Top Six Software Testing Trends to Watch Out in 2020

According to a recent report by Nelson Hall, 24% of all the spending in software testing, is for Next-gen testing, which is growing at a rapid rate of 12% CAGR for the years 2018-2023.

To gain a significant position among competitors in the market, enterprises are always striving to bring in the best quality products for their customers. To achieve that, effective software testing, which has a shift-left approach, is very crucial, along with the software development life cycle (SDLC). Efficient software quality assurance will not only facilitate faster release cycles but also enable quicker ROI. 

Therefore, organizations must pay proper heed to the significant emerging trends in software testing, which is bringing on evolution in the entire quality assurance process. Some of the most significant software testing trends to look out for in 2020 include: 

1. AI and ML to add value to testing approaches

CIOs across renowned organizations have Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the top of their priorities list in 2020. Research says, in North America alone, there is an estimated market value of approximately $6-7 billion for AI. 2020 will be the year of advanced user interface features like gesture and speech recognition, with the power of machine learning. Several reports have also pointed out how AI will facilitate intelligent automation and thereby make software testing smarter in 2020 and the future.  

Apart from assisting quality assurance experts in optimizing their test automation strategies, AI/ML also prioritizes the test cases that need to be executed based on the detection ad classification of the probable defects. Certain areas in software testing where artificial intelligence is set to make a difference include:

• Test requirements – Ensuring the coverage of test requirements by drawing keywords out of the RTM (Requirements Traceability Matrix).

• Analysis of log and defects – Identifying specific test cases that require automated as well as manual testing, along with application defects and areas prone to causing business risks.

• Optimization of test suites – Detection and elimination of redundant test cases that do not require execution.

• Behavior analytics prediction – Forecasting critical factors based on specific features of user behavior and identifying the most significant focus areas.

Agile teams, therefore, need to pay more attention to onboarding skillsets related to data science, mathematics, and statistical research, to add significant value to the core domain expertise of test automation. 

2. Agile and DevOps Approaches

Quality assurance experts are more inclined towards automating more than half of their tests, and that preference will continue to gain momentum in 2020 as well. Agile and DevOps approaches have brought about a welcome evolution in test automation practices, as these processes facilitate a better quality of product and also a way faster release cycle. Software test automation powered by Agile and DevOps results in efficient and quick testing of repetitive tasks. 

DevOps involves techniques, tools, and practices, which simplify collaboration among several departments, from development to operations. In this approach, software testing is made a significant part of the development cycle itself. Thus, Agile and DevOps are trends that are rapidly gaining popularity, as they enhance the software quality as well as enable a faster release cycle.  

3. Big Data Testing Practices

Big data refers to huge volumes of data sets that might either be structured or non-structured. For organizations across several industries, it is mandatory to deal with humongous amounts of data that come in all types. All these data play significant roles in optimizing and categorizing the processes of decision making. 

Therefore, testing of Big data is essential, because it assists in better decision-making, through validations of precise data as well as by enhancing the market strategies. With more enterprises, focusing on a data-oriented approach, Big data testing is going to be an emerging trend, which will see exponential growth.  

4. Testing of IoT Devices

In a recent report, Gartner has projected a rise in IoT devices around the globe, and the number is expected to reach more than 20.5 billion. 

Software testing of IoT devices involves testing for usability, security assurance, scalability, consistency, reliability, compatibility among different versions and protocols in various devices, the authenticity of the device, connection delays, the versatility of the items in programming, evaluation of data integrity and so on. 

Report says, most QA teams lack a proper strategy when it comes to testing IoT devices. Given the upsurge in the IoT devices in 2020, Software testing experts need to create proper strategies and be updated with their usability, performance, and security skills when IoT testing is concerned. 

5. Evolution to Performance Engineering

The year 2020 will witness an iconic transformation of performance testing practices towards performance engineering. The performance of an application or product has great importance for any organization that owns or develops it. Enterprises always strive to achieve the optimum performance level in their applications. Performance engineering is an approach that focusses on crucial aspects like the quality of configuration, usage practicality and convenience, the value it provides to the customers for their ultimate experiences, etc. 

In performance engineering, several verticals, like the software, hardware, security, performance, usability, configuration, and business value, collaborate to offer customers the highest quality of the product, which is even beyond the customers’ expectations. 

6. Mobile Test Automation for Better User Experience

With applications that run on mobile and e-commerce being on the rise, it has become a crucial practice to conduct software testing to ensure proper functionality of the devices, the various platforms and operating systems that the applications run on. Since mobile applications are more widely used for any business, they are definite determiners and enablers of businesses to reach newer heights of success. Customers must be presented with an interface that is not only visually appealing but effectively functional as well. 

Therefore, a DevOps approach to mobile test automation must be considered. Additionally, usability testing is an essential aspect, to ensure continued customer satisfaction, if businesses want to continue winning the confidence of their clients. 

As technology goes through unprecedented changes every passing day, organizations must be aware of the trends, as mentioned above, that will drive the software testing domain in the year 2020. Driving towards achieving each of these will help businesses stay at par with the tough competition in the market.