LTS QA

Quality assurance (QA) is always of paramount importance to any IT business as it can make or break an IT product or service. That’s why millions of IT firms outsource software testing to top software testing companies to ensure the highest caliber for their web apps, mobile apps, and electronic devices.

Among a handful of software testing companies, we have delved deep, synthesized, and analyzed data to shortlist the top 10 trusted testing partners for businesses in all industries to pick and choose.

• Criteria for this list boil down to:
• Considerable years of experience (>5 years);
• Prestigious awards and global certification in testing;
• Verified client reviews (>4.7 average scores);
• Large-scale IT talent pool (>90 employees);
• Diverse domains, and technology expertise.

Let’s zoom in on juggernauts in software testing and honest reviews of their service!

Top 10 Software Testing Companies

1. Lotus Quality Assurance

Lotus Quality Assurance is the first independent Software Testing Company in Vietnam. Currently, we have subsidiaries in Japan & the United States to completely fulfill clients’ demands for quality assurance of diverse domains regardless of geographical distance.

During the years of operation, LQA has developed experience in industry specialization to best support our client’s growth. Thanks to the relentless efforts of our passionate and talented team throughout the years, we have earned trust from clients in the most demanding markets of the USA, Japan, Korea, and more.

Besides, belonging to LTS Group’s solution ecosystem, LQA can also provide software development services, becoming a one-stop destination for businesses when looking for technology or digital transformation solution.

• Headquarters: Vietnam.
• Founded year: 2016
• Employees: 300+
• Hourly rate: <25$ / hr
• Core Services: SW/HW integration testing, Mobile Application Testing, Automation Testing, Web Application Testing, Embedded Software Testing, Quality Assurance Consultation, QA Staff hiring, etc.
• Key Clients: TOSHIBA, Panasonic, Sk Telecom, LG Electronics, MB Bank, Infiniq, SQC, Perxtech, Verb Data, Ascentis, Qualcomm, Kick ID, etc.

• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. Top Vietnam IT Outsourcing Service in 2021 (Sao Khue Award – the most reliable and prestigious assessment program of Vietnam in the field of software and IT services)
2. ISTQB Silver Partner
3. #1 Software Testing Company In Vietnam recognized by Clutch

2. DeviQA

DeviQA is one of the well-known software testing outsourcing companies that collaborate with large enterprises and SMEs across diverse domains. Whether you need to set up a QA team from scratch, optimize an existing QA process, or scale up an in-house team, DeviQA is a global leader in Quality Assurance to go for.

• Headquarters: Poland
• Founded year: 2010
• Employees: 200+
• Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr
• Core Services: QA outsourcing, QA consulting, automation testing, manual testing, performance testing, functional testing, full cycle testing, mobile app testing, web app testing, API testing, etc
• Key Clients: Mimecast, Biznessapps, Sprinklr, WeHeartIt, SoftNas, UBTteam, Connexient, SimplePractise, etc
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. ISO 9001:2015
2. ISO 20000:2018
3. ISO 27001:2013
4. Top Company for Software Testing in 2022 recognized by Clutch
5. Top 1000 Companies Global in 2022 recognized by Clutch
6. Leading Testing Providers in 2021 recognized by Software Testing News
7. Top QA & Software Testing Companies in 2020 recognized by techreviewer.co

3. QualityLogic

QualityLogic is a well-established and fast-growing software testing company. With over 30 years of experience in the QA industry, they yield seasoned testing experts for myriad companies working in multiple domains. QualityLogic supports businesses with QA processes and proven QA solutions.

• Headquarters: Idaho, USA.
• Founded year: 1986
• Employees: 51 – 200
• Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr
• Core Services: Mobile App Testing, Web App Testing, API Testing, etc.
• Key Clients: Verizon Wireless, Cisco, OpenADR, Hawaiian Electric, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. Top Software Testing Company in 2023 recognized by Clutch
2. Top Software Testing Company in the United States (2023) identified by Clutch

4. QAMentor

QA Mentor is an award-winning software testing company headquartered in New York with 15 offices worldwide. Serving 437 clients from startups to Fortune 500 organizations in 28 countries and nine industries, QAMentor is a reliable partner when it comes to software testing services.

• Headquarters: New York, USA.
• Founded year: 2010
• Employees: 313
• Hourly rate: <$25/ hr
• Core Services: Mobile Testing, Functional Testing, Automation Testing, Compatibility Testing, Load/Stress/Performance Testing, Security/Penetration Testing, Crowdsourced Testing, Regression Testing, Migration Testing, Database Testing, API Testing, AI Testing, Internet of Things Testing, Big Data Testing.
• Key Clients: HSBC, Citi, Experian, Amazon, Zyto, BrainMatch, ChefMod, ITCInfotech, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. CMMI Level 3 SVC + SSD v1.3 appraised;
2. ISO 27001:2013, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 20000-1 certified;
3. 102 Industry Awards

5. A1QA

A1QA provides Software QA and Testing Services to critical players in the global market including Fortune 500 companies. The global presence gives A1QA an opportunity to deliver QA services in any time zone and comply with any project requirements.

• Headquarters: Colorado, USA.
• Founded year: 2003
• Employees: 1100+
• Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr
• Core Services: Full-cycle testing, Consulting, Web Applications, Automation, etc.
  Key Clients: Adidas, QIWI, Pearson, Kaspersky, InterCall, Equisys, ForexClub, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. ISO 9001:2015
2. ISO 27001:2013
3. Agile certifications: PMI – ACP (Agile Certified Practioner)
4. PMP certification (Project Management Professional)
5. IAOP Global Outsourcing 100 in 2023 recognized by Forrester
6. Leading Testing Providers 2023 recognized by Software Testing News
7. Globee Awards Gold Winner (IT World Awards Information Technology Cyber Security)
8. Top Software Testing Companies recognized by Goodfirm

6. QASource

QASource is one of the renowned software testing companies in the USA providing QA services for over 23 years to industries like Cyber Security, Legal, Healthcare, Finance, Retail, Startup, etc. On-time delivery and customized solution are what make QASource a chosen partner for businesses of all kinds and sizes to manage the quality of their software products while keeping cost efficiency.

• Headquarters: USA.
• Founded year: 2002
• Employees: 1400+
• Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr
• Core Services: Automation Testing, Manual Testing, API Testing, Mobile QA, Security Testing, Performance Testing, QA Analysis, Salesforce Testing, etc..
• Key Clients: eBay, Ford, TechSmith, IBM, Facebook, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. Top Software Testing Company in 2023 recognized by Clutch
2. ISO 9001:2015
3. ElectronicsForYou #1 Software Testing Company

7. ImpactQA

ImpactQA is regarded as one of the giants in software testing and QA consulting. They serve businesses of all sizes, from startups, and SMEs, to Fortune 500 companies across multiple domains including healthcare, e-learning, eCommerce, media, logistics, real estate, etc.

• Headquarters: USA.
• Founded year: 2011
• Employees: 250+
• Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr
• Core Services: automation testing, functional testing, mobile app testing, security testing, IoT testing, performance testing.
• Key Clients: Panasonic, Starbucks Coffee, Deloitte, KFC, National Geographic Learning, KPMG, Honda, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. Managed Cybersecurity Service Provider of the Year (2022) recognized by The Cybersecurity Vision & Innovation Summit & Awards
2. Top Software Testing Companies in 2020 recognized by Clutch
3. Top Independent Software Testing Company recognized by Manifest

8. AppSierra

AppSierra is known as a fast-growing company in QA services providing software testing solutions to businesses of all sizes and across various domains. From microservices testing, blockchain testing, IoT testing, and Big Data testing, to CRM testing – all of these are within the coverage of AppSierra capabilities.

• Headquarters: Vietnam.
• Founded year: 2015
• Employees: 150+
• Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr
• Core Services: compatibility testing, functional testing, performance testing, automation testing, usability testing, localization testing, QA engineering, etc.
• Key Clients: Swiggy, Barcode Inc, Stax by Fattmerchant, Rocketium, Avora, Ubibot, MoneyView, Leap Finance, EnthusiastGaming, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. TOP 100 Software Testing Companies in the UK recognized by Manifest
2. Top Software Testing Company in 2021, 2022, and 2023 recognized by Clutch

9. QA Madness

QA Madness is a leading independent software testing company from Poland. They help businesses unleash high-quality software products by creating custom-testing solutions and plans tailored to your project requirements.

