The World of Software Testing in 2022

What is Software Testing?

Software testing is the process of executing a program with the intent of finding bugs.

Software testing has been around for decades, but it is changing and evolving with time.

Software testing is changing with the emergence of new technologies. Automated testing, AI testers and coded testers are now helping software engineers and testers do their jobs more efficiently.

The future of software testing seems to be increasingly populated with AI testing assistants which will help test and release new software updates more efficiently with delivery times usually on time. In the future, software development will require greater emphasis on automation and AI to do the work for developers. but what does that mean for software testers?

What skills are required, and how will roles evolve in 2022?

Software Testing Best Practices in 2022

Software testing is a process of evaluating software's quality. It is a necessary part of the software development life cycle to ensure that the application performs as expected and delivers the desired value.

But what are the 3 Pillars of Software Testing and what do they mean in terms of the skills required of software testers in 2022 and beyond?

Put simply, companies have largely embraced the efficiencies that some with automating software testing. The use of automation tools for software testing is becoming more popular as these tools can find different types of bugs that humans may not be able to see. In addition, automation provides an opportunity for testers to focus on other aspects of software quality assurance such as performance, security, and usability.

However, the reality is that billions of dollars are wasted annually on poor testing automation solutions. There are many reasons for this, but in principle, testing automation is only effective when carefully managed by software testers that understand the three principles - pillars - that make a test automation effort successful.

Software testing automation based on these typically is flexible enough to suit current requirements, but also grows and is flexible enough to change in line with future needs.

Pillar #1 - Usability

How usable is your software testing framework? What percentage of people can use it?

Very often, a high-level developer puts together a software testing solution, which sets the technical bar pretty high, and uses automation to remove manual processes and create efficiencies. The problem, however, is that only a small number of people in the whole organization can use it. This creates bottlenecks, and is not easily repeatable, so few if any new tests get automated.

Ultimately, a company will focus on what generates revenue. When developers, testers and analysts are all able to interact with the solution and to automate new tests, that’s when things become much more scalable.

Pillar #2 - Maintainability

When it comes to updating a piece of software, are there any major limitations to how much code you can change?

Great test automation should be designed like a car. All of the controls you need to operate it (steering wheel, pedals, wipers, etc.) are inside where they’re near the operator.

But anything needing regular maintenance (gas tank, wiper fluid, oil dipstick, etc.) are in an area where they’re out of the way but still fairly easy to get to.

If maintaining your car were as difficult as changing your brakes, nobody would want to drive one. And if maintaining the test automation is just as difficult as writing the original code for it, people will be resistant to use it.

The key question is, how can you design your platform so that the things that need maintenance are easy for people to use?

Pillar #3 - Extendability

In general, when it's time to add new software testing abilities, is it possible to just change the solution and include those?

Have you built your solution so tightly that it's impossible to change anything without crashing the whole thing?

Many organizations struggle with this. The developers want to solve the problems observable today in an efficient amount of time and using a relatively small number of lines of code. This means they will be able to make adjustments later on with ease.

Businesses may face tough decisions when trying to extend solutions. Rebuilding a system from scratch can be costly, but so is using workarounds that don’t actually address the problem (and result in longer maintenance).

It is absolutely possible to write solutions that will keep extendibility in mind, but it is vital to keep the solution loose enough to expand and contract for change later.

The Top 4 Skills for Successful Software Testers in 2022

While some of the skills required of software testers are obvious, others are based on new and emerging trends - and are based on the idea that embracing AI and machine learning, and augmenting them with a layer of human intelligence, is vital to creating testing frameworks that will stand the test of time.

With this in mind, the top four skills for successful software testers are:

→ Coding skills: Software testers need to be able to code in order to identify potential bugs in a program's code.

→ Artificial intelligence and machine learning: These two fields can help software testers with their jobs by automating some of their tasks like identifying bugs or automating test cases.

→ Communication skills: Good communication skills are essential for any job, but they are especially important for software testers since they need to communicate with developers, clients and customers on a regular basis.

→ Problem solving skills: Software testers need to be good problem solvers.

Conclusion: AI & Machine Learning will Significantly Affect Software Testing Jobs in 2022

Software testing jobs are already significantly affected by AI and machine learning technologies. According to research by McKinsey there is a possibility that more than one-third of the software testing jobs will be replaced by AI and ML by the end of 2022.

Also, the software testing market is growing rapidly with multiple variations of the profession available to IT companies. The Software Testing Market size exceeded USD 40 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% from 2020 to 2026.

Because software testing is so important, every enterprise needs to stay on top of their software testing game. This creates opportunities as well as challenges for software testers in 2022. Those that are constantly learning new skills, and that embrace the new technology coming down the line, will be those best paced to succeed in 2022 and beyond.

IDS provide a range of specialist testing and consulting services to help clients achieve data quality.

We have a team of experts with deep knowledge of the latest software and data technologies. Our in-house specialists offer a range of testing services to help you get the most from your IT investments.

Get in touch to discover more about IDS' specialist testing services and book a free consultation today.