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
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