Typical benefits of process improvement
In this second blog on test process improvement, we look at the benefits that you can expect to realise as you implement new and improved ways of working.
Test process improvement benefits can be broken down into direct and indirect types. Sometimes the indirect benefits are larger, or more important, than the direct ones, so they should not be ignored. It is well worth taking into account the indirect benefits when the overall value of an improvement program is being calculated.
Because long-term investments can be allocated to improvement programs, it is also critical that the return on investment (ROI) of an improvement program is calculated accurately and consistently.
Direct benefits of process improvement
Direct benefits include:
- A rise in productivity
- Early defect detection resulting in a reduced need for live fixing
Indirect benefits of process improvement
Indirect benefits include:
- Improved staff experiences leading to increased morale and motivation and as a result, better quality work
- Increased customer loyalty
- Allows greater movement of employees within projects
- Improved working environments
- Recognition of testing as a profession
- Integration of testing into the development process, irrespective of the methodology being followed (for example following a traditional model like v- model or where agile is used).
- TMMi will help guide the introduction and use of a structured and controlled set of test processes.
Return on investment
Return on investment (ROI) is calculated by direct costs and benefits, since it is easier to quantify direct costs than indirect ones.
Our next blog will give more detail on how ROI can be calculated for a test process improvement initiative.
General benefits
While there are specific benefits, there are also general ones to consider that can be just as important and valuable, so they should not be ignored. General benefits include:
- Organisations are enabled to be more effective and efficient
- Product quality can be improved
- Increased testing productivity – potentially leading to shorter delivery time frames
- TMMi suits any development life cycle model
- There is a shift-left paradigm, moving from defect detection to defect prevention
This is not a full list, but just to set a scene for the kinds of improvements that may be expected.
As yet, there is little published information about costs and benefits from assessments. In fact, most organisations will want to keep that information confidential, particularly those that are not performing well.
Take a look at our test process improvement page for more detail on how we can help you realise these benefits.
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