• Headquarters: Poland.
• Founded year: 2013
• Employees: 50 – 249
• Hourly rate: <$25 / hr
• Core Services: Functional Testing, GUI Testing, Regression Testing, Acceptance Testing, Compatibility Testing, Load Testing, Integration Testing, Localization Testing, QA Audit & Consulting, etc.
• Key Clients: Orderly, Varis, Vaimo, DotcomWeavers, Lunaphore, Solarflare studio, Fishermen Labs, Naduvi, Rock Paper Reality, Acumen Commercial Insights, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. ISTQB® Partner Program Silver Member
2. 1 On G2 “Best Testing and QA Providers” List

10. PFLB

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, PFLB is a provider of premier load and performance testing services for enterprises in all industries. They help businesses test their applications’ performance, resolve bottleneck localization, and craft performance optimization guidelines.

• Headquarters: USA.
• Founded year: 2008
• Employees: 50 – 249
• Hourly rate: $50 – $99 / hr
• Core Services: Performance Testing, Website Performance, Mobile Application Performance, Enterprise System Performance, IVR & Contact Centers Performance, etc.
• Key Clients: Samsung, Tinder, Moody’s, Udacity, KFC, SolwarWinds, RiptLabs, Raiffeisen Bank, etc.
• Rankings and International Certifications:

1. The European Software Testing Awards Finalist 2019
2. Top Testing Services Companies recognized by Goodfirms
3. Top QA and Software Testing Companies in 2022 recognized by techreviewer.co
4. Top BPO Companies in 2021 recognized by Clutch

How to Choose the Best-fit Quality Assurance Company?

Before choosing any vendor, you have to define a clear requirement first. Clearly identifying the testing types needed for your projects, working scope, timelines, and any technologies or framework involved is essential. This first step will allow you to easily assess if the outsourcing vendor meets your needs.

When choosing an outsourcing software testing provider, decision-makers should consider several fundamental requirements. In order to help you make an informed decision, we have created a list of key considerations:

• Experience and Expertise: When choosing a provider, it is crucial to select one with a proven track record and relevant experience in executing successful testing cases, preferably in your domain. In addition, it is necessary to thoroughly review their industry knowledge, industry awards, and certifications.
• Privacy and Confidentiality: Security is a considerable concern when outsourcing IT projects to an external testing vendor. Therefore, you have to ensure that your outsourcing vendor has strict protection policies, confidentiality agreements, and any relevant certifications (e.g., ISO 27001) to protect your sensitive data and information.
• Communication and Collaboration: Effective communication between your in-house team and outsourced software testing vendor is the key to every outsourcing project’s success. Hence, you have to ensure that your vendor has the ability to provide regular updates and reports while delivering transparent and responsive communication channels.
• Staff Testing Skills and Certifications: When evaluating a potential outsource software testing team, it is imperative to assess the qualifications and skills of its members through their certifications, training, and experience. Furthermore, you must ensure that the team possesses the expertise needed to handle your project’s specific requirements.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Given the importance of flexibility in a software testing services provider, you should consider if they can adjust their testing efforts and necessary resources (staff, infrastructure, etc.) based on your project’s needs. It is crucial that you evaluate their ability to accommodate changing requirements, timelines, or project scope.
• Cost-effectiveness: Even though cost shouldn’t be the deciding factor, it’s important to make sure “you get what you paid for”. Therefore, make sure you’ve compared the cost to the value they provide, including their expertise, quality, and continual support.

LQA’s Tailored Testing Services for IT Businesses

Among so many good choices, which companies are best for testing? We understand the challenges that you, as decision-makers have to face, in how to balance between quality and cost-efficiency. That’s why LQA works hard not to deliver mediocre off-the-shelf services like thousands of independent software testing companies. We aim to deliver a customized software QA solution package for your business’s requirements. We stand out by:

Industry specialization

LQA can fulfill your requirements and exceed your client’s expectations in a time-efficiency way with our experience in industry specialization.

Being the first independent software testing in Vietnam, we have more than 7 years of experience in being a reliable safeguard to detect all software bugs and issues before being delivered to the market.

Our QA solutions and processes have been proven by international and prestigious awards and certifications in software testing including ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board), PMP (Project Management Professional), and ISO.

Cost-effectiveness

LQA offers IT experts who can efficiently handle tasks while assuring your optimized budget by taking advantage of the cost gaps in the Vietnam outsourcing market:

• Lower labor costs compared to many Western countries enable businesses to access high-quality quality assurance engineers at more affordable rates (only around $12,000 to $18,000 per year)
• Lower cost of living and operating a business in Vietnam than many other developed countries allow businesses to reduce overhead expenses (infrastructure, equipment, training, and hiring, etc)

Favorable location

We can ensure timely project delivery thanks to Vietnam’s stable socio-economic status and supportive policies:

• The Vietnamese government has been proactively promoting and supporting the IT industry through The National Digital Transformation Programme 2020–2025
• Vietnam’s tax incentives indirectly help foreign businesses reduce costs for IT outsourcing projects. Science, and technology businesses in Vietnam are eligible for a 4-year tax exemption and a 50% reduction in corporate income tax for the following 9 years. Additionally, software projects are eligible for VAT exemption, including outsourced software projects in Vietnam.

Compliance with TCoE

TCoE (Testing Center of Excellence) is a framework to optimize strategic assets such as processes, resources, and technologies. ​LQA’s commitment to TCoE compliance empowers us to provide your testing project with a seamless blend of top-notch resources and methodologies, assuring exceptional results and satisfaction.

An abundant IT talent pool

You can accelerate time to market by leveraging our vast pool of on-demand enthusiastic testers, including:

• 50% of QA engineers for Mobile and Web app testing
• 18% of QA engineers for Automation Winform, Automation Web UI, Automation API, Performance, and Pen Test
• 20% of QA engineers for Automotive and Embedded IOT test
• 12% of QA engineers for Mobile & Web Game testing

Furthermore, the skills and qualifications of our 150 highly-skilled software testing engineers are proven by prestigious international certifications such as ISTQB, PMI, PSM, etc. In addition to that, our software testing engineers are constantly learning and honing their technical skills on a daily basis.

Language competence

Language ability is a fundamental aspect of our testing process, as effective communication is critical for successful collaboration. Our software testers are not only fluent in your language but also open to adapting to your country’s cultural context to deliver exceptional collaboration.

Advanced Technology

By leveraging leading-edge testing devices, tools, and frameworks, our team ensures your software runs smoothly, ensuring a flawless user experience and a competitive edge in the market. With our advanced and diverse technological solutions, you can be confident in detecting all the possible bugs and issues promptly before your users do.

The Brand You Trust, Trust Us

When it comes to reliability, our track record speaks for itself. Big names such as TOSHIBA, Panasonic, Sk Telecom, LG Electronics, MB Bank, Infiniq, SQC, Perxtech, Verb Data, Ascentis, Qualcomm, Kick ID, and many more have placed their faith in our solutions.

Our Clients Also Asked Us

The Bottom Line

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is an essential phase in every software life cycle. It helps prevent bugs, decreases development costs, and enhances performance. Many companies choose to outsource to external software testing companies, while others choose to set up their own in-house quality assurance department.

Software QA Outsourcing has its own pros and cons. However, setting up an in-house software quality testing team can present much more challenges such as costly infrastructure and resources, time-consuming recruiting and training processes, limited expertise, and scalability. That’s why many global companies now prefer outsourcing their software testing to an external vendor.

Searching for a reliable and suitable vendor of software testing services requires considerable effort and time as IT businesses are supposed to investigate vendors’ expertise, language proficiency, cultural compatibility, time zone differences, and pricing. Each provider has their advantages and disadvantages, therefore, before IT firms make the final call, dig deep into the project’s requirements to pick the right partner.

Should you have any further inquiries regarding software testing, please drop LQA a line to find the best answers.

Offshore Testing Center is an outsourcing testing company that supplies you all the infrastructure, support, human resources and equipment necessary to remotely run an entire software testing team, but located in another country where it has much lower living standards.

>> Learn more about Market Insights – Why IT Outsourcing To Vietnam?

7 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD SET UP OFFSHORE TESTING CENTER

• Time Efficiency: Take advantage of time zone differences to optimize 24 hours of work. OQAC as an “extended arm” helps to shorten life cycle but improved quality.
• Team Scalability: To meet the everchanging demand of HR, OQAC can apply different engagement models with flexibility.
• Cost Saving: Thanks to geographical pricing, OQAC ensure highly skilled employees while reducing operating expenses.
• Focus on Core Competencies: In-house QA team can focus on strategic business tasks, unbothered of the trivial ones.
• High Quality: An OQAC allows you to access to a larger pool of IT talents, diversify skill sets, eliminate the burden of staff shortage.
• No Bias: Eliminating the trails of in-house testers and approaching fresh perspectives from OQAC to get the most objective and accurate quality assessment
• Quick team ramp-up: OQAC allows businesses to set up on-demand teams flexibly, quick team ramp-up or ramp-down anytime.

