Runtime - The Software Outsourcing Newsletter
for Executives and Investors
from Accelerance and Steve MezakIn this issue: Don’t be ashamed of your software. Here’s a cost effective way to test your software, even if you have little or no specifications.
Are Your Ashamed of Your Software?
Companies will often ignore the quality of their software until it is too late. This can spiral down to create a sense of shame about the software, and the process by which it was created. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You can put an effective outsourced QA process in place even if you have lousy or non-existent specifications and test plans. And it’s not as expensive as you think when using professional offshore testing services.
The phone rang one day and it was the VP of Engineering of a local software company calling. They were about to launch the Beta release of their software service. "Congratulations!" I said.
"There is just one problem," warned the VP. "We haven’t done any testing and every time I run the software, it breaks. And out Beta release is in 4 weeks!"
I almost dropped the phone. But in the end, they were able to use an Accelerance partner to apply resources immediately and on-site to complete the testing on time.
How did the VP get into such a pickle? There are three main reasons that cause software to turn out bad:
(1) You have no specifications or test plans and so there is no way to objectively measure your quality or completeness.
(2) You have a spec that you created yourself but without consulting with users or customers. Will the software be useful? Maybe.
(3) You have a good spec, approved by users, but you don’t have the time or resources to test your software.No matter what the reason, your results can be a real mess, leading to software you should be ashamed of!
Is it shameful? I think it is better to have the courage to take action despite your failures. Learn from your mistakes, and especially the mistakes of others. Debilitating emotions like shame are just harmful to your health and success.
What if the root of your problem is #3? Is it a sin to emphasize features over quality? Not necessarily. Sometimes it is a reasonable choice to sacrifice quality to get mostly working software into the hands of users. But be careful of this approach.
I remember downloading the latest Netscape browser in July of 1995. I was shocked at its limited printing capability. HTML form elements like text boxes and buttons did not appear on web page print outs.How could a popular company like Netscape release such crappy software a month before going IPO?
Of course this issue did get fixed and Netscape went on to fame and fortune – at least for a few years. But ten years later, I still remember thinking, “Netscape – you should be ashamed!”
What’s the lesson? You only have one chance to make a good first impression.
Believe me, I know! I have seen too many demos that ended in disaster. Software often has a conspicuous way of letting you know it is broken. But sometimes the problems can be more subtle, like when the software does not work in the way the user was expecting.
Criticism from users can be hard to hear. Of course, there is no point in taking this criticism personally. Learn from your mistakes and always keep the benefits and end goals of your software in mind.
If you have no specifications then it seems like a serious and robust QA process is impossible.
And it probably is. But...
What if you outsource your QA to a vendor that can work with you on-site to identify the major features and functions to be tested? Through a series of interviews and exercises they can quickly create test plans for your software based on years of experience doing the same thing for other clients.
Several Accelerance partners are capable of putting engineers on-site temporarily as needed to form a bridge to professional QA resources offshore.
Of course if you already have a spec then you can work with outsourced QA that is offshore to begin with.
There is no excuse for not testing your software. And with low-cost offshore outsourcing, it is affordable for almost everyone developing software today.
Don’t be shamed by your software! The new Outsourcing Jumpstart – QA service gives you the contact information for six pre-screened and expert QA vendors in India, Mexico, Ukraine and Vietnam. You also get a 15-page guide to selecting your QA vendor and an hour of consulting with Accelerance to help you make your final choice.
The best way to jumpstart your offshore outsourcing is with the Accelerance Outsourcing Jumpstart services. The short list of pre-qualified vendors and the included advice is all you need to start your outsourcing quickly and safely. Guaranteed.
See http://www.accelerance.com/osjstech.htm for details on the special Outsourcing Jumpstart – QA service.
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The Runtime Bottom Line: QA is often treated as the ugly step-sister of software development. Yet it can mean the difference between success and shameful failure. Don’t even let shame and failure be an option for you. Outsource the QA of your software with a professional offshore vendor.
Until next time,
Steve Mezak
Accelerance, Inc.
Risk-Free Outsourcing
213 Garcia Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
1-650-712-8990(c) 2006 Accelerance, Inc. All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the "Runtime" eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear.
The attribution should read:
"By Steve Mezak, CEO of Accelerance, Inc. Please visit the Accelerance web site at http://www.Accelerance.com for more information and resources on outsourcing and creating great software."
