Abstract

The software testing field is a very interesting one with a lot of principles and responsibilities. In particular, beginners who want to enter the software testing field may have difficulties. I was wondering what the best way to get started correctly and eventually become a professional in the software testing field would be. To move ahead in this career, we need to focus on the life cycle testing process from a different perspective, which leads me to think about professional certifications.

The first certification that came to mind was ITIL 4. ITIL offers a set of procedures for coordinating IT services and IT service management according to business requirements. The second certification is the ISTQB Foundation level, which is the basic certification in the testing field. But I was looking for a basic architecture to construct in my head. However, I had difficulty deciding which of the two certificates to start with. Eventually, I asked myself and some professionals in the software testing field. Is ITIL 4 necessary in the software testing field?

This article investigates whether ITIL4 will benefit software testers or leaders in the workplace. I chose a quantitative methodology with one question and shared it with software testers and professionals in the field to see how vital the ITIL4 framework is to software testers. This will help us discover the domain knowledge of ITIL4 and its principles.

 

Introduction

I want to start by giving the definition first. How does software testing work? It is a technique for determining whether a computer program or system satisfies the requirements and provides the desired results. You discover defects in software projects and products as a result. The ISTQB Foundation Level Standard of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board The ISTQB Foundation certification provides participants with the necessary groundwork for a career as a software testing professional by covering the principles of software testing. Along with pertinent standards and risks, it covers setup processes for usability, user experience, and accessibility. The Certified Tester Foundation Level certification equips testing specialists with a wide range of knowledge and essential terminology.

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL): Through its specifications and its scalable structure, ITIL offers real advantages across a range of industries. Therefore, you can apply the skills you learn in ITIL training to an almost infinite number of job opportunities. The professionals who stand to gain the most from this certification are IT professionals because the framework provides a business perspective on how the IT department operates. This certification can help people in many different jobs, such as database administrators, quality analysts, IT managers and directors, technical support engineers, and consultants.

In the crowded, competitive digital environment of today, it's getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. By spending money on credentials and certifications, people are stepping up their game and enhancing their knowledge and abilities. It increases a professional's chances of getting the job of their choice and is frequently viewed as proof of their personal drive. Increasing your marketability and establishing credibility with a future employer are two major reasons to think about getting certified.


Now, let's look at the perspective procedure in more detail to learn more about the key functions that connect the ITIL and ISTQB certifications.


ITIL4 perspective:

Apart from the planned activity, all of those areas are addressed in service validation and testing practice. The main focus, however, is on the design and transition, as well as the obtaining and building of these areas. They have a lot of activity for service validation and testing. When we consider the real-world application of ITIL and its practices in various organizations, we discover that service validation and testing are components of the service management practice.

There are 34 practices. We've got general management practices, service management practices, technical management practices, and so on. Service validation and testing sit within service management practices. A practice is a set of organizational resources designed for performing work or accomplishing an objective. According to ITIL 4, the goal of service validation and testing is to make sure that new or modified products and services meet established requirements and that their value is determined by the business goals of their customers. The inputs are put to use to create quantifiable attributes and performance indicators that help with the formulation of assurance standards and testing specifications.


I know that you are still confused and still wondering if ITIL is the right choice for you.

Let me now divide this practice into two sections. Testing and service validation are available. Establishing deployment and release management acceptability criteria is the goal of service validation. In general, you also want to observe utility and warranty. Its utility and warranty to think holistically are established and verified as part of the service validation activity of this approach. These serve as guiding principles. In this case, appropriateness for use and purpose are our main concerns. The next part is testing. We have functional and non-functional tests. From a utility and warranty perspective, utility is about functional testing, and warranty is about non-functional testing.


ISTQB Foundation level perspective:

Software testing is a process used to make sure a software system is free of bugs and to see if the outcomes are what the developer intended. Software flaws may be expensive or even harmful, so testing is crucial. Cost-effectiveness, security, product quality, and customer happiness are key justifications for utilizing software testing. Functional testing, non-functional testing (sometimes known as performance testing), and maintenance are the three basic types of testing. Unit testing, integration testing, validation testing, and system testing are crucial tactics in software engineering. A software tester's normal workday involves reading and comprehending requirement documents, writing and running test cases, reporting and re-testing issues, attending review meetings, and participating in other team-building exercises. So the touch point is when we talk about functional and non-functional testing, which we discussed above in the ITIL4 perspective on service validation and testing practice, which will provide you with significant design and building of the required areas. The type of software testing Unit testing, integration testing, smoke testing, user acceptability testing, and so forth are all examples of functional testing. Performance, endurance, load, volume, scalability, and usability testing are examples of non-functional testing.