The specific and practical case studies below will demonstrate 7 benefits that Offshore Testing Center brings to businesses.

Offshore Testing Center Case Study 1: A well-being measurement instrument save 50% test effort and speed up time to market with Automation testing

Client’s Description

The client has the definitive well-being measurement instrument, and they use it to help their clients understand the opportunities for improvement in the populations across five key well-being elements: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. 

They apply comprehensive, highly configurable Well-Being Improvement Solutions to keep people healthy, mitigate lifestyle risks and optimize care.

Business Need

They deliver 3-month releases and they are doing testing manually. They need to apply automation to reduce time to market and reduce test effort.

Challenges

The system is complicated, including Embrace (desktop app), Well Being Portal (web app), Well Being Plus (mobile app), Data Warehouse, and Web services. The automation solution must do End-2-End Test.

LQA’s Offshore Testing Center Solutions

• Provide the set of tools for each component: Ranorex for the desktop app; Selenium for the web app with multiple browsers; ETL Validation for ETL Testing.
• Use CI – Jenkins to integrate tests to automate End-2-End tests.

Test Result:

• Automated test cases: 36
• Bugs detected: 92
• Regression runs: 2000

Offshore Testing Center Case Study 2: Leading restaurant chain model in Vietnam maximized end-to-end test flow and achieved 30% faster time to market

Client’s Description

• The client is the pioneer and the leading restaurant chain model in Vietnam.
• They currently own more than 21 brands and nearly 400 restaurants, serving 17 million customers annually, and is still expanding.

Business Need

• They have approximately 20 applications and each has 5-6 releases per year. The demand for testing hence is huge, which makes their current QA team struggle to handle it.
• They need to apply UI automation testing for their mobile and web applications. Additionally, they require APIs for backend testing to reduce the time to market and test effort, as well as increase quality.

Challenges

• End-2-end test flow is complicated. It requires actions on various platforms.
• The data test is huge for the API test, making it hard for the current manual test to cover.

LQA’s Offshore Testing Center Solutions

• Build automation framework for both mobile testing and web testing.
• Develop API test program (using Java), support data-driven to test with a huge dataset.
• Java, Maven, TestNG, Appium (to support mobile), and Selenium (to support Web applications) are used.

Test Result:

• Test cases: 71
• Bugs detected: 3
• Regression runs: 10
• The time for executing a regression cycle has been reduced from 7 days/week to 4 days/week.

Offshore Testing Center Case Study 3: Big Insurance Company in Vietnam Achieved 30% Faster time to market 

Client’s Description

The client is a big insurance company in Vietnam. They have a wide relationship with other insurance groups such as AIG, AXA, Amlin, Munich Re, Swiss Re, Hannover Re, Lloyd’s, Atrium Space, Catlin, ACE, Hiscox, SCOR, SpaceCo, Watkins… They work in areas of Insurance, Life, Securities, Funds, Banks, and Invest.

Business Need

The client maintains more than 40 applications and 30 services but they did not have enough effort to run regression testing for new changes.

Challenges

We have to increase testing coverage by automation testing and continuously integrating with the development environment which can make it easy to see test results for each deployment.

LQA’s Offshore Testing Center Solutions

• Do POC and assessment with the current system.
• Propose a solution to automate testing for web, and mobile applications.
• Implement automation testing for systems.

Test Result:

• Test cases: 41
• Regression runs: 27
• Time for executing a regression cycle: for one app, it is reduced from 2 hours to 45’; for another app, it is reduced from 1.5 hours to 13’.

Offshore Testing Center Case Study 4: A Marketing and Loyalty Platform achieves 40% faster time to market 

Client’s Description

The Marketing Analytics module acts as a real-time universal cockpit, allowing you to review and manage the performance of your loyalty programs, membership tiers, rewards, and merchants.

Loyalty Management gives large companies the ability to connect with customers on a more intimate level. Small businesses have the advantage of being able to micromanage relationships and truly get to know their consumers — one by one, person to person. They can personalize service based on a customer’s likes, dislikes, and behavior.

Business Need

• Optimize testing effort by automation test.
• Programming language: JavaScript
• Automation Framework: Cypress, Mocha
• Process: Agile

Challenges

• End-2-end test flow is complicated.
• The data test is huge for the API test, making it hard for the current manual test to cover.

LQA’s Offshore Testing Center Solutions

• Build automation framework for web testing.
• Develop API test program (using JavaScript), support data-driven to test with a huge data set.

Test Result:

• Test cases (updating): 250
• Bugs Detected: 15
• The time for executing a regression cycle has been reduced from 7 days/week to 3 days/week

Offshore Testing Center Case Study 5: A Mobile Game App maximize test coverage with 2000 test cases and more than 1 million actual users 

Client’s Description

• The client has over 45 free multiplayer games.
• Public rooms/Private rooms/Tournaments are created to allow many people to play games together. Also, users can chat, create rooms, create groups, create impress profiles, participate in tournaments or buy gifts/IAPs.
• Millions of players are enjoying games and creating lasting friendships daily.

Business Need

• Thoroughly testing all scenarios of all games
• Ensure that the system is always stable
• Ensure that the system is compatible with multiple types of devices

Challenges

• The client has more than 1 million actual users from many countries around the world, so we must resolve the huge request number every time.
• Maintaining a stable server all the time and diversifying with many devices is also one of the big difficulties.
• The client has a lot of scenarios with each game to be thoroughly tested.

LQA’s Offshore Testing Center Solutions

• Cross-testing with multiple devices to minimize bugs associated with specific devices. Also, the client created an environment called Unrelease Production. It is linked with real user data to help QA easily manage quality in a real environment.
• Testing types: Functional & Non-functional testing, Cross testing

Test Result:

• Test cases: 2000+
• Bug found & verified: 500+

Why Choose Lotus Quality Assurance Solutions?

We, at Lotus QA, are just a contact form away:

Website: lotus-qa.com/

Tel: (+84) 24-6660-7474

Fanpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lqa//

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is an important part of the entire software development life cycle. Through the testing phase, software defects can be identified early and remedied before final product delivery.

Why Software Quality Assurance is a MUST in every software development life cycle?

Software bugs can cause serious loss of money and people. Starbucks was forced to close about 60% of its stores in the United States and Canada, even serving free coffee because it was unable to process the transaction due to a software bug in its POS system. In 1994, China Airlines Airbus A300 crashed due to a software error, killing 264 people.

The examples above show that businesses can save up to millions per year, minimizing serious problems if they have a reliable and strict testing process. Besides, a software that is error-free and undergoes many rigorous quality checks will easily win the trust and satisfaction of customers; bring efficiency in both cost, security, as well as sustainable development.

>> Learn more about Software Testing And 8 Common Questions

What are the challenges and difficulties of building a software quality assurance process?

However, enterprises will face many challenges to be able to build an optimal testing team and a strict quality management process such as:

• High initial investment cost for human resources: According to Payscale, based on the latest updates on Jan 04 2022, the average salary for a Software Tester is $56,468. However, the investment cost for a Software Tester Engineer does not just stop at salary, but also includes the cost of recruitment, training and other employee benefits.
• High initial investment cost for testing tools: Besides the investment in human resources, businesses will have to prepare a budget for both facilities and testing tools. It can be the cost of investing in machinery, testing tools, and even in different testing environments.
• Bias in Software Testing: How Do Testers Miss Bugs? When the testers implement any test case, they might be influenced by their own biases – framing thoughts and judgments based on their previous experiences such as where there would be potential defects, the history of the program, who is developing it and what might be their common mistakes,…

The following infographic will give you the deepest knowledge about SQA to help you overcome these challenges more easily.

To Know Deeply About Software Quality Assurance Infographic

 

>> You can find a more specific comparison between Manual Testing and Automation Testing in this infographic.

Final Thoughts 

With a profound and specific infographic above, LTS hopes to help you understand more about this field and find the best solution to optimize your business’ QA process and speed up time to market. If you are still struggling and need further professional advice, our experts can help!

 

We, at Lotus QA, are just a contact form away:

Website: lotus-qa.com/

Tel: (+84) 24-6660-7474

Fanpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lqa//

Software testing is an important part of the entire software development life cycle. Through the testing phase, software defects can be identified early and remedied before final product delivery. Therefore, many software development companies focus on building strict testing processes and investing in in-house testing teams. This article will help you unlock the most common problems before diving in.

1. Why Software Testing is a MUST in every software development life cycle?

Software bugs can cause serious loss of money and people. Starbucks was forced to close about 60% of its stores in the United States and Canada, even serving free coffee because it was unable to process the transaction due to a software bug in its POS system. In 1994, China Airlines Airbus A300 crashed due to a software error, killing 264 people.

