What is Software Testing And Why It’s Important to the U.S. Economy

Thanks in part to the Digital Revolution, also known as the Third Industrial Revolution, software touches and enables every part of our lives daily. As a society we experienced a shift from mechanical and analogue technology towards digital electronics through the adoption and proliferation of digital computers in the 20th century.

Technological innovations have transformed not only traditional production and business operations but also our day-to-day lives. We can easily see this when we power up our personal laptops and open software applications such as Microsoft Word, Apple Keynote or Google Chrome to complete a task. However, since manufacturing today is a heavily automated process, software also enables these processes to create the products we use daily such as clothing, food packaging, furniture and automobiles. Behind each of these processes is a job, an innovation or new way of doing business that spurs our society and therefore our economy forward. Thus, the proliferation of software has been extremely beneficial to the US economy in a countless number of ways.

The Importance of Quality Software

Knowing the importance of software and how it is deeply engrained into every aspect of our lives is key. As a business or business-process owner, knowing the importance of quality software is paramount. Imagine if the software-enabled device used to administer the correct dosage of medicine to a hospitalized patient was off? Or if the software used to run an occupied elevator malfunctioned? For businesses employing the use of software in the production of goods and in the deployment of services, it is imperative that the software is free of defects because software of poor quality can be costly to the business in the long run.

What Is A Software Defect?

As related to software testing, a defect found during the process of software testing is defined as a variation or deviation of the software application from the end user’s requirements or original business requirements. Software defects are errors found in coding which cause incorrect or unexpected results from a software program which does not meet actual requirements.  According to research conducted by The Consortium for Information & Software Quality™ (CISQ™), poor quality software cost organizations $2.08 trillion in 2020 in the US alone.

THE COST OF POOR SOFTWARE QUALITY IN THE US: 2020 REPORT

Unsuccessful IT/software projects – $260 billion (up from $177.5 billion in 2018)

Poor quality in legacy systems – $520 billion (down from $635 billion in 2018)

Operational software failures – $1.56 trillion (up from $1.275 trillion in 2018)

(Source: The Consortium for Information & Software Quality™ (CISQ™))

Imagine the tremendous benefit $2.08 trillion would have on the US economy in terms of business reinvestment, job creation and the general shift of focus away from damage control towards advancements in innovation. CISQ research indicates that $260 billion in poor quality software is attributed to unsuccessful IT and software projects in the US. In instances such as these, software testing can be the real hero in saving businesses money in the long run and subsequently have a beneficial impact to the economy.

Types of Software Defects Found in Software Testing

There are several types of defects that can cause a failure in software. At Thornton Consulting Firm we approach software testing by classifying defects into the following categories:

• Functional – the behavior of the software is not compliant with functional requirements
• Performance – the software’s speed, stability, response time, and resource consumption are variant when compared to performance requirements
• Usability – the user experience is cumbersome and difficult to navigate
• Compatibility – the application does not display consistent performance 1) on particular types of hardware, operating systems, browsers, and devices 2) when integrated with certain software or 3) when operating under certain network configuration
• Security – the software contains weaknesses allowing for a potential security attack

Before deploying newly developed software ensure you are protecting your business’s bottom line. Contact Thornton Consulting Firm to schedule a consultation. Our software testing process uses techniques to conduct rigorous defect analyses.

Notable Software Failures

No one is safe when it comes to software failures. Even the biggest and most world renowned businesses in the world have succumbed to software failures that have resulted in major business operation interruptions and costly remedies. In 2017, Amazon Web Services, which is considered to be one of the most reliable hosting services globally, experienced a major outage on the US east coast. The ripple effect resulted in problems for hundreds if not thousands of popular websites including Netflix, Slack and Business Insider.

Between 2015 and March 2018, a vulnerability in Google+ exposed private information of nearly half a million people using the social network.

In the summer of 2020, the flagship carrier airline of the UK — British Airways — experienced a system issue that resulted in the delay of hundreds of flights in the UK, and the complete cancellation of dozens more. The software failure affected three British airports requiring thousands of passengers to rebook their flights or to check-in using manual systems. Even though the problem was ultimately detected, addressed and solved, the affected airports still felt the effect of this failure for an extended period before normal service could be resumed.

Situations such as these may beg the questions: could software testing prevent business software failures? If so, software testing can be considered a valuable benefit to the function of the US economy.

Employment Potential of Software Testing in the US

Common knowledge dictates that job creation and economic growth are intricately connected.  As individuals increase employment, their spending increases as well. The increase in spending causes a positive multiplier effect which leads to increased economic growth.

Software testing as a field of employment is just as critical and crucial to the economy as the field of software development. Software testing may have equal to or more job opportunities than software development. However, software testing may be an overlooked profession by many individuals looking to start or change career paths.

At Thornton Consulting Firm, we offer software testing training to help those interested in embarking on an exciting career in the field of Technology.

Choose the Right Partner for Your Software Testing Needs

Thornton Consulting Firm provides software testing, quality assurance and software testing training services. We collaborate with key project stakeholders to ensure software systems meet customer requirements and to verify that all defects are found and fixed before scheduled production deployment. Our firm’s customer base includes:

• Governmental, military, educational institutions
• Technology startups
• Fortune 500 companies

Our goal is to serve our business customers with software testing solutions designed to ensure the smooth deployment of a quality product. We want to make your software implementation process less time consuming and less costly.

Thornton Consulting Firm’s Capabilities

• Ensure your software meets the desired requirements. We perform the testing needed to produce a defect-free product.
• Deliver quality software by letting our team be the extra set of eyes. We create and execute thorough test plans.
• Learn and practice software testing techniques via our on-demand courses, live virtual classes and access to our experts.