What Should I Do When I Find Errors While Testing Outsourced Software?

Carefully examining all of our outsourced software needs is very important so that you are extremely happy with the end results. Be prepared to find errors as no program is going to be free of them, especially during the early stages of development. A common question is what should you do when you find errors with the software you have been testing.

There are some basic things you need to cover in order to get the most benefit from such testing efforts. However, the specifics of the way in which you will handle reporting them to the programmer needs to be one that works well for the two of you. In order to avoid conflicts during the project you need to agree on such terms before you commit to working with each other. Have those terms in writing as well to protect all parties involved.

First, you need to make sure the testing was done accurately. Pay close attention to what you are doing when you come across a problem. That way you can document it. If possible take screen shots as well of it. That way you have something to visually show the programmer. You don’t want them to not find the same error as then they won’t be able to work on a solution for it.

Be very methodical in the way you test the materials as well. That way you can assume what you did would be logical for the user of the software to do as well. While you do want to take your time you need to get the testing completed so that the programmer can resume working. Most won’t want to move forward with the next phrase until they testing is complete and bugs have been assessed.

The testing environment needs to be accurate as well. When there are changes going on during the testing phase it can be too difficult to pinpoint the problems. That is due to the many variables out there. Remember that when one thing is changed it can affect many others. From the prospective of the programmer though they may be able to quickly and easily make a few changes that improve many of the errors that were identified during the testing. The downside is that such changes can also result in new errors cropping up.

That is why you need to work out a plan with the programmer about what will take place next. Are they going to work out the bugs and then have you retest what has been done so far? Are they going to fix the bugs and move on to the next phase so that you can test all of that at the next scheduled date? You certainly want to follow up on all errors you find though. Don’t just assume they have been taken care of.

Make sure you are very clear with the information you provide to the programmer about bugs you have found. You want them to understand the errors so they can effectively find a good solution for them. You want them to be able to work on them rapidly too rather than spending their time trying to recreate the situation. Your efforts will definitely help ensure things are working properly before the project continues. In the end this is going to result in a quality software program that you can use being developed by the programmer.