Testbirds: A Cold Case

This week, Testbirds have been opening up a cold case that has not yet been fully solved. With an evolving stream of ideas, we have re-examined previous material surrounding the perfect bug test. With technical advancements we question whether the Explorative Use Case method is still the preferred method to test Applications and Websites.Briefly, Explorative testing comprises of a style of software testing that reiterates freedom and the responsibility is handed over to the individual tester to find issues within the application. A structured testing approach purpose is to test a website or application according to the pertinent requirements. Test cases are the favoured method and are built around what the application is supposed to do. As a premium Crowdtesting company, Testbirds offers both types of testing but it is clear that the team prefer a very natural way of testing when catching bugs. Before we put our case forward, it’s important to remember that we are not discounting a structured approach. A structured test case solution does have its advantages. For example, for standardised B2B application software, test cases are especially important to check the functionality of the software, according to the requirements.However, using a structured approach poses the problem on what to cover and what is overlooked. Are you covering simply what you perceive? How much in parallel are you to the consumer? Irrespective of the development and complexity of the software, a single explorative test can offer so much more than any number of structured tests can. By trusting the intelligence of the crowd, you will gain a level of autonomy that only the best bug expert can dream of! Implementing a guided explorative test is not only fun, but it is the only true way to emulate natural conditions of the tester. It is important to ensure that quality use cases are created when setting up the test. Otherwise you run the risk of a misunderstanding amongst testers which will lead to poor results. By matching a set of simple guidelines, with a group of bug finders it will enable you to analyse the thoughts and actions of the consumer. For this type of testing, it is crucial to find the right balance between total freedom and structural constraints. Typical use cases guide the testers to the most crucial areas of the app without limiting them in how they actually get there. A pay-out per found bug additionally motivates to explore as much of the application as possible. For consumer applications and websites, a guided explorative solution is far more effective. You will only test what the user is supposed to do. The user himself will test whatever he thinks he can do. Thinking outside the box; and not being afraid to let others explore your app or website is critical to success. Trust explorative over structured, trust Crowdtesting to find the bugs you wouldn’t catch otherwise.

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Testbirds specialises in the testing of software such as apps, websites and Internet of Things applications by using innovative technologies and solutions. Under the slogan, “Testing Reality”, the company offers various testing methods to its clients looking to optimise the user-friendliness and functionality of their digital products. With over 250,000 registered testers located in 193 countries, Testbirds is one of the world’s leading crowdtesting providers. In addition, the IT service provider utilises cloud based technologies to support customers in the optimisation of their digital products. The combination of the two testing methods delivers a unique and extensive portfolio that takes the quality of software to the next level. Testbirds was founded in 2011 by Philipp Benkler, Georg Hansbauer and Markus Steinhauser. Today, the company has over 100 employees. Other than its headquarters in Munich, there are now offices in Amsterdam, London and Stockholm, franchises in Hungary and Russia and sales partners in Italy.