Software Testing Needs and Impact in Copenhagen SMEs

Today’s development of digital products requires a thorough planning, execution and refinement of software testing at different levels (technical, managerial, personnel-related). A proper software testing strategy not only improves the quality of the final product and the overall software development process, but it prevents undesirable errors and side effects that can become chronic throughout development’s life cycle.

Based on company interviews and personal experience, our hypothesis is that software development small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not focus their efforts on software testing as much as suggested by the industry’s best practices. This is due to several factors:

• Lack of knowledge about software testing’s benefits and about the need to test
• Lack of expertise in implementing a software testing strategy
• Lack of human and technical resources
• Late implementation of software testing, thus minimising its beneficial consequences

This project will investigate the needs and present implementation of software testing in Copenhagen-based software development SMEs. The objective is twofold:

• To help the participant companies improve their software testing strategy and practices
• To re-evaluate software testing at KEA Digital and at KEA Kompetence:
  • Its inclusion in curricula
  • The way we teach it

In order to take the project to fruition, we will select around ten Copenhagen-based software development SMEs with different profiles and attitudes in regard to software testing. The data will be educed via a series of interviews, questionnaires and, if possible, direct observation. In order to cover as wide a range as possible, question elaboration will be informed by the recommendations of the ISTQB software testing certification. Pain points will be identified and they will help unveil emerging patterns.

The results will be made available to the participants and to the teaching teams at KEA Digital and KEA Kompetence. They will also be disseminated publicly, the specific format still to be determined.

We will select around ten Copenhagen-based software development SMEs with different profiles and attitudes in regard to software testing. The data will be educed via a series of interviews, questionnaires and, if possible, direct observation. In order to cover as wide a range as possible, question elaboration will be informed by the recommendations of the ISTQB software testing certification. Pain points will be identified and they will help unveil emerging patterns.