A TMMi assessment team led by Lead Assessor Simon Frankish of Experimentus has certified the Saudi Irrigation Organization (QA IT Department) to Level 3 of the Test Maturity Model integration.
This was carried out in conjunction with our partner TestCrew and is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of all involved in the TMM process improvement journey.
To see how TMMi could help you improve, take a look at our TMMi pages.
A TMMi assessment team, led by Lead Assessor Simon Frankish of Experimentus has certified Social Development Bank (Information Technology / Quality Control) of Saudi Arabia to Level 5 of TMMi.
This was carried out in conjunction with our partner, TestCrew and is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of all involved in the TMMi journey.
To see more about TMMi and how it could help you, take a look at our TMMi page
As we step into another new year, the world of software testing holds exciting opportunities and possibilities. It’s a good time to reflect on the past year, considering the ever-evolving landscape of technology. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to take a look at five trends in software testing we noticed last year – and fear not, AI is not among them; I am sure you have all quite frankly heard enough about artificial intelligence. So, with that in mind, let’s begin.
The concept of agile organisations has been discussed for some time, but it gained renewed importance in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses are striving to remain relevant in unpredictable environments, and agility has become more than just a development methodology—it’s a mindset that emphasises continuous improvement, adaptability, and customer-centricity. This evolution is clearly evident in the trends shaping agile quality management (AQM) practices today.
The adoption of agile principles has moved beyond its infancy, with most organisations deeply entrenched in their agile and DevOps journeys. Nevertheless, the approaches taken by quality engineering organisations vary. Some have chosen a grassroots approach, starting with workforce transformation, while others have opted for a top-down approach, restructuring their quality engineering (QE) from a procedural standpoint.
Many organisations are prioritising development skills over traditional testing abilities as the most essential qualities for quality engineers. Proficiency in development-oriented skills such as C#, Java, SQL, Python, and CI/CD ranks at the top, while traditional testing skills like automation and performance tooling lag behind. Other organisations are undergoing workforce transformations, turning their traditional quality engineers into full-stack quality engineers. When viewed through the lenses of organisation setup and critical skills, it becomes evident that most organisations are taking a grassroots or reactive approach, prioritising the upskilling of their teams before instituting broader organisational changes.
Interestingly, despite the shift towards more Agile practices, the World Quality Report 2023-24 reveals that 70% of organisations still maintain a Test Centre of Excellence (TCoE). This might appear counterintuitive because, on the surface, it may seem that centralised testing hubs are at odds with the decentralised, agile principles that have gained prominence. However, it underscores the enduring importance placed on promoting testing skills and ensuring consistency in the ever-evolving landscape of software testing.
The growing concern for sustainability has made its way into various aspects of our lives, including software testing, where sustainability has become an important consideration. When we look at the current state of software testing, it’s clear that sustainability has moved from being a peripheral issue to a central theme.
In the World Quality Report, an overwhelming majority of respondents, a significant 97%, indicated that Quality Engineering (QE) actively contributes to promoting sustainability within their organisations. This statistic highlights a strong commitment to sustainability within the software testing community, showing that professionals in this field actively encourage more environmentally responsible practices in IT.
73% of survey participants described themselves as highly active or key enablers in driving sustainability best practices within their organisations. This high level of engagement demonstrates that individuals in the software testing community are not content with superficial efforts; they are actively driving meaningful change.
This enthusiasm for sustainability comes with a significant challenge – identifying and implementing the right metrics. 63% of respondents recognised that their top priority over the next 12 months is to better understand how to measure and report on green metrics in their QE testing processes. This challenge reflects the complexity of evaluating sustainability within the context of software testing.
The rise in the number of TMMi (Test Maturity Model integration) certifications reflects a growing recognition of its potential benefits within the software testing industry. TMMi has proven to be a valuable framework with numerous advantages.
According to findings from the TMMi 2nd World-wide User Survey, 94% of organisations employing TMMi have reported experiencing significant improvements in product quality. These improvements manifest in the form of reduced product risks and a decreased number of defects.
One of the key areas where TMMi demonstrates its effectiveness is in test efficiency. 78% of organisations using TMMi have seen improvements in their testing processes. This improvement translates to increased testing productivity, allowing teams to achieve more in less time while maintaining a high level of quality assurance.
