Testing as a Service or TaaS is a software outsourcing model used by industries in which the software testing activities needed by an organization are performed by a testing-as-a-service provider rather than an in-house team of testers.
TaaS can involve helping and advising current employees doing QA or simply outsourcing testing to a provider. Testing as a Service is also sometimes called on-demand testing. The model is ideal for products and software that don’t require an extensive knowledge of the system or the design. Services that are best suited for TaaS include:
- Performance testing
- Cloud-based applications testing
- Cloud-based applications monitoring
- Automated regression testing
- ERP software testing
- Security testing
- Application testing
How Does TaaS Work?
Testing as a Service is used when an organization needs a third party (TaaS provider) to perform testing on a product as opposed to in-house testing. Businesses can purchase testing software, tools, and infrastructure or hire entire teams to do the testing for them. This is why TaaS includes outsourcing an entire testing department or standalone testing produce for a platform that uses infrastructure and software, both. Whatever form TaaS takes, it usually involves a provider that takes over an organization’s testing.
Testing as a Service is great for instances where the organization requires complex testing or doesn’t have the necessary resources or team to carry out the testing themselves. The resources could be staff, money, time, or infrastructure needed to carry it out. However, TaaS isn’t ideal for companies that need extensive knowledge of the software or the company’s infrastructure.
There are different types of Testing as a Service but in general, here is how it works:
- An environment and scenario are created for the testing.
- The team designs a test to check the company’s/software’s response to this scenario
- The performance is then monitored and evaluated to see if the company will meet its end goal according to the test design.
- The provider and company work together to remove any bugs or errors found in the product to improve performance.
Types of TaaS
Different types of TaaS are used in different scenarios and sections of a company and are integrated during separate parts in the product’s lifecycle. These include:
- Cloud testing where cloud services are tested like SaaS apps;
- Application testing where the application is tested;
- Regression testing where new software tools and features are tested to see their impact on the existing design;
- Performance testing where a product or service’s performance is explored;
- Functional testing where a product or software’s functionality is tested, including GUI testing;
- Quality assurance testing where the TaaS provider helps the company meet the specified requirements before the product is released;
- Penetration testing where the provider tests a company’s security against cyberattacks by testing it with fake attacks;
- Load testing where the provider tests the how much usage load a software can take;
- Unit testing where specific bits of codes are tested, starting with the weakest ones;
- GUI testing where the user interface of an application is tested and evaluated;
- Disaster recovery testing where a company’s ability to respond and recover from a disaster is tested; and
- Service-level Agreement (SLA) adherence where a SaaS application’s adherence to SLA is tested.
Features of Testing as a Service
Here are some commonly used features of a TaaS platform:
- A portal to run tests and check the test data;
- Automated test labs;
- Application diagnostics and monitoring;
- Tracking function to keep an eye on resources;
- A test library with added needed parameters and descriptions.
Use Cases for TaaS
Here are some main reasons TaaS is used in the industry:
- If there’s a lack of a skilled in-house team or resources needed for testing the software
- When the company needs fast one-off testing
- Tests that need repetitive tasks that will otherwise drain resources and time
- To reduce and avoid any infrastructure costs.
Some use cases for TaaS include:
A company that needs a third-party to test their network. A TaaS provide in this case will conduct automated testing that will allow users to view test results and data in real time. This can be used to improve security.
A company may need a TaaS provider to test their disaster recovery plan. A TaaS team can come in here and conduct disaster recovery testing.
Popular TaaS Techniques
The world of technology is constantly evolving, including development models like Agile and DevOps. Similarly, software testing techniques are evolving as well. To meet the high expectations set by users, companies are expected to review and choose the right testing techniques to optimize their resources and product.
Here are some TaaS techniques used in the industry:
- Agile Testing
- Automated Testing
- Continuous testing
- Documentation testing
- User acceptance testing
- Blackbox, grey box, and whitebox testing
- Cross-browser testing
- Dynamic testing
- Risk-based testing
- Adhoc and exploratory testing
Deciding with TaaS to Outsource
If you’re considering outsourcing a software testing team, you should first evaluate your business and IT needs. For some businesses consultants, pay-as-you-go infrastructure, and outsourcing may not be the best solution.
