Speed or Quality – Which is Important for Software Testing?
Undoubtedly, the two most desired advantages for those involved in the software development lifecycle are speed and quality. Unfortunately, possessing one frequently means sacrificing the other, leaving experts to choose which is more crucial.
Unfortunately, striving for both at once seems like an impossible ideal. A quick development can frequently sacrifice some of the steps and circumstances required to guarantee improved quality. Since achieving a better standard of quality takes time, any desire for a quicker time to market may be crushed by a quality-driven approach to development.
Therefore, while starting a new software development project, you could feel pressured to choose between speed and quality. Here, we’ll go over some considerations you should have while making such a choice as well as some advice to help you decide.
- Quality
It could appear that speed is now more important given the widespread adoption of Agile and DevOps practices by organizations. A huge social network like Facebook might not be as concerned in caring about quality as they are in introducing new features that will keep their customers engaged and interested. There is no one size that fits all answers; some people will prioritize one over the other.
- Parallel Testing
By going beyond automated testing, parallel testing is becoming a more and more popular method for software teams to balance speed and quality. Developers and testers can run their scripts concurrently rather than one after the other by utilizing a Selenium grid, either with an internal device lab or a cloud service like CrossBrowserTesting. This enables teams to test across several environments in a fraction of the time it usually takes.
- Test Automation
The best of both worlds in terms of speed and quality are displayed through test automation. Regression tests can be performed by anyone using repeating scripts, eliminating the need to repeatedly perform the same actions manually. As a result, more time can be spent discovering new features than verifying existing ones. However, automated testing itself can take a lot of time. Running these tests one after another in various contexts is laborious even without considering all the numerous browsers and gadgets you must test on.
- Conclusion
For any software project to be successful, both quality and speed are essential. However, there are situations when maintaining speed while ensuring top-notch quality is simply impossible. As a result, there needs to be a balance between speed and quality. If the software can be published at the correct moment, some minor flaws that don’t pose a significant harm to the software can be overlooked. Since time is money in every business, the longer you delay, the more the client loses. As a result, in today’s world of intense competition, there are times when crucial decisions must be made, where speed and quality must be compromised.
