The ever-changing software development lifecycle and the need to produce high-quality software has necessitated development teams to create and implement a continuous testing strategy. For those unfamiliar with the term, continuous testing is the practice of testing early and often using automation wherever possible to receive immediate feedback, reduce issues, and improve efficiency. This results in shorter delivery cycles, quality software, and uninterrupted business processes. Continuous testing also enhances a product’s functionality, improves collaboration between previously-siloed teams, and uncovers business risks.

Regrettably, some organizations do not have a functional and effective continuous testing strategy, and thus cannot harness its benefits. Likewise, some businesses only cover a few aspects of testing, which results in hitches in the development process. So, what are the ingredients of an effective continuous testing strategy?     

1.   Automation

While automation is a buzzword nowadays, some companies are still behind the times and have not yet invested in automated testing. While manual testing used to be the norm, there are now a variety of modern, intelligent testing platforms like BlazeMeter that can automate much of the testing process and lead to faster test cycles and production rates. The fact is manual testing is time consuming and relies solely on human power. It is no longer an efficient means of testing, especially when businesses are trying to keep up with competition and meet user demands. The bottom line is to stay competitive and ensure a good customer experience, businesses must invest in automated testing solutions.

2.   Shift Left Testing

An effective continuous testing strategy requires the shift left principle of quality engineering. Shift left involves running tests early in the development process to prevent defects instead of finding them later. It is much easier to rectify performance and security defects in design early in the process rather than discovering them later on down the road or post production. To ensure the quality of your software and minimize risks, you’ll want to utilize a testing solution that enables both shift-left and shift-right testing, such as BlazeMeter: a unified, easy-to-use, open-sourced continuous testing solution.

3.   The Right Test Data

It is no secret that a lack of robust test data leads to tremendous delays in application release cycles. The test data should be close to what the application will encounter during production to test new functionality accurately. Test data that lacks real-world traits such as data specifications and negative scenarios is problematic. It is best to get the right test data…preferably production data for more effective testing. Testing solutions like Test Data Manager from Broadcom are extremely useful for this. Test Data Manager ensures testing teams get the rich, high-quality test data they need quickly and in the right format.

4. Collaboration

For a continuous testing strategy to be truly effective, there must be frequent collaboration between teams. Continuous testing relies heavily on integration between the testers and quality assurance specialists with software development teams. Through collaboration and on-going communications, the two teams can work together to create error-free code,  mitigate risks, and accelerate the production of high-quality software.

5.   The Right Testing Tool

A successful continuous testing strategy requires the right tools and processes to be used across various teams in an enterprise. Choosing a suitable testing tool is a fundamental ingredient in this process. The best automated testing tool adds value to your company by cutting time and costs, boosting the quality of your software, and increasing ROI.

Luckily, Broadcom’s continuous testing solutions do just that. Continuous Testing from Broadcom helps businesses do more for less with the use of intelligent, automated testing solutions that monitor, orchestrate, and optimizes the software delivery pipeline.

Contact A&I Solutions to learn more or to see Broadcom’s continuous testing tools in action!