The examples above show that businesses can save up to millions per year, minimizing serious problems if they have a reliable and strict testing process. Besides, a software that is error-free and undergoes many rigorous quality checks will easily win the trust and satisfaction of customers; bring efficiency in both cost, security, as well as sustainable development.

 

2. How many types of Software testing?

Based on different criteria, we can classify Testing in many ways including:

a. According to test levels

• Unit testing: the process of testing corrections on an individual unit or component to assure that they work properly on their own. Unit testing is important because it enables us to find more defects at the unit test level, reduce wasted tests, and speed up testing strategies.
• Integration tests: a level of software testing where two or more modules of an application are logically grouped and tested as a whole. The focus of this type is to search for the defect in communication, interface, and data flow among modules. A top-down or Bottom-up approach is used while integrating modules into the whole system. This type of testing is done by integrating modules of a system or between systems.
• System Testing: a level of software testing that validates the complete and fully integrated software product. The purpose is to evaluate the end-to-end system specifications. Usually, the software is only one element of a larger computer-based system. Ultimately, the software is interfaced with other software/hardware systems. System Testing is defined as a series of different tests whose sole purpose is to exercise the full computer-based system.
• Acceptance testing: ensures that the end-user (customers) can achieve the goals set in the business requirements, which determines whether the software is acceptable for delivery or not. It is also known as user acceptance testing (UAT). Acceptance testing is a type of testing where the client/business/customer test the software with real-time business scenarios. The client accepts the software only when all the features and functionalities work as expected. This is the last phase of testing, after which the software goes into production. This is also called User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

b. According to test types

• Functional testing: a type of testing which verifies that each function of the software application operates in conformance with the requirement specification.
• Non-functional testing: a type of testing to check non-functional aspects (performance, usability, reliability, etc.) of a software application.

c. According to test methods

• Automation testing: a testing technique utilizing tools and test scripts to automate testing efforts. In other words, specified and customized tools are implemented in the testing process instead of solely manual forces.
• Manual testing: the technique in which a tester/a QA executes the whole testing process manually, from writing test cases to implementing them. In manual testing, QA analysts carry out tests one-by-one in an individual manner to find bugs, glitches and key feature issues prior to the software application’s launch. As part of this process, test cases and summary error reports are developed without any automation tools.

 

3. Is Automation Testing the most popular and why?

Manual Testing has been the most popular method of the quality assurance process in general, yet it exposes some limitations that cause many businesses to become testing-ineffective.

Up until now, automated testing is considered a more innovative technique to boost the effectiveness, test coverage, and test execution speed in software testing. With this new “approach”, the testing process is expected to yield more test cases in a shorter amount of time and expand test coverage.

While it does not entirely exclude manual touch within the process, automation testing is a favorable solution for its cost-efficiency and limited human intervention. To put it in other words, automation testing requires manual efforts to make automation testing possible.

The 8 promising prospects of Automation Testing include:

•  High yield of ROI

• Consistent regression testing
• Broad test coverage
• Accuracy and Reliability
• Faster pace
• Developers and Testers unburdened

• Reduce Human Intervention
• Records of measure quality metrics

>> Learn more about From Manual to Automation Testing: Why Even Bother?

 

4. Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing comparison, and when to use each method?

Manual testing is the traditional and fundamental test method in software testing. We often use the manual method to test new products or when we don’t have a clear understanding of the products or when the systems haven’t become stable yet.

Automation testing is considered a high-tech test method in comparison to manual one. We often use this test method to reduce resources and time consumed for testing a system that is stably functioning and we already clearly know about it.

You can find a more specific comparison between Manual Testing and Automation Testing in this infographic.

 

The answer of whether you should choose automation testing or manual testing depends on your situation.

Choose manual test if:

• Your product is new and you don’t have experience with this kind of product before.
• The AUT (Application under test) changes frequently.
• You have a limited budget.
• You want to ensure user-friendliness in the product.

• You want to handle complex test cases.
• Your team doesn’t have the tech ability (for any reason) to set up and maintain automation.

And choose automation test if:

• There are repetitive tasks in a stable-functioning system and you want to reduce these tasks.
• When your system has frequent releases and you want to decrease test cycle time to speed up the processes.

• You have a great budget for building automation testing.
• You consider the test ability is needed in a long-term period.
• You want better transparency of testing activities. Statistics and graphs about the test process, performance, and error rates are explicitly indicated.

> Learn more about Which is the cost-effective solution for your firm?

 

5. Automotive test vs Automation test: Aren’t they the same?

Many people still misunderstand that Automotive testing is Automation testing. Therefore, to better understand Automotive testing, let’s distinguish those two concepts:

Automation testing – is a software testing method with an automated nature, precisely, the Tester only needs to write a piece of code or use some tools such as Selenium, Test Complete, and JMeter,… to run all the stages automatically, including entering information, clicking, checking results, comparing actual results with hypothetical results, etc., without having to perform manual operations over and over again.

Automotive testing – is the testing of embedded software written for embedded systems. Specifically, embedded software is software that is pre-installed by the device manufacturer into a product and that is utilized immediately with the electronic device without the need for the user or third-party installation. An Embedded system is a combination of hardware and software and here the software is embedded in the hardware.

 

6. What are the challenges and difficulties of building a software testing team and process?

High initial investment cost for human resources 

According to Payscale, based on the latest updates on Jan 04 2022, the average salary for a Software Tester is $56,468.

However, the investment cost for a Software Tester Engineer does not just stop at salary, but also includes the cost of recruitment, training and other employee benefits. The IT industry is currently facing a shortage of human resources; therefore, recruitment becomes extremely competitive among businesses. Software testers have a high chance of job hopping when they find a company with better benefits and salary. Employers have to invest a lot of money and effort for headhunt services to successfully recruit a quality employee.

In addition, Software Testers at different levels also have different salaries range. Below is the salary range of a Software Tester from Entry level to Experienced.

The costs listed above are only calculated for one employee. Try to do a quick calculation, multiply this number by 5 or more if you want to build an in-house testing team.

High initial investment cost for testing tools

Besides the investment in human resources, businesses will have to prepare a budget for both facilities and testing tools. If it’s automation testing then you will only need to set up your computer and buy testing tools. But if it is an embedded test, the enterprise will have to invest in more complicated and expensive testing machines such as CANoe and CANat equipment, … Not to mention, when it comes to Integration and system testing, it requires set up for different test environments.

Bias in Software Testing: How Do Testers Miss Bugs?

According to Psychology Today, a bias is a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone. Some biases are positive and helpful—like choosing to only eat foods that are considered healthy or staying away from someone who has knowingly caused harm. But biases are often based on stereotypes, rather than actual knowledge of an individual or circumstance. Whether positive or negative, such cognitive shortcuts can result in prejudgments that lead to rash decisions or discriminatory practices.

One of the fundamentals of software testing; as referred to by the International Software Testing Quality Board (ISTQB); is that testing helps detection of defects. Taking into consideration that humans are an integral entity in software development, it is impossible to certify a 100% bug-free program when tests aren’t detecting any defects. Human testing detects and reduces the probability of undiscovered defects remaining in the software but even if no defects are found, it is not proof of perfection.

When the testers approach any testing, they are already influenced by their own biases – framing thoughts and judgments based on what to look for, where there would be potential defects coming up, who is developing it, the entire history of the program etc., and the list goes on.

 

7. In-House Software Testing vs. Outsourcing: What should you choose?

For the above challenges, many businesses choose to outsource software testing services. Because a flexible and quick team ramp-up/down on demands will bring benefits to businesses such as:

Cost-Effective and Time Efficient:

As mentioned above, effort, resources and investment costs for an in-house testing team are extremely expensive. Outsourcing a testing team will be the optimal choice to save the above investment costs. In particular, businesses can take advantage of low-cost labor when offshore outsourcing. For example, in Vietnam, the average salary of Software Test Engineer is $18633.55/year, 5 times lower than in the US and 6 times lower than in Japan (according to Salary expert data).

In addition, by outsourcing, your business can set up a testing team immediately, skipping the entire process of recruiting, training, setting up office equipment. An 24/7 available and flexible testing team that can ramp up or ramp down on demand. A team works independently, along with the in-house team to increase work efficiency and speed up time to market. Especially, when the demand for testing is huge due to continuously release, in-house QA team struggle to handle, offshore team can help optimize resource allocation. Your in-house team will not be overloaded and be able to focus on core business.

 

Access to larger pool of Expertise and quicker transformation to another test method

When outsourcing to another country, your business will expand its talent network. This will also make it much easier to switch testing methods or types. No need to compete with domestic enterprises to hunt for candidates, no time to research and train new methods. If you want to move from manual testing to automation testing to optimize testing effort and speed up time to market, why not outsource it?