If you’re a small business, you may need a team that is skilled with certain requirements or a provider that has unique infrastructure – For example, if your business requires in-depth knowledge of its infrastructure or the software, then it’s preferable to choose in-house testing. However, if the testing process you need help with is simple, resource-intensive, or time-consuming, then hiring a TaaS provider will be a better choice.
Benefits of Choosing TaaS
Here are some benefits you’ll get if you do choose testing as a service for your company:
You Get a More Experienced, Focused, and Professional Team
The main benefit of choosing a testing-as-a-service provider is that you get a full-fledged team that’s highly skilled and experienced across a variety of testing areas, including automation testing, functional testing, performance testing, and security testing.
TaaS providers always keep a team that provides unique abilities and skillsets in the domain. With TaaS you get a testing service that adheres to industry standards, improves the quality of your product, and understands your business landscape.
A Renewed Focus on Project Development and Growth
It’s a difficult task to manage a workforce, even a super-skilled one. With TaaS, you no longer have to worry about hiring a bunch of employees, training them, getting them infrastructure only to have them work a few days in a month (because testing doesn’t happen until the product is developing).
TaaS gives you a skilled workforce you don’t have to manage, one that does what it’s paid to do, and gives you the time to focus on your core product development and the marketing it needs. With TaaS, your productivity increases, your project timeline is reached, and you don’t have to spend so much.
Improved Test Coverage
Plus, TaaS offers you an unprejudiced testing experience where even the smallest loopholes are mentioned to the management. This is important because sometimes in-house employees aren’t as honest as we want them to be.
TaaS gives you an unbiased group of testing experts who ensure compliance in everything they do. They adhere to rules and regulations and have product benchmarks they follow. There are many examples out there highlighting failed projects because they didn’t meet the requirements that were expected of them.
Plus, you also get honest feedback that will help your company improve the product greatly and eliminate any bad business practices right from the start.
Cost-Efficiency at Its Peak
Not only do you have to hire a new team for testing, but TaaS providers also give you a test environment with test setups, tools, and everything else that is needed. As a company, you’re not required to worry about a thing because it’s all managed by the 3rd party testing provider. They’ll increase the productivity of your processes, ensure you make your project deadline, and eliminate extra costs – from the starting phase to the closure, everything is handled.
Industry-Leading Solutions at Your Doorstep
The TaaS industry has evolved with time. With TaaS service providers, you get long-established standards for test planning and execution for both non-functional and functional testing from different domains. This entire thing would take you, as a business, years to organize and gather. They have the experience and tools necessary to adhere to a variety of projects and will create the best-suited plans and standards for your business. You’ll not have to worry about analyzing anything because your provider will come up with the best solutions using the right tools for solving any complex testing challenges that they may face.
A Reduced Product Launch Cycle
There’s a great deal of importance laid down on engaging the testing team from earlier on in the project. This ensures that any bugs or errors are caught earlier on, and the project timeline isn’t affected. With third-party testing services, you get a faster turnaround time and better testing cycles.
As a business, you can confidently choose a product launch date if your testing providers are working alongside the other teams and ensure a huge success while you’re at it.
A Flexible and Skilled Team
You also get a flexible team when you opt for TaaS. They can scale up and down, depending on your product needs, and offer you reduced costs. With their agility, your company gets to function in a very organized manner and can adapt to newer needs whenever required.
Plus, TaaS providers have a huge pool of talent to choose from. All of their team members are highly skilled, go through intensive testing and training, and have the prior industry experience to help them. They’re pros at handling a variety of domains, know all the latest trends, and use the best technology and tools available in the market. Therefore, the quality of their testing is impeccable, and you get a team that can work wonders for your product.
What to Keep in Mind When Hiring a TaaS Provider
Check Their Industry Experience
You don’t have to be stuck with a team with just freshies who have no idea of what to do. You’re paying for this service, ensure the team knows your area of operations and has the industry knowledge needed in your domain.
Incremental or Total Outsourcing?
Determine the kind of outsourcing you need. You can choose incremental outsourcing where a project is broken down into smaller chunks that can be handled by different teams, or you can go for total outsourcing.
Communication
Don’t let cultural and language barriers deter you from choosing a nearshore company. Do, however, establish clear modes of communication and timelines before beginning the project.
Are They Flexible and Scalable?
Testing a product requires constant changes. See whether your outsourced team will be able to adhere to evolving needs and requirements at all times, whenever they show up.
Agility
Agility is a must. If you’re using an agile approach and they’re not, your work will be slowed down considerably.
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