In the past, the chief digital officer was once tasked with introducing basic digital capabilities and initiatives as they appeared. However, technology is no longer as mysterious as when it first was positioned for business and personal use. Most of us have a miniature computer in our pockets and we no longer consider it strange; in fact, it's become a necessity for many of us. As such, the role of chief digital officer has evolved to keep pace with emerging trends like application development and quality management. Let's take a look at why a CDO should care about agile software testing:
Do it for the customer
The success of any business largely relies on their client satisfaction rate and the organization's ability to adapt to emerging demands. In the case of app development, if the software doesn't match user standards or doesn't have the required functionality, customers will abandon it in favor of another tool that better meets their needs. Many businesses have adopted agile software development as a means to quickly create and continually support programs.
It's up to the CDO to ensure that employees are then provisioned with the right tools to evaluate code and quickly execute any change requests. McKinsey contributors Tuck Rickards, Kate Smaje and Vik Sohoni noted that information on customer behavior when using applications will help CDOs make changes and set the business apart from the status quo. Understanding what clients expect can improve testing efforts, which leads to better quality products and more happy customers that will build a relationship with your company.
It's a strategic advantage
As we've noted, the CDO's role has risen from teaching the basics to becoming a true transformer for your business. If they are to assimilate into this role and its responsibilities successfully, they must be able to identify and integrate upcoming trends. Software testing offers a strategic advantage to agile development environments. It's important to provision teams accordingly to support digital and company goals, CIO contributor Jill Dyche stated. With the right solutions, teams can use software testing to make better applications, leading to boosted customer experience and improved bottom lines.
To support these efforts, there are a few things that CDOs should look into. Automation, for one, is becoming a necessary asset for many teams. QA can easily code, assign and schedule repetitive tests, leaving them time to complete other tasks. With this kind of flexibility, automation is a natural fit for supporting agile development environments and ensuring that testing is being executed as expected.
QA teams should also pursue test management tools. These solutions provide a collaboration portal for testers. They will be able to keep track of progress in real time, receive notifications of any issues and respond faster than ever before. These capabilities all fit well into the CDO's mission for a more tech-savvy organization that can effectively leverage technology for advancement.