For example, in Vietnam today, IT resources are growing in both quantity and quality. According to the latest report of TopDev, Vietnam currently has 1.03M IT labor force and 62,000 graduated IT students/year. The Vietnamese government also has policies to support the development of the IT industry and facilitate international cooperation.

In Vietnam, there are also leading testing companies, meeting international standards. LQA is an example when it becomes a silver partner of ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board).

No bias and Fresh perspective:

As shared above, one of the challenges and disadvantages of in-house testing teams is bias. To solve this problem, businesses can ask a 3rd party to cross-evaluate the quality of the product. From there, compare with the results of the in-house team to get the most objective result. Eliminating the trails of in-house testers and approaching fresh perspectives is the special benefit that offshore testing teams bring to businesses.

Below is a comparison table of the most basic criteria between Offshore Software Outsourcing Testing and In-house Software Testing. Businesses can rely on this assessment to choose the most optimal model for their needs at this time.

 

However, every coin has two sides, outsourcing software testing also has some drawbacks, including language barrier and low security. Therefore, businesses must survey, learn and thoroughly evaluate the reputation of vendors before cooperating. Deeply aware of these concerns of businesses, LQA has always focused on improving the English skills of its personnel and always puts security first. With a closed quality management process and absolute security, LQA has been trusted by many large enterprises such as LG Electronics, Toshiba, Qualacomm, FPT, Baoviet,…

 

8. How many Offshore Software Testing Models are there and Which one is the Best-fit?

Once you have chosen a reputable vendor to outsource testing services, the next thing you need to pay special attention to is to agree on technical and engagement models from the very beginning. Working remotely with a team sitting on the other side of the globe will lead to miscommunication, misunderstandings in the process of cooperation. To limit this, businesses must agree on the process and way of working from the beginning. Below are the commonly used models and the cases where each specific model should be applied.

 

Final Thoughts

LQA has listed and answered the above questions based on previous experience working with businesses. The above 8 questions are the 8 problems that many businesses worry the most when learning about Software Testing solutions. With thorough answers, LQA hopes to help you understand more about this field and find the best solution to optimize your business’ QA process and speed up time to market. If you are still struggling and need further professional advice, the LQA experts can help!

 

We, at Lotus QA, are just a contact form away:

Website: lotus-qa.com/

Tel: (+84) 24-6660-7474

Fanpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lqa//

 

Hi there! Welcome to LQA’s guide on Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing comparison, their characteristics, applications, and when to use each method. 

We will cover manual testing and automation testing differences in an infographic. But before going into details, we want you to be clear that:

• Manual testing is the traditional and fundamental test method in software testing. We often use the manual method to test new products or when we don’t have a clear understanding of the products or when the systems haven’t become stable yet. 
• Automation testing is considered a high-tech test method in comparison to manual one. We often use this test method to reduce resources and time consumed for testing a system that is stably functioning and we already clearly know about it.

So, an ideal path is to use manual testing for the first time(s) and utilize automation testing to reduce test efforts and increase test productivity when things become stable and predictable!

Also, automation test doesn’t mean that the whole test process will be automated. Such steps like Requirements analysis, Test planning, and Test case design are done manually before a test automation engineer can program the test script and start automation test execution and test report.

That’s a quick look. And now, let’s go into comparison!

 

Manual Test vs. Automation Test Comparison

 

You may want to know: 6 steps to transition from manual testing to automation testing.

So, Manual Testing vs. Automation Testing – Which one is for you?

The answer of whether you should choose automation testing or manual testing depends on your situation. For example, choose manual test if:

• Your product is new and you don’t have experience with this kind of product before.
• The AUT (Application under test) changes frequently.
• You have a limited budget.
• You want to ensure user-friendliness in the product.
• You want to handle complex test cases.
• Your team doesn’t have the tech ability (for any reason) to set up and maintain automation.

And choose automation test if:

• There are repetitive tasks in a stable-functioning system and you want to reduce these tasks.
• When your system has frequent releases and you want to decrease test cycle time to speed up the processes.
• You have a great budget for building automation testing. 
• You consider the test ability is needed in a long-term period.
• You want better transparency of testing activities. Statistics and graphs about the test process, performance, and error rates are explicitly indicated.

Want to dig deeper into manual testing vs. automation testing and decide the one suitable for your business? Contact LQA now for a FREE consultation with our specialists and experts.

• Website: https://www.lotus-qa.com/
• Tel: (+84) 24-6660-7474
• Fanpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lqa

Since the launch of the economic reform Đổi Mới in 1986, Vietnam has taken effective steps toward an open and supportive business environment. As of 2022, Vietnam makes it to be among the top 10 destinations for software outsourcing services. So, what factors make Vietnam stand out, and what challenges remain?  This article will dig into the pros and cons of IT outsourcing in Vietnam, plus what we can do (and are actually doing) to resolve these disadvantages. But first, let’s take a look at Vietnam’s IT outsourcing infrastructure!

Vietnam IT Outsourcing Market Outlook 2022

5 Benefits Of IT Outsourcing In Vietnam

IT outsourcing to Vietnam brings loads of benefits regarding resources and quality, facilitated by competitive pricing, strong IT infrastructure, and an open business environment for the IT sector.

1. Cost saving

Spanning South-East Asia – one of the cheapest regions in the world, Vietnam has successfully seized this pricing advantage to become the 6th-greatest destination for software development. As of 2022, Vietnam scores 99.8/100 in Cheap manufacturing costs rated by the US NEWS and is among Asia’s lowest, according to a survey by TMX Global.  That’s why the first benefit of IT outsourcing to Vietnam is a much lower cost than that in most other IT outsourcing countries. For example, it takes $20-$45 per hour to hire a senior Vietnamese developer and $65-$130 per hour for an American one.

2. Access to qualified IT human resources

As quality is a prerequisite while the IT sector is so particular, a skilled IT workforce is vital to ensure qualified and secured software products. Talking of numbers, Vietnam has 1,08 million IT staff including 400,000 programmers. 148 Vietnamese universities and 412 vocational colleges are qualified to provide IT education, adding 62,000 IT human resources to the market annually.  In a quality manner, Vietnamese IT labor is considered skilled, hard-working, and trustworthy, acting as per what they promise and adhering to the plan. Some achievements that they’ve got:

• Top ten countries with the highest number of engineering graduates (2022) 
• Vietnam ranks 29th in terms of Skillvalue Worldwide in the Developer Skills Chart of Skill Value Report (2018). 
• Top 06 worldwide in Developer Skills Charts of Topcoder (2022). 
• Rank 23rd worldwide in Developer Skills Charts of Hackerrank’s Report (2016). 

3. Keeping pace with new technologies

Another advantage of outsourcing IT functions in Vietnam is that you can utilize innovative technologies ability to build software applications with enhanced quality, security, and user experience. Here, how does Vietnam actually develop new technologies ability? Education comes first! Annually adding, adjusting, and enhancing training programs in AI, Data Science, Big Data, Cloud Computing, IoT, VR / AR, Blockchain, 3D Printing, etc.  Also, hosting awards to encourage initiatives for new technologies, such as the AI Award 2022 and RMIT Blockchain FinTech 2022. Next is infrastructure, Vietnam is ambitious to build a National AI Research and Development Program with an AI Valley in Quy Nhon. We also establish many communities for specific technologies, such as the Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA), VietAI, AI4Life, Artificial Intelligence Community, etc.

4. Access to dedicated end-to-end IT services

A big bonus when outsourcing software development in Vietnam is comprehensive and professional end-to-end IT services, thanks to the rise of end-to-end IT outsourcing firms.  Take LTS Group, for instance, we have LTS EDU specializing in IT training, LTS for software development, LQA for software quality assurance, and GDS for digital transformation. Meaning that our clients will conveniently get comprehensive services to optimize their business outsourcing.

5. Open and stable business environment

Vietnam ranks 21st globally in Open For Business fueled by a stable society and supportive government policies. Dig deeper, Vietnam is a united nation with one party and religions co-existing beautifully. Vietnam is almost free of religious conflict. Also, the government has provided many exemptions and reductions in tax, land rental, etc exclusively for the IT industry.  Hence, outsourcing to Vietnam will help business owners lower the risks of being distracted by unfavorable social situations or struggling with complicated cross-border procedures when working with offshore partners.  Also read: Top IT outsourcing companies in Vietnam

Disadvantages Of IT Outsourcing In Vietnam

Yes, the above benefits are undoubtedly great, but the challenges of IT outsourcing in Vietnam do exist. Let’s dig into them and see what we can do to resolve them!

