Building and maintaining a software development company is not an easy task. Even if you are not a big company yet and a start-up with a great software idea, there is much hard work that goes into having a presence in the industry.

At the initial stage, you consider the resources, do the research, and focus on developing the idea into a software. It’s like having a baby. But the difference is that, here, you are creating it with a team of developers and programmers. After this, when you will consider testing the product for giving it a final touch, it is highly probable that you won’t think the testing stage to be important. Here goes the blunder.

The testing stage is as much prominent to the company as the Developing part. It is a common misunderstanding that it is not. As we always say, it is the maintenance that matters. So, while entering into the testing process, consider outsourcing it to a software testing company. Because even if you are a good company in developing apps, there are companies in the world who specialize in testing. They have been a professional in the industry so you might as well ask them to test your app for you.

Now to the main question of this article. What to look for in these companies? What are the qualities to look for while selecting the testing company? Well, don’t worry. We are here for you.

Before discussing the qualities to look for in a software testing company, lets first understand what is software testing?

Software Testing:

To be precise, Software testing is a study of the software steered to deliver information regarding its quality. In simpler words, A check performed on the working of the Software.

It can be done in two ways:

1. Black box software testing: Professional testing by a tester who is qualified for it.
2. White box software testing: Testing by non-technical end-users.

Software Testing Company:

Quite obviously, A Software testing company is an organization built for the sole reason of testing different software and making quality checks.

Now as the basics are clear, below we discuss 15 things to look for while making this important decision of selecting the company.

1. Experience:

The company you are hiring must have some experience in the industry. You can simply check it by going through their portfolio and earlier work. Usability, Delivery of performance, Load balancing capabilities, Design, Marketing, Coding strategies, etc can be the parameters to look for in the portfolio.

2. Qualification:

Don’t go by the name. Even if a company is popular in the industry, does not mean that it will give you a good service. Check the qualification. Even if it is a small company, if it has qualified professional testers, it can be hired. Look for the qualification of the team of testers and not the fame or size of the company.

3. Coding Standards & Framework:

The company should have a standard coding system and a pre-set framework in which the testers work. If not, you surely don’t want to lose or corrupt all your hard work by giving it away in a bad testing environment. An organized coding system and a structured framework are the musts for having good code maintainability.

4. Service:

The services that the company is providing should be confirmed beforehand and mainly the scope of the provisions. It will help your collaboration in the long run as you would beforehand know to what extent to expect from the service provider.

5. Location:

It can be a tough choice if you have to choose between a good foreign company or a moderate domestic company. Be careful while choosing a foreign company as there are some barriers like a different language, cultural and technical differences, etc. Be smart in making this choice.

6. Service Level Agreement:

By definition, it is a contract signed between both the Companies. The client and the provider. SLAs, as they are called in the industry, are the defining factor of the expected output. Be alert while signing it and make sure you both know all the aspects of the deal and agree to it completely.

Some key pointers that are a must in an SLA:

• Business know-how
• Timelines of reporting
• Knowledge transfer
• Process compliance
• Project management
• Quality measures

7. Flexibility:

The company’s approach towards the deal and then work should be flexible. If any occurrence happens which suggests some change or modulation in the contract then the company is supposed to be open for it. Avoid working with people who are rigid and won’t change the policy under any circumstance as anything unpredictable can happen. The verifying factors at this point are Ease of exit, , Capabilities, etc.

8. Quality Improvement:

It is not wrong if and when you expect from the testing company that the product you are giving to them should come out as better than before. It is the provider’s, and yes, simultaneously your job to improve the quality of the product at the end of the process.

9. Intellectual Property Protection:

Intellectual Property Protection AKA IP is a term used to describe the intangible property used commercially. Ideas, designs, artistic work, Inventions, and symbols, etc. Make sure to protect your IP while dealing with another testing company.

10. Security:

Continuing with the earlier point, the security of a company is important as the software must be having al the sensitive data about the company. So, decision making should also consider this factor of security. The provider should provide the expected security to the software.

11. Infrastructure:

It will make no sense if the company you are hiring for testing is not having the right type of equipment that supports your product. Therefore, you should confirm that the company is having a well-settled infrastructure that matches your product’s compatibility. It must be having all the tools and techniques to run the test. The factors which are to be considered are hardware, backend database systems, platforms, software, operating system, testing tools, etc.

12. Management Style:

The managerial approach of both the companies must match. To help establish good communication, the language used and the ethics of the companies should be in line with each other.

13. Responsibility and Accountability:

No one wants to work with someone irresponsible and unaccountable. Punctuality, Accountability are some of the primary factors to consider while choosing the company. If any blunder happens, the respective people should take responsibility for it.

14. Costing:

If all the above-mentioned things go fine, consider deciding the actual cost of working with the company. The provider who is giving you the maximum ROI should be chosen. The aspects on which the ROI is to decide are overall value addition, quality, and timely delivery.

15. Documentation:

When hiring a software testing company, you must ensure that the company is having all the required documentation standards which are needed. Easy access to the documents and a well-documented deal is the base of a good collaboration. Test plans, scripts, test scenarios, and test results are some of the documents you need to be proper.

Conclusion

Even if you work in a big company or you are a part of a startup, consider outsourcing the testing to a sensible company as it will save you a lot of time and effort. And more importantly, it will be less costly. It also encourages you to have concentrated on your core work, that is, the development.

So, if you consider all these factors and more, you won’t have any trouble later. It is the need of the hour to test any software which exists today but at the same time, the people and companies who are testing also need to be verified. And here we come in to guide you through this verification and selection process. So, Trust the testers and outsource it!

About VTEST

VTEST is an independent software testing company catering to product and service teams across the globe. We are a team of software testers who are passionate about quality and love to test. We develop an in-depth understanding of the applications under test and include software testing services strategies that deliver quantifiable results.

In short, we help in building incredible software.