Quality assurance and testing within the ITIL perspective:

The process of service validation and testing is crucial to the ITIL framework. It is used to actively maintain test environments as well as make sure that developments fulfill customer expectations and quality standards and that releases may continue to be supported after their initial release. Error removal before deployment is the main goal of any testing or quality assurance process. Through testing, incidents are decreased, goals are met, value is increased, and customer happiness is increased. Testing also lowers expenses by indirectly reducing defects before a service's debut.

During the service transition phase, service validation and testing are performed to ensure that new or modified services are appropriate for their intended usage. Early detection of risks, mistakes, or problems allows for their management and eventual eradication. As a result, the launch goes more smoothly, requiring far less troubleshooting in the live environment, and the consumers are happier because their expectations were met. Every ITIL testing activity aims to guarantee service quality. Continuous improvement activities require a thorough understanding of how to direct, plan, and improve value streams and methods while continuously testing them. The idea that quality assurance is only applied to final goods after development and before deployment is a frequent one. This is even though testing occurs constantly throughout the whole development process, even at the design stage! Testing early on has the advantage of gathering feedback from testers. During the product conception or design phases, testers will take the organization's needs and goals into consideration as part of the quality assurance (QA) procedures, and they will tailor the test and validation procedures accordingly. Testing can start in this manner while the product is still "on paper."

 

 

Quantitative Methodology Questionnaire:

I chose a quantitative methodology with one questionnaire, which was shared on LinkedIn. particularly in software testing groups. I chose this methodology for multiple reasons. It initially gives me the option to select a certain audience to direct inquiries to subject-matter authorities. In the end, a quantitative methodology is helpful to examine the input from many viewpoints and present the most efficient practices that help make the necessary modifications. The question was: Is ITIL 4 necessary in the software testing field? The total votes were 453. According to the findings, 64% say that ITIL4 is not necessary for the software testing field. On the other hand, 36% say that ITIL 4 is necessary for software testing.

 

In conclusion, an ITIL certification may not seem to be mandatory for those who are just beginning their career as software testers, but it may be mandatory for advanced levels. However, if we look at the Software Tester Career Path, we will find that career growth occurs first as a software tester and QA analyst. Then, as a senior QA analyst with 2–3 years of experience, then as a QA team coordinator with 5–6 years of experience, and so on, But what is very important here is continuous improvement. The rapid speed of digitalization and automation has heightened testers' competitive nature and made them even more eager to pick up new abilities. Additionally, getting an ITIL certification will be beneficial in the long run, particularly as more and more businesses begin to digitalize their operations. Additionally, it broadens software testers' perspectives, presenting them with more expansive and advantageous job progression options. Organizations are moving toward more agile software development in response to the growing demand for software that is delivered more quickly and with higher quality. The quality assurance (QA) and testing operations have improved as a result of this significant change. As part of the QA department, they are using agile and DevOps more and more. Because of its flexible nature and connection with Lean and DevOps, organizations that continually prioritize progress in the digital era have embraced the ITIL 4 framework. No doubt, obtaining an ITIL certificate will put you in a very advantageous position with the top competitors in the fiercely competitive international market.

 

So let's see your comments on this article. Is ITIL 4 necessary in software testing?



References:

 Hamilton, T (2, July 2022). What is Software Testing? Definition, Basics & Types in Software Engineering form https://www.guru99.com/software-testing-introduction-importance.html

Hamilton, T (25, June 2022). Software Testing as a Career Path: Tester Skills, Salary & Growth form https://www.guru99.com/software-testing-career-complete-guide.html

ILX Marketing Team (28 July 2021).Quality Assurance and testing within ITIL form https://www.itiltraining.com/uae/blog/quality-assurance-testing-within-itil

Cognixia (1, August  2020). How Does ITIL Training Benefit My Software Testing Career? from https://www.cognixia.com/blog/how-does-itil-training-benefit-my-software-testing-career/

Mark James. (2021, Sep 22). A brief overview about the SVT ITIL4 practice - (Service validation & testing) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ1F1LqHCM0&t=15s