1. English is not a native language

Vietnamese software developers have used English for many years as the official working language when working with global partners. But, above all, English is not a native language, and you shouldn’t expect perfect English communication when working with Vietnamese IT providers.  This is probably the biggest challenge when IT outsourcing to Vietnam. So, how IT companies in Vietnam are improving this, and how the clients can lower the risks? Apart from English subjects as mandatory at schools, companies themselves are encouraging English learning in specific ways. For example, at our holding company LTS Group, we have an active English club with hands-on communication sessions every morning, plus set Friday as a fully English-speaking day. And 86% of our employees can communicate well in English. On the other hand, as a client, you should carefully assess the people that will communicate with you and report to you during the project, especially the project leader. Another tip is to prioritize vendors with solid experience in working with global clients from various countries.

2. Time Difference

A common disadvantage in offshore development that not only Vietnam facing is the timezone barrier. Vietnam with the GMT+7 timezone is 11 hours ahead of the US and 7 hours ahead of the UK, for example. So, it can be a challenge if you work on an agile development model that often requires real-time interactions and responses. So, the solutions are so clear here. The client can consider the project-based model to minimize interactions or both parties together find a proper way of communication and reporting to lower the barrier of timezone.

Key Takeaways

There’re always pros and cons when working with an offshore development provider. In the case of IT outsourcing in Vietnam, the juiciest benefits are probably competitive costs and quality assurance while the biggest challenge lies in the language barrier. Still, overall, we see that the benefits of outsourcing to Vietnam outweigh the drawbacks, proven by the current strong position of Vietnam on the global IT outsourcing map.

About LQA

LQA is the first independent quality assurance company in Vietnam. We’re a member of LTS Group which specializes in software QA, software development and BPO. If you are seeking dedicated end-to-end IT services or specific IT functions, don’t hesitate to leave us a message and get our responses in no time!

• Website: https://www.lotus-qa.com/
• Tel: (+84) 24-6660-7474
• Fanpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lqa/

 

Kiểm thử phần mềm là một quy trình quan trọng trong vòng đời phát triển phần mềm. Tuy nhiên, nhiều doanh nghiệp với sự hạn chế về nguồn lực cũng như chuyên môn và thời gian đã lựa chọn thuê ngoài dịch vụ testing như một giải pháp thay thế hữu hiệu cho nguồn lực nội bộ. 

Trong bài viết này, chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu 5 lý do tại sao nên thuê ngoài dịch vụ testing nhằm giúp các doanh nghiệp có thêm thông tin trong việc lựa chọn giữa insourcing và outsourcing. 

1. Hiệu quả về chi phí 

Sử dụng dịch vụ testing thuê ngoài giúp doanh nghiệp giảm thiểu các chi phí về nhân sự, quản lý và cơ sở hạ tầng cho hoạt động kiểm thử phần mềm.  

Đầu tư nguồn nhân lực và cơ sở hạ tầng cho một quy trình kiểm thử phần mềm nội bộ luôn là một thách thức với các doanh nghiệp có nguồn lực hạn chế. Bằng việc sử dụng dịch vụ testing của công ty kiểm thử phần mềm, doanh nghiệp có thể tránh được một số vấn đề như sau: 

• Sự thiếu hụt nguồn nhân lực testing trong bối cảnh cuộc chiến nhân tài công nghệ ngày càng gay gắt. 
• Chi phí tuyển dụng và phúc lợi cho nhân viên trong ngành IT cao. 
• ROI thấp do nhu cầu sử dụng thấp nhưng chi phí đầu tư cho cơ sở hạ tầng (phần mềm, thiết bị test) cao. 

2. Cải thiện chất lượng kiểm thử 

Thuê ngoài dịch vụ testing giúp doanh nghiệp tăng chất lượng kiểm thử nhờ nguồn nhân lực có chuyên môn cao, đa dạng phương pháp kiểm thử và tiếp cận nhiều luồng quan điểm khách quan hơn. 

Lợi ích về nguồn nhân lực 

Nguồn nhân lực testing tại các công ty chuyên về dịch vụ kiểm thử phần mềm thường được đào tạo bài bản và có nhiều kinh nghiệm trong ngành. Ngoài ra, các công ty dịch vụ chuyên nghiệp có khả năng thu hút được các chuyên gia trong ngành cao hơn. Do đó, thuê ngoài testing giúp doanh nghiệp ở mọi quy mô tiếp cận nguồn nhân lực chất lượng cao và thực hiện việc kiểm tra chính xác hơn. 

Đa dạng phương pháp kiểm thử 

Trong một số trường hợp, việc kết hợp các phương pháp kiểm thử khác nhau giúp gia tăng hiệu quả phát hiện lỗi và giảm chi phí kiểm thử phần mềm về lâu dài cho doanh nghiệp. Tuy nhiên, để đầu tư một đội ngũ kiểm thử nội bộ đa chuyên môn luôn là một thách thức. 

Ví dụ: Xu hướng kết hợp phương pháp Kiểm thử thủ công và Kiểm thử tự động trong một sản phẩm phần mềm đang trở nên phổ biến.   

• Kiểm thử thủ công cho functional testing, compatibility testing. 
• Kiểm thử tự động cho API testing và performance testing, cũng như các thao tác lặp đi lặp lại. 

Tuy nhiên, kiểm thử tự động yêu cầu người kiểm tra có khả năng về code và các công cụ phần mềm hỗ trợ như Selenium, Katalon và không phải nhân viên kiểm thử thủ công nào cũng có thể nhanh chóng chuyển qua kiểm thử tự động. Do vậy, việc thuê ngoài testing sẽ giúp doanh nghiệp liên tục cập nhật các công nghệ, phương pháp testing mới nhất, mang lại hiệu quả phát hiện lỗi và lợi ích về đường dài cao hơn. 

Tiếp cận nhiều luồng quan điểm 

Một nhóm kiểm thử nội bộ có thể có các thiên kiến hoặc những hiểu biết trước về sản phẩm và chỉ chăm chú vào các khía cạnh đó. Tuy nhiên, một nhóm kiểm thử bên ngoài không có kiến thức trước đó về sản phẩm sẽ chú ý đến mọi góc cạnh và có xu hướng đánh giá lỗi khách quan hơn, nhìn ra nhiều vấn đề hơn và thực hiện testing toàn diện hơn. 

3. Giảm thời gian đưa sản phẩm ra thị trường 

Một lợi ích khác của việc thuê ngoài testing là sự linh hoạt trong việc tăng/giảm quy mô nhóm để nhanh chóng đáp ứng với các biến số và tránh sự gián đoạn trong quá trình phát triển phần mềm.  

Ngoài ra, quy trình làm việc tối ưu cùng năng suất làm việc cao của công ty kiểm thử phần mềm cũng góp phần đẩy nhanh giai đoạn kiểm thử, giúp rút ngắn thời gian phát triển và đưa sản phẩm ra thị trường nhanh hơn.  

4. Giảm rủi ro mâu thuẫn nội bộ 

Thuê ngoài dịch vụ testing giúp doanh nghiệp giảm được rủi ro về mâu thuẫn giữa nhóm phát triển và nhóm kiểm thử trong một quy trình phát triển phần mềm.  

Trong khi các nhà phát triển muốn hoàn thành công việc trong thời gian ngắn nhất, các chuyên gia kiểm thử thường vô tình kéo dài thời gian phát triển với việc cố gắng tìm ra lỗi và yêu cầu sửa lỗi. Do đó, mâu thuẫn này luôn tồn tại trong các công ty công nghệ và việc thuê ngoài đội kiểm thử sẽ giảm thiểu tình trạng xung đột trong nội bộ công ty. 

5. Tập trung vào lĩnh vực cốt lõi 

Một lợi ích rõ ràng khác của việc thuê ngoài dịch vụ tesing là doanh nghiệp có thể tập trung nguồn lực vào các hoạt động quan trọng và mang lại hiệu quả sử dụng nguồn lực cao hơn. Ngoài ra, việc chuyển giao bớt công việc cho đối tác giúp giảm áp lực lên các nhân viên của công ty, giúp mọi người làm việc năng suất hơn và tạo nên môi trường làm việc hiệu quả hơn.  

Lựa chọn đối tác kiểm thử tin cậy với LQA 

Như vậy, có nhiều lợi ích để một công ty quyết định thuê ngoài dịch vụ testing. Nếu bạn đang tìm kiếm những yếu tố này thì kiểm thử phần mềm thuê ngoài rất đáng để cân nhắc: 

• Tiết kiệm chi phí 
• Cải thiện hiệu quả kiểm thử 
• Hiệu quả về đường dài 
• Giảm thời gian phát triển sản phẩm 
• Giảm rủi ro mâu thuẫn nội bộ 
• Tập trung vào lĩnh vực cốt lõi 

LQA là một công ty chuyên về dịch vụ kiểm thử và đảm bảo chất lượng phần mềm với 6 năm kinh nghiệm cung cấp giải pháp tùy chỉnh cho khách hàng đến từ 9 quốc gia. Liên hệ LQA ngay để được tư vấn về dịch vụ kiểm thử phần mềm cũng như các kiến thức liên quan!   

