Need for Speed: The Importance of Continuous Testing

Success in the high speed business world relies on thriving in the fast lane. Customers demand quality software products, and they want them now. Meaning the old style of executing tests – only as needed – just doesn’t work anymore.

 

The answer? Continuous testing.

 

Continuous testing revitalizes the previous method of test execution, incorporating it into the development process instead of completing testing just before release. This method optimizes the overall testing process and provides insight into the software’s status and potential risks of the release.

 

Integrating and utilizing continuous testing makes you faster. Faster to create, faster to deploy, faster to adoption, and faster to the top. This speed is crucial to stay top of mind for both potential and present customers, especially in today’s jam-packed marketplace.

 

But we like testing at the end of the development cycle, you say. Why should we change our processes?

 

Think about it: Delaying testing until your software is nearly complete not only increases the chances of finding more issues last minute, but also slows your projected completion date and therefore your time to market. You now have to go back, repair and retest, crossing your fingers that nothing pops up during the final testing. Meanwhile, your competitor has had ample time to snag customers’ attention.

 

Integrating continual testing into your software delivery pipeline eradicates these problems because you are continually testing the core software build. You no longer have to worry about surprise bugs in your software. The automated tests provide insight through frequent status notifications, confirming products are up to standard. The confidence in the build allows you to quickly create new software and update existing products, with little to no interruption for your users.

 

In a continuous delivery marketplace, you need continuous testing to keep a step ahead of customer demands. Leaving testing to the last minute can result in delays, poor testing, or no testing whatsoever.

 

Why risk it?