Test Methodology

Our TestTeam plans and executes testing using a comprehensive methodology. To achieve a quality solution, our methodology is designed to incorporate and facilitate the elements of risk management and quality assurance. This involves:

• Planning - Documenting test requirements and strategies, defining procedures, providing testers with step-by-step instructions
• Executing - Carrying out test procedures, including proofreading for grammar, spelling, consistent word usage and text layout, monitoring performance, validating links, ensuring usability across various platforms and browsers
• Evaluating - Reporting test results and suggested actions for unexpected test results to development staff and to clients

Testing Services

Testing a system or Web site's capability and stability shouldn't occur only at launch time. As systems expand, upgrade or are subject to heavier traffic and requests, testing serves as a preventive measure against failure.

However essential, many businesses and organizations may not be staffed or equipped to execute specialized testing. Our quality assurance services are provided as part of our total business solution or may be outsourced as needed.

Functional Testing

To ensure that every function of your system performs properly, our TestTeam manually executes these tests:

• System Testing - Ensures that the system adheres to business rules that you define
• Configuration Testing - Ensures that your system performs across different hardware, operating systems, server software and browser applications
• User Interface Testing - Ensures that software applications are intuitive for users, including a consistent look and efficient accessibility to functions

Upon completion of Functional Testing, you can be assured of:

• Effective Software Applications - That navigation will work properly and data entry, processing, and retrieval will function according to specifications
• Platform/System Compliance - That the Web site or system applications will function properly on the prescribed server platforms and/or client workstations
• Business Process Integration - That your business functions and requirements are properly reflected in tasks presented on your Web site or software application
• User Interface Standards - That window objects and characteristics, such as menu, size, position, state, and focus conform to standards

Security and Access Control Testing

To protect your information system and business assets, our TestTeam takes your system through rigorous procedures to ensure proper access and denial controls are in place by testing:

• Function and Data Security - Ensures that specified functions and data are accessible to designated users only
• System Security - Ensures that the system and application(s) are accessible to designated users only

Regression Testing

As your system expands with your business, reliable quality assurance becomes increasingly critical. Our TestTeam understands the evolution of systems and can apply tests that amply challenge your system to ensure its success.

Regression Testing involves the process of re-testing and validating applications for specific functional changes due to Web site or software application enhancements or infrastructure upgrades. This type of test may involve the use of other tests such as Business Cycle and Functional Testing. The use of a testing tool helps provide a consistent test execution with prescribed test results.

Through Regression Testing, you can have confidence that your system will have:

• Longevity - That your Web site functions properly over multiple cycles
• Continuity - That changes do not have any impact to the normal Web site processing

Installation Testing

When new systems are put in place or hardware is upgraded, it is critical that all of the hardware and software components are installed and configured correctly. This requires testing of hardware and applying functional tests against software applications. Our TestTeam provides Installation Testing to ensure:

• Reliable New Systems - Ensures Web site and software applications operate as designed
• Effective Upgrades - Ensures that Web site and software application, whether the same version or an older version, perform properly on upgraded machines

Performance Testing

Whether you're delivering an e-commerce Web site or communication tools for internal staff, a responsive system is key. For Performance Testing, we repeatedly place your Web site under heavy loads to determine when the Web site's response time will start to degrade or fail.

To verify and validate your performance requirements, we test for:

• Effective Everyday Transactions - Validation of system response time for designated transactions or Web site functions under normal anticipated volume
• Performance During High-Volume Periods - Validation of system response time for designated transactions or Web site functions under the anticipated worse case volume

Stress Testing

Stress Testing finds errors due to low resources or competition for resources. Low memory or disk space may reveal defects in the Web site that aren't apparent under normal conditions. In extreme conditions when a number of functions are being executed simultaneously, they compete for resources and performance may be affected. To pinpoint the performance threshold of your system, we test for:

• Clarity - Identify the peak load the Web site can handle
• Understanding Your System's Limitations - Determine the conditions under which the Web site fails to continue functioning properly

Business Cycle Testing

Business Cycle Testing will ensure that your software application functions properly under normal business conditions over time. The usual cycles of tests validate that the data is correct for daily, weekly, monthly, annual, and other predefined periodic events and ensures:

• Systems Align with Business Model - That software application and background processes function according to required business models and schedules
• Efficient Data Recovery - That recovery processes (manual or automated) properly restore the database, applications, and system to a desired, known state
• Responsive Transactions - That system response time for designated transactions or business cases under varying workload conditions are verified

Testing Education

Testing Education helps businesses move their staff forward in the implementation of testing processes. Customized education sessions are developed to suit your organization's needs. In these sessions, your organization's test processes are reviewed and paralleled with real-life examples.

Documentation Review

Documentation is an important part of any system implementation project. For every project, our TestTeam conducts thorough documentation review of materials such as user's guides, technical manuals and Web site style guides. In these reviews, validation is conducted to ensure that documentation is consistent with system, applications and/or Web site functions.