Why you need a Test Engineer for your Software Project

There is no denying the fact that software testing is one of the most crucial aspects of software development. Yet this important factor is often overlooked by project managers and developers as an option rather than a requirement. A software development project is likely to fall prey to multiple errors, missing requirements, etc. at various phases of the software development lifecycle. To save projects from facing major consequences, software testing has become no less than a necessity nowadays. 

The wide adoption of AI and ML technologies is yet another major reason behind the popularity of software testing. According to Global Market Insights, the size of the software testing market was valued at USD 40 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR rate of more than 6% between 2022 and 2030. There are various benefits associated with software testing that involves saving time and money, cost-effectiveness, ensuring the quality of the project, early defect identification, and so on. However, fixing a bug at the earlier stages of the development project will cost you way less than doing it at the later stages. In this article, we will take you through some brief insights related to software testing, the role of software test engineers, and so on. 

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Why Does Every Software Project Needs Testers?

For every software development project, testers act as an important voice whose objective is to find out whether the software meets the requirements of the customers or not even after its final version is rolled out to the customers. 

1) Appropriate Quality Checks 

Testers should conduct frequent quality checks in accordance with the software developers right from the beginning. This must be a prerequisite for every software development project to ensure quality standards are equally met until the delivery of the final product. Following a structured approach to quality control will help you fix bugs and errors in an effective manner. 

2) Identify defects and report for fixing 

There are strong chances of defects and bugs, regardless of how well you have implemented the entire software development project. Testers are required to stay one step ahead of the bugs or errors once they arise. A single bug can ruin the reputation of a software development agency, as it leaves a bad impression on the client. Test early and as often as possible to identify bugs and fix them at the right time before they turn into complicated concerns. 

3) Check if functionalities are working as per the requirement 

This is the phase where testers determine whether a piece of software is functioning properly and is in accordance with pre-defined requirements or not. The whole process is termed "functional testing." The testers evaluate various attributes of the system's behavior, such as its performance, reliability, and scalability, to meet the end expectations of the users. 

4) Performance Checks 

Low or reduced performance of a software product is a matter of concern as it can affect the customer’s loyalty and hurt your reputation in the global market. Test engineers can use several tools to perform performance testing (how a system is running) under a certain load. Conducting these performance checks will help in identifying and eliminating certain performance-related bottlenecks in a software product at the earliest possible time. 

What does a Software Test Engineer do?

The role of a software tester is no less important than that of a software developer, even after the completion of the software development process. Software testing approach often depends on the kind of methodology you adopt for the development of your project. It can vary from waterfall to agile to DevOps. Let us discuss the various roles of software test engineers based on the SDLC model: 

1) Waterfall 

In the waterfall methodology, software testing gets separated from the other domains based on specific roles and responsibilities. QAs need to perform their testing separately from the developers. Test cases are created right at the beginning of the project. Elaborate documentation is required in this model so that testers can be well-versed in the project requirements. They can easily perform testing activities by referring to the documentation approved at the beginning of the project. 

2) Agile 

The agile model is much more collaborative than the waterfall model. Each team is collectively involved throughout the software development lifecycle. The best thing is that software test engineers collaborate with developers to share their ideas while maintaining streamlined communication with clients, product owners, etc. This model allows the QA team to provide continuous feedback to ensure the highest software quality of the product. Testers maintain a reusable checklist to update the changes as they vary from iteration to iteration. This model is useful for large and complex projects that might require changes from time to time. 

3) DevOps 

Testing in the DevOps environment is a continuous and automated process focused on a faster time to market. In this model, testing is done at every stage of the SDLC (software development lifecycle). Each SDLC step includes independent levels of testing, with testing responsibilities shared at each stage of the project to identify bugs and defects. 

Conclusion:

The role of the software tester is gaining popularity as they detect errors and fix the bugs responsible for ruining the software's quality. They are fully involved in various stages of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). They are not only focused on improving the quality of the software product but also protecting its reliability to make it safe for wide usage. 

If you do not have software testers on your team and are looking to hire one, you have two options to consider: either outsource software testing or hire project-based testers🪲 

With Amplifyre's Open Bench, you can easily hire software test engineers for your next project. The platform offers a smooth hiring experience by letting you browse available professionals based on their skill set, pricing, location, and so much more. 

Once you choose a candidate, you can further contact prevetted companies to interview the candidates and discuss several contract terms, such as the project start date, payment terms, etc.