 

 

Thuê  ngoài (outsourcing) là hình thức sử dụng dịch vụ bên ngoài để thực hiện các quy trình kinh doanh của doanh nghiệp, thường là các hoạt động không cốt lõi hoặc các hoạt động nằm ngoài chuyên môn hiện tại của doanh nghiệp. Doanh nghiệp có thể thuê ngoài toàn bộ dự án, thuê ngoài một phần, hoặc thuê nhân viên từ nhà cung cấp trong một khoảng thời gian nhất định.

Để biết Tại sao doanh nghiệp nên lựa chọn outsourcing và Cách outsource hiệu quả, bài viết sẽ nói về:

• Lợi ích của việc outsourcing
• Những lĩnh vực có xu hướng outsource cao nhất
• Yêu cầu cần thiết để outsource thành công

 

 

Tại sao doanh nghiệp outsource – 3 lợi ích cốt lõi của việc outsourcing

1. Outsourcing giúp doanh nghiệp tăng lợi thế cạnh tranh

Lợi thế cạnh tranh của doanh nghiệp thể hiện ở khả năng tạo ra sản phẩm/dịch vụ chất lượng cao với chi phí thấp hơn trong khoảng thời gian ngắn hơn. Sử dụng dịch vụ thuê ngoài là một trong những lựa chọn hoàn hảo để đảm bảo các yếu tố đó, cụ thể:

#1: Tăng chất lượng sản phẩm 

Việc thuê ngoài giúp doanh nghiệp có được nguồn lao động chất lượng cao và quy trình hiệu quả cho sản phẩm/dịch vụ của mình.

Đặc biệt, với những ngành đặc thù, chẳng hạn như Công nghệ thông tin, việc thuê ngoài để tận dụng nguồn nhân lực high-tech là rất cần thiết để doanh nghiệp bắt kịp với các xu hướng công nghệ mới nhất nhằm nâng cao chất lượng và giảm thiểu các rủi ro cho doanh nghiệp.

#2: Giảm chi phí 

Các chi phí cho tuyển dụng, lao động, quản lý, cơ sở vật chất sẽ được giảm thiểu thông qua việc thuê ngoài. Trung bình, doanh nghiệp tiết kiệm được 15% chi phí khi outsource. Đồng thời, Deloitte 2020 Global Outsourcing Survey đã chỉ ra rằng 70% doanh nghiệp thuê ngoài vì lợi ích cắt giảm chi phí.

#3: Giảm thời gian đưa sản phẩm ra thị trường 

Khi outsource, doanh nghiệp có thể tiếp cận nguồn lực mạnh mẽ của các công ty cung cấp dịch vụ gia công quy trình kinh doanh, từ đó tăng khả năng cung cấp sản phẩm/dịch vụ của mình để đi trước đối thủ và đáp ứng nhiều hơn nhu cầu của thị trường, hoặc chỉ đơn giản là giảm sự chờ đợi và tăng sự hài lòng của khách hàng.

2. Outsourcing tăng khả năng mở rộng của doanh nghiệp

Một lợi ích khác của outsourcing là giúp doanh nghiệp “chạm” tới nhiều quy trình hơn và tạo điều kiện mở rộng theo cả chiều ngang và chiều dọc. Đặc biệt ở các doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ với nguồn lực hạn chế, việc thuê ngoài giúp công ty thực hiện nhiều hoạt động để mở rộng kinh doanh nhưng đang gần như không thể với nguồn lực nội bộ hiện có.

Ví dụ: Một công ty về sản phẩm game truyền thống đang đứng trước cuộc đổ bộ của game NFT thuộc công nghệ mới nổi blockchain. Thay vì tuyển dụng mới và đào tạo, công ty này có thể thuê ngoài phát triển dòng game NFT mới (mở rộng theo chiều ngang) hoặc phát triển thêm tính năng NFT cho các game hiện tại (mở rộng theo chiều dọc) để theo kịp xu hướng và mang về lợi nhuận kinh doanh vượt trội trong thời gian ngắn.

3. Outsourcing giúp doanh nghiệp sử dụng nguồn lực tốt hơn

Một lợi thế rõ ràng khác khi doanh nghiệp sử dụng dịch vụ thuê ngoài là sự tập trung nguồn lực vào các lĩnh vực kinh doanh cốt lõi. Nguồn lực này bao gồm tâm trí, sức lao động và các tài sản khác của doanh nghiệp. Việc loại bỏ mối lo về các hoạt động không thiết yếu hoặc các quy trình cần thiết nhưng vượt quá khả năng sẽ giúp doanh nghiệp khắc phục điểm yếu, tập trung vào các lợi thế sẵn có và vận hành hiệu quả hơn.

4 Lĩnh Vực Có Xu Hướng Thuê Ngoài Cao Nhất

 

1. IT

Công nghệ thông tin luôn nằm trong danh sách các chức năng outsource nhiều nhất trên thế giới. Với đặc thù là một ngành yêu cầu hàm lượng chất xám cao cùng tốc độ thay đổi nhanh, việc thuê ngoài giúp các công ty CNTT có được nguồn nhân lực đạt chuẩn, giải quyết vấn đề thiếu nhân sự giữa cuộc chiến nhân tài công nghệ và bắt kịp với các xu hướng công nghệ mới nhất.

Ngoài ra, việc phát triển ra nước ngoài – Offshore Development Center (ODC) – là một chiến lược hiệu quả giúp doanh nghiệp CNTT tận dụng lợi thế giá cả về địa lý và giảm chi phí phát triển sản phẩm. Danh sách các nước hàng đầu cho dịch vụ ODC bao gồm: Việt Nam, Ấn Độ, Trung Quốc, Philippines, Belarus…

2. Tài chính

Thuê ngoài trong lĩnh vực tài chính là một chiến lược phổ biến cho các doanh nghiệp nhỏ cũng như các quỹ đầu tư, tiêu biểu nhất là thuê ngoài kế toán.

Doanh nghiệp có thể outsource phần lập sổ sách và quản lý chứng từ, hoặc là toàn bộ chức năng của phòng kế toán. Đối với quỹ đầu tư, việc outsource còn có thể bao gồm các hoạt động tính toán giá trị tài sản ròng và cập nhật giá trị danh mục đầu tư của các nhà đầu tư hàng ngày.

3. Bảng lương (Payroll)

Thuê ngoài dịch vụ tính lương là lựa chọn hàng đầu cho các doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ. Quy trình tính lương không chỉ bao gồm việc tính toán đơn thuần mà còn cần kiến thức về luật lao động, hợp đồng lao động và bảo mật dữ liệu nhân viên. Do đó, doanh nghiệp với nguồn lực hạn chế có xu hướng thuê ngoài tính lương thay vì đầu tư vào đội ngũ kế toán & HR toàn thời gian.

4. Dịch vụ khách hàng

Thuê ngoài tổng đài Call Center giúp doanh nghiệp có được hệ thống cơ sở vật chất đầy đủ cùng đội ngũ chăm sóc khách hàng chuyên nghiệp 24/7. Trong kịch bản thuận lợi, outsource Call Center có thể giúp doanh nghiệp tiết kiệm tới 30% chi phí trong khi gia tăng mức độ hài lòng của khách hàng và nâng cao chất lượng dịch vụ khách hàng nói chung.

Các yếu tố cần thiết để outsourcing thành công

Để đảm bảo chất lượng tốt nhất cũng như hạn chế rủi ro khi outsource, đây là một sột số lưu ý khi thuê ngoài bạn cần biết.

Lựa chọn mô hình thuê ngoài phù hợp

Lưu ý quan trọng đầu tiên khi outsource là lựa chọn đúng mô hình thuê ngoài vì nó ảnh hưởng đến hợp đồng cũng như chi phí và nỗ lực của doanh nghiệp cần bỏ ra. Các mô hình thuê ngoài phổ biến bao gồm:

• Thuê ngoài theo dự án (Fixed-priced model): Doanh nghiệp bàn giao toàn bộ quy trình thực hiện dự án cho công ty đối tác và trả một mức chi phí cố định. Mô hình này hợp với các dự án có quy mô vừa và nhỏ, thời gian thực hiện ngắn, có yêu cầu cụ thể và không quá phức tạp.

