Testing a Newly Developed Software System

From a testing point of view, there is a vast difference in the way testing should be done when the project is about customising an existing software or when the whole system is being built from scratch. Let us look at both scenarios and understand where the difference lies.

• When the project is about customizing existing software -

The project requirements are what needs to be fulfilled by the system, but a different point of view here is that any added functionality that comes as a part and parcel of the existing system should not cause a breach or violate those requirements. So whenever you are doing testing of such software, it is important to test the base of the software and see if the existing functionalities give any added benefits or if it violates any validations or restrictions that are mentioned in the requirements.

For example, in the case of a CRM system, there could be a feature wherein it is possible to create multiple leads using the same email id or other contact information. So we need to map this feature with the existing specifications and see if it fits the project or some customization needs to be done in it. At times there could be some additional features that don't map to any of the requirements, then in such a case the clients should be informed of the same via demo call and email.

• When the project is being built from scratch -

By the phrase 'built from scratch' we mean that the complete system is custom developed from the beginning and there is no component that is part of any open source or premium software or system that is already existing. For such software, it is important to note that we should look for each and every aspect that nowadays we have started ignoring as common practice.

Some of the major examples of such scenarios include

1. Notifications we get for each activity that we perform. - When we use any software or application or gadget, it is important to understand that every notification that we get and so easily ignore has a dedicated piece of code because of which it is coming. We generally either mute these notifications or cross them out at the first chance we get just thinking how easy life would be if these notifications did not block the screen display every now and then. But then there are times, like when we make a payment or when its payday and we are waiting for that bank-account filling message, then at that time, the whole notification system means the world to us.

So when you are testing a newly built system, please keep in mind the activities that a user performs generate the right amount of response notifications and your client and their customers in turn are not left in a puddle thinking whether things worked or not. In case the designs are missing, the development should be evaluated in regards with the theme of the UI that has been used thus far and then bugs should be logged for every issue that is encountered.

So, I hope this blog helps outline some of the major factors that are considered while testing.

At Oodles ERP, we provide custom ERP software solutions with a focus on enhancing business productivity through next-gen technology implementations. Our custom ERP development services include end-to-end software testing for quality assurance and software maintenance. For more information, contact us at [email protected].