and lowering expenses to realize a cost-effective testing strategy which helps the IT business to complete the testing process without compromising the quality or shattering the budget. Here comes the role of Managed testing and QA services.
As per Mordor Intelligence report, the Managed Testing Services (MTS) Market is anticipated to grow significantly, with an estimated size of USD 302.53 billion in 2024, to reach approximately USD 459.11 billion by 2029.
Ensuring the quality and reliability of software applications is more crucial than ever in today’s technology-driven market. MTS, in this regard, have come through as an effective solution to meet these demands efficiently across industry verticals, including retail, BFSI, technology, telecoms, and consumer goods.
Through this comprehensive guide, you will explore the key details of managed testing services, including their key components and their benefits in day-to-day business operations.
What are Managed Testing Services?
Managed Testing Services (MTS) covers the entirety of a testing project, addressing all phases and aspects of the testing process. It provides businesses/brands with end-to-end testing services, including test advisory, performance engineering, and data testing to enhance the quality of the software products.
Managed software testing services, or simply MTS, mean outsourcing software quality testing processes to an external team of talented test engineers. This team works with the development team all through the software development life cycle to ensure that the final product meets all quality standards. MTS providers are well-equipped to manage every aspect of software testing, from test planning and execution to defect management and tracking. Moreover, an MTS team can deliver advanced testing processes that include various methodologies and types of software testing, including manual, automated, performance, and security testing. These services can be fully tailored to align with the specific testing strategy of projects.
MTS offers an on-demand testing capability that can be quickly mobilized, allowing for a seamless movement from Quality Assurance (QA) to Quality Engineering (QE).
Importance of Managed Testing Services
Did you know? The healthcare sector is expected to experience notable growth in the MTS market. The changing healthcare business model prioritizes patient-centric care, preventive measures, and improved services.
That said, software testing is essential to ensure that applications and systems work correctly. Timely testing helps businesses achieve their goals and maintain smooth operations without interruptions.
Here are the points highlighting the importance of MTS in a technology-driven market.
- MTS ensures rigorous testing to maintain high software quality standards.
- Helps prevent issues like customer dissatisfaction, legal liabilities, and financial losses due to poor software quality.
- Ensures that applications and systems perform reliably as required, meeting user expectations.
Now that you understand the definition and importance of MTS, it’s time to talk about something a bit more crucial: a step-by-step guide to managed testing services.
Key Stages to Realize Managed Testing Services
In the ever-changing world of the software market, having flexible and real-time testing services is crucial for meeting your project’s specific needs.
With that in mind, let’s explore the step-by-step process of implementing managed testing services for software protection.
Step 1: Discovery
This is the first step in understanding your testing needs. This stage includes the following important steps.
- Conducting an audit of current development and QA processes.
- Assessing IT infrastructure and reviewing project documentation in detail to evaluate capabilities.
- Interviewing key stakeholders to gather insights into testing requirements and to identify associated risks.
- Preparing a detailed collaboration roadmap based on the gathered information.
Step 2: Transition
The second step, ‘Transition,’ includes the following main activities.
- Transferring insights gained during the Discovery phase to the test team.
- Developing a testing strategy customized to project needs.
- Proposing improvements to QA processes and creating a solid plan to implement them effectively.
- Setting up necessary tools required for taking up responsibility for testing operations.
Step 3: Service Delivery
In this step, the test team begins with core project activities, including test planning, design, execution, and reporting. Check it out!
| Activities | Description |
| Test Planning | ● A thorough test strategy is formed to tackle project risks and limitations.
● Resources with industry and technology expertise are allocated, and an optimal approach to setting up the test environment is determined. |
| Test Design | ● Test cases are designed with end-users in mind.
● Test data is prepared in compliance with data privacy and security regulations. ● For automated testing, flexible architectures are formed to adjust to changing project needs. |
| Test Execution | ● Various types of testing are performed, such as functional, configuration, security, performance, and integration.
● Testing can be manual or automated, using web applications, mobile apps (iOS, Android), desktop applications, and more. ● Testing occurs throughout the software delivery lifecycle, including new features, release, and more. |
| Test Reporting | Detailed testing reports are provided on the tests conducted and scheduled as per project needs. |
Step 4: Service Evolution
Once the initial activities function well, continuous review and improvement of QA processes begin. This includes the following.
- Service Expansion: The scope of testing is expanded to include additional types, such as performance and security testing.
- Automation Enhancement: Efforts are made to increase the share of automated tests.
What are the Key Components of Managed Testing Services?
Nowadays, businesses increasingly depend on advanced technology as a primary means to deliver products and services to customers. This puts immense pressure on IT departments that are responsible for seamless and efficient operations in a dynamic, 24/7 environment.