Ví dụ: Công ty bạn cần xây dựng một website. Bạn chọn một nhà cung cấp dịch vụ outsource để thực hiện toàn bộ quy trình phát triển. Hai bên sẽ thỏa thuận trước về chi phí bạn phải trả cũng như thời hạn bàn giao và các yêu cầu về sản phẩm mà bên đối tác phải đáp ứng.

• Mô hình Thời gian và Vật liệu (Time & Material model): Doanh nghiệp sẽ thuê ngoài một phần việc hoặc công đoạn trong toàn bộ dự án và thanh toán theo thời gian và nỗ lực thực tế mà bên đối tác phải bỏ ra. Mô hình này phù hợp với các dự án dài hạn nhưng chưa có yêu cầu rõ ràng và cần sự linh hoạt để điều chỉnh theo sự thay đổi/phản hồi của thị trường và khách hàng.

Ví dụ: Công ty bạn cần thực hiện marketing tổng thể cho một website. Bạn có thể thuê ngoài phần viết nội dung blog cho một agency và thanh toán chi phí dựa trên số lượng, chất lượng bài viết.

• Mô hình thuê ngoài tăng nhân viên: Đây là hình thức mà doanh nghiệp thuê một số lượng nhân viên về làm việc dưới sự quản lý của công ty mình trong một khoảng thời gian cụ thể.

Ví dụ: Công ty bạn thuê một chuyên gia marketing từ nhà cung cấp về làm việc trong vòng hai tháng. Bạn trả chi phí cho nhà cung cấp và họ chịu trách nhiệm hoàn toàn về mặt phúc lợi của chuyên gia này.

Ngoài ra, doanh nghiệp cũng có thể cân nhắc các mô hình thuê ngoài dựa trên vị trí địa lý để tận dụng lợi thế về giá, bao gồm:

• Onshore: Thuê đối tác trong cùng một nước.
• Nearshore: Thuê đối tác ở các nước lân cận.
• Offshore: Thuê đối tác ở thị trường nước ngoài.

Xác định rõ các tiêu chí trước khi thuê ngoài

Một tiêu chí khác trước khi outsource là doanh nghiệp cần làm rõ mục tiêu của dự án, mục tiêu của việc thuê ngoài và những kỳ vọng của mình về dịch vụ mình sẽ nhận được. Ngoài ra, hai bên cần thống nhất về một kênh giao tiếp và một phương thức báo cáo công việc trước khi hợp tác. Trong trường hợp này, thỏa thuận mức dịch vụ (SLA) – mức độ dịch vụ mà người thuê mong đợi từ một nhà cung cấp dịch vụ – sẽ hữu ích cho cả hai bên.

Ngoài ra, doanh nghiệp cũng cần quan tâm đến yếu tố bảo mật. Hợp đồng thỏa thuận bảo mật thông tin (non-disclosure agreement) nên được thảo luận và ký kết trước khi hai bên tiến hành hợp tác.

Bắt đầu với một bài kiểm tra

Doanh nghiệp cũng có thể làm một bài kiểm tra trước khi quyết định thuê ngoài nếu chưa thực sự tin vào năng lực của nhà cung cấp. Với cách này, bạn bắt đầu dự án của mình với một phạm vi công việc nhỏ với một bộ mục tiêu rõ ràng. Kết quả của dự án này có thể là một chỉ số đánh giá năng lực và hiệu suất của đối tác, là cơ sở đi đến quyết định hợp tác giữa hai bên.

Kết Luận

Như vậy, chúng ta đã thảo luận về “Tại sao doanh nghiệp outsource?” cũng như “Những yếu tố cần có để outsource thành công”. Hy vọng bài viết đã cung cấp một cái nhìn sơ bộ để góp phần giúp doanh nghiệp của bạn đưa ra quyết định thuê ngoài hợp lý hơn cũng như lựa chọn và cân bằng giữa outsourcing và insourcing tốt hơn.

Giới thiệu LQA

LQA là một công ty chuyên về dịch vụ kiểm thử và đảm bảo chất lượng phần mềm với 6 năm kinh nghiệm cung cấp giải pháp tùy chỉnh cho khách hàng đến từ 9 quốc gia. Liên hệ LQA ngay để được tư vấn miễn phí về dịch vụ kiểm thử phần mềm cũng như các dịch vụ IT khác!

A test automation framework defines a set of rules or best practices which you can follow in a systematic way to achieve the desired results in test automation. The success of automated testing highly lies in choosing the right type of test automation framework. Unfortunately, different automation projects come with separate requirements and challenges, making it hard to find a one-size-fits-all solution to go.

So, let’s learn how to choose a suitable automation framework for your project.

How to choose the right test automation framework?

 

Selenium is among the most popular test automation frameworks

Step 1: Clarify the project requirements

Every effective automation test project starts with the right requirements set. First and foremost, you need to have a clear understanding of the project characteristics as well as the target testing outcome.

For example, when we designed test automation frameworks for our client’s F&B applications, we listed out the following:

• Test scope: 20 web & mobile applications with 5 – 6 releases per year for each application.
• Client’s needs: UI automation testing & APIs for backend testing; Cross browsers and operating systems testing.
• Target outcome: Reduced time for regression test.

• Challenges: End-2-end test flow is complicated and the data set is huge for API tests.
• Solution: Develop API test program (using Java), support data-driven to test a huge dataset.

Step 2: Define the budget

To set a budget for your test automation project, you have to calculate the effort for developing and maintaining scripts, plus the budget for automation testing tools and infrastructure. Types of test automation framework include:

• Open-source frameworks

• Commercial frameworks
• Customized frameworks

Then, decide whether you will use a free, open-source framework or pay for a commercial tool. There are pros and cons to each option:

• Open-source tools: They are free tools with an active community, free tutorials, and meetups. However, open-source tools may become outdated, become too slow, not 100% fit your project, and require high-tech capacity to customize.
• Commercial tools: Also called paid tools, offering a lot of features outside of the box. Still, with high costs, they’re unpopular and hard to find tutorials and support from the community. They should provide users with prompt customer support for all technical issues.

Although the commercial tools come with high initial investments, they help increase productivity and benefit us much better in the long term. If you’re ready to spend money on a commercial tool, it’s better to start a free trial and experiment on a small project before buying the full package.

Step 3: Consider the tech stack

An ideal framework for test automation should be compliant with the programming language used for the project as well as familiar with your team.

Firstly, you should see if your test automation engineers are well versed in a particular language and framework, then, compare it with the programming language that your project was developed on. If there’s a difference, take into account the effort spent on getting familiar with the language and the effect of using it. Maybe it will decrease your team’s productivity, but it won’t expand the required tech stack and allows you to ease into the process while helping to avoid unexpected issues.

In case you work with mobile apps, you’ll also have to consider the supported platforms. If you target various platforms, you should choose a tool that supports all. For instance, Selenium and Appium support both IOS and Android.

Step 4: Evaluate the test automation framework

There are some aspects that you need to consider before choosing a framework for the automation project.

Maintenance and reusability

A significant factor that escalates the total cost for test automation is script maintenance. Even a small change of application can cause the script to fail. So, if debugging is easy, it could reduce the effort.

On the other hand, script reusability saves you and the team a great deal of time for similar test cases as you can reuse test scripts.

Integration capabilities

CI/CD is now becoming quite popular in software development. The chosen framework should be able to integrate into the CI/CD pipeline to ensure full automation.

Nice-to-have features

• Report: A well-categorized, easy to read, easy to understand report display will be a bonus for an automation framework. Because the ability to analyze errors when reading reports will help reduce debugging effort for the project.

• Behavior Driven Development Framework: If you are not a techie, using BDD frameworks with Gherkin syntax will be an advantage to help you better understand the project. The BDD framework also gives a fairly readable report with the steps written in human languages (English, Vietnamese…)

Step 5: Verify the selection

When you come up with your selection among automated test frameworks, don’t implement it immediately. Proof of concept (POC) may be very useful for conformity checks or in case you still have some doubts about the tool.

This POC can help you identify:

• How the framework is maintained

• How easy it is to use
• Whether it meets your requirements
• If it addresses some of the high-priority edge cases you have, as well as different scenarios and controls in the application.

Step 6: Make the final decision

You now have all the necessary information to decide the right framework for your automation test project. You should have a strong awareness of the test automation tool, understand all the strong and weak points of the solution and keep the balance between cost and benefits.

Let LQA helps you choose the right test automation framework

Although choosing between different types of test automation framework will take some time and effort, it is a prerequisite to ensure effective automation tests in the long term.

At LQA, we have 6 years of providing custom testing and QA solutions to global clients. We implement both manual and automated tests to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your project. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation regarding selecting the test automation framework or figuring out the plan for your next steps!

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