TMMi has also proven instrumental in promoting compliance with industry standards and best practices. 85% of organisations reported that TMMi helped them achieve test certification and standard compliance. This is especially valuable in industries with strict regulatory requirements, where adherence to established standards is non-negotiable.
What is particularly interesting is the growing number of recertifications. This upward trend indicates that organisations are adopting TMMi and recognising its long-term value. The fact that more organisations are seeking recertification highlights the sustained benefits they derive from implementing TMMi practices.
The World Quality Report highlights a significant shift in the perception of automation. What stands out prominently is that 54% of survey respondents have identified “Risk Reduction” as the foremost benefit that automation should provide. We find this very interesting.
Traditionally, automation in software testing has primarily been associated with two core benefits: increased efficiency and reduced effort. It has been a strategic tool used to expedite repetitive and time-consuming testing tasks, allowing organisations to save time and resources while maintaining a consistent level of testing coverage. The automation mantra was often centred around doing more with less, streamlining workflows, and achieving quicker test execution.
However, the survey data suggests a noteworthy departure from this conventional perspective. The fact that a majority of respondents now prioritise “Risk Reduction” as the primary goal of automation signals a significant shift. This shift implies that organisations are placing greater emphasis on the quality of their software rather than solely focusing on speed and efficiency.
The newfound focus on “Risk Reduction” indicates a more quality-oriented approach to test automation. Organisations recognise that automation can be pivotal in identifying and mitigating risks early in the software development lifecycle. By leveraging automation to conduct comprehensive testing, including regression testing, security testing, and performance testing, they can proactively uncover vulnerabilities, defects, and potential issues that could jeopardise the software’s stability, security, or functionality.
The World Quality Report states that another important success factor is to have the right skills in QA Teams. When we looked at the data, quality assurance skills were rated as the most important over domain or platform skills required for testing digital core solutions.
This data point feels like an outlier compared to two other data points – 35% of organisations still utilise business users in validating digital core solutions, and 33% of organisations pointed to gaps in domain expertise as a challenge to overcome when testing digital core solutions. While solid testing and quality assurance skills are sought after due to the nature of digital core solutions, domain expertise remains invaluable.
The most important skill set when testing digital core solutions is QA knowledge. This is very interesting as it is acknowledged that in the intricate landscape of software testing, a well-rounded skill set prioritising QA knowledge is the key to ensuring the success and quality of digital core solutions.
In conclusion, as we say goodbye to 2023, it’s clear that last year was a year of notable developments, challenges, and opportunities. As we move forward into the new year, these trends will likely continue shaping the software testing landscape.
And let’s not forget about AI and machine learning (ML). While we didn’t focus much on them in this article, their impact on software testing cannot be completely ignored. In the upcoming year, we can expect various challenges, such as streamlining testing processes, automating repetitive tasks, and ensuring testing strategies keep pace with rapidly evolving technology.
With each challenge and opportunity that comes our way, the industry will keep evolving, leading us towards more robust and efficient quality assurance practices.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts on these observations and any challenges you foresee in the field of software testing for the next year.
Experimentus have recently completed a TMMi Level 3 re-certification assessment on Heitech Padu Berhad (Testing Service) of Malaysia and the TMMi Foundation have now re-certified them to Level 3.
TMMi (the Test Maturity Model integration) is the world’s leading test process improvement framework and certification scheme and, as such, all at Heitech can be very proud to have been certified again.
Our thanks go to all at Heitech for their hard work. In particular to Nor Izzati Jamaludin for her sponsorship and organisation of the assessment.
Interestingly, we are now seeing more and more re-certifications – a testimony to the lasting value that organisations are finding TMMi gives them.
Experimentus have just completed a TMMi Level 3 re-certification assessment on the Bank of England (Digital Assurance and Productivity) and the TMMi Foundation have re-certified them to Level 3.
TMMi (the Test Maturity Model integration) is the world’s leading test process improvement framework and certification scheme and, as such, all at the Bank can be very proud to have been certified again.
The assessment team was led by Adrian Howes of Experimentus and our thanks go to all at the Bank for their hard work. In particular to Raj Nandagopal, Nigel Smith and George Hendry-Smith for their sponsorship and organisation of the assessment.
