Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore Quality Engineering

A lot of debate centers on the benefits and reasons why organizations should put ‘digital first’ and transform their software development and operations with a QE mindset.

It’s a conversation we’re comfortable with here at Apexon. We work with clients every day to discuss the best combination of strategy, software frameworks, toolchains and measurement to fit their particular situation. We’ve also been helping companies accelerate their digital initiatives for more than twelve years, so we have a depth of understanding that’s technical, but business-focused.

We understand the pressures enterprises face. And we get that with digital development moving so fast, it can be hard to keep up. When agile methodologies and increased integration with the IT and operations functions first introduced vital new skills into development, the consequences were big. On the upside, it redefined what was possible in digital, but on the downside, it introduced a lot of complexity thanks to the myriad competing vendors, toolsets and different use cases. QE enables a systematic approach to creating quality, efficiency, speed and innovation. When faced with the double pressure to ‘go digital’ for operation efficiencies, as well as to satisfy customer demand for faster, better products, the approaches and technologies in QE are the only ones that can meet these challenges.

If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

We spend much less time considering the other scenario – what if we don’t embrace QE? A recent research paper by Accenture looking into digital transformation stated that of the 180 companies polled, a meager six percent ranked as “Digital High Performers” (their criteria). Accenture’s poll didn’t dispute that there was high awareness of digital, but here’s the rub: 17 percent of the sample were performing extremely well without digital, thank you very much.

Looking at these numbers in isolation, you would be mistaken if you consider the pressure to go digital has been overblown. In today’s enterprise, the IT function defines how fast it can respond to change. QE addresses the challenges of quality and speed, delivers operational efficiencies and should be used to competitively differentiate from the pack.

So, ask yourself, can you afford not to look at QE?

Look around you: We’re competing in a global marketplace, never more so than when it comes to digital apps. US companies, despite the perception of digital strength, rank only average versus their global peers.

Last days of disco: If you’re in the 17 percent who are prospering without digital excellence, remember that current performance does not indicate future results. If QE is not on your agenda, you will struggle to achieve or maintain the twin goals of delivering quality at speed.

Fit for the future: 5G is coming and it’s going to disrupt digital initiatives. Have you got what it takes to compete with lightning fast speeds, uptime all-the-time and 5G capacity to support the IoT?

Spot trends: An organization’s IT function defines how fast it can respond to change. Instigating a QE approach throughout your DevOps team doesn’t just speed up software output, it enables a metrics transformation. Effective feedback loops and data-driven decision-making enable enterprises to see market disruption and use it to competitive advantage.

Early defect detection: The beauty of QE is that by focusing on improving the process, you improve the end product. Application defects are detected earlier in the product lifecycle, resulting in considerable resource (read – cost!) savings.  Of course it helps productivity levels and get the products released faster too.

Reduce regression test time by up to 80 percent: Smart automation and a switch to CI/CD are key components of QE. Reducing the need for manual interventions results in hugely reduced regression and smoke testing, and enables parallel testing.

If you’re feeling fired up about the power of QE to transform your digital initiatives, but you are unsure where to start, why not contact us. We also have handy guides, visuals and a whitepaper on QE, so what are you waiting for? Take a look!