Managed testing services, in this regard, ensure rigorous testing and quality assurance across all IT systems and applications. It covers the complete testing project lifecycle. Initially, the customer and service provider collaborate to define the project’s objectives, timeline, and methodology.
In brief, managed testing requires defining the following.
What Needs to be Tested?
- This includes identifying the system under test and specifying the requirements or features to be tested.
- It results in a formalized list of test cases.
How Should It Be Tested?
- This determines the depth and scope of testing.
- For instance, when testing an e-commerce website, should the testing include only the functionality of placing orders, or should it also verify the accuracy of inventory management and order processing?
When Testing Should Occur and be Completed?
- This addresses the timing of testing activities.
- For instance, when testing a financial trading platform, should testing be scheduled during off-peak trading hours to minimize disruption to live trading activities?
Now that you understand the key components, you might be wondering when to consider opting for managed testing services. Read on!
When Should You Use Managed Testing Services?
Wondering when is the ideal choice to opt for managed testing services? This section has you covered.
Managed testing is ideal for complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and interdependent technical requirements. When used in the right manner, it helps save time, money, as well as resources compared to in-house testing.
Here are a few instances where you should particularly use managed testing services.
- There is a lack of in-house expertise and knowledge.
- Resources are limited.
- Budget constraints restrict the purchasing of software licenses and maintaining a testing infrastructure.
Overall, the managed testing services model is designed for handling long-term, frequent, scheduled, or day-to-day testing tasks that your team may struggle to prioritize alongside other essential responsibilities.
What are MTS provider and customer responsible for?
Every managed testing project will be distinct, and it varies from project and customer perspective. To ensure high-quality in the testing services demands robust communication between the provider and the customer. Let us look what are the key responsibilities of the service provider and the customer.
| Responsibilities of the Service Provider | Responsibilities of the Customer |
|
Customer is basically responsible for the facility of a working and complete test environment maintenance.
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What are the Benefits of Managed Testing Services?
Organizations across all verticals, including retail, choose managed testing services for the flexibility and cost-saving advantages.
1. Cost-Savings
Choosing managed testing services can offer greater cost efficiency compared to maintaining an in-house testing team. Businesses can reduce expenses related to hiring, training, and day-to-day operations associated with an internal testing team. Organizations can achieve a good amount of cost savings in QA expenses via the use of managed QA strategy services.
2. Shorter Time-to-Market
Getting your product to market quickly is crucial in today’s competitive tech market. Managed testing services help achieve faster delivery by using agile methods and quickly deploying necessary resources for testing. This ensures that testing starts promptly, and the software product is delivered on time as planned.
3. Superior Product Quality
When you outsource testing to professionals to test your product, they not only test it but also analyze the risks involved in releasing it. These experts have extensive experience across different projects and industries.
By following a structured approach, they can significantly enhance the quality of your software product.
4. Scalability
MTS providers adjust team sizes as your needs change, ensuring cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility. In a rapidly changing tech market, managed testing services QA teams can quickly adjust, speeding up the release of new software features or versions.
5. Customized Testing Solutions
Every business has distinct needs, and software testing is no exception. Managed testing services offer customized solutions tailored to fit your project’s specific requirements and business objectives.
The MTS team collaborates closely with you to understand your project needs, proposing personalized strategies to ensure your goals are met efficiently and on time.
6. Responsive and Flexible Testing Team
Outsourcing your testing team instead of managing one in-house offers flexibility. MTS teams are also versatile, working closely with your in-house team like an extension. They quickly respond to your requirements and can adapt swiftly to changes, enabling your business to meet evolving market demands and achieve goals faster.
7. Move from QA to QE
Opting for managed testing services allows organizations to transition from traditional QA to proactive Quality Engineering (QE). This move focuses on preventing defects early in the development cycle, ultimately improving customer satisfaction by delivering high-quality software products.
Want to know about the benefits of smart testing using AI/ML? Don’t miss our extensive blog on AI on Software Testing
Conclusion
Whether it’s reducing risks, speeding up delivery times, or cutting costs, managed testing services can be effective in all areas.
That said, not every company has the expertise or resources to provide MTS. Finding the high level of technological expertise and experience needed for Quality Engineering can be challenging for many companies.
Calsoft offers end-to-end testing solutions using advanced testing techniques and tools, driven by a passion for quality engineering, beta testing, and behavior-driven testing to deliver top-notch products and services. Our focus is on accelerating our customers’ journey towards adoption of digital transformation by delivering ‘just-in-time’ quality checks for their products and solutions.
But with our dedicated MTS team, your business can focus solely on achieving results while we take care of the rest. From comprehensive testing strategies to quality assurance, we deliver customized solutions to enhance your operations. Ready to enhance your software quality? Reach out to us today and find out how our customized managed testing services can improve your operations.