Custom enterprise applications are tailored to meet the specific needs of organizations and often go on to become the backbone of their day-to-day activities. However, ensuring the reliability and performance of such apps is not straightforward — precisely where effective testing becomes critical.

According to the Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ), poor software quality costs US companies upwards of $2.41 trillion annually. These include losses associated with operational failures, canceled projects, software defects in legacy systems, and more. To curb such losses, it’s essential that organizations focus their attention on testing and rolling out high-quality enterprise applications.

 

The Key Considerations for Testing Custom Enterprise Applications

There are a few avenues to consider for success when testing custom enterprise applications:

1. Test Data Management

Custom enterprise applications often rely on complex and interconnected databases, each maintained by a separate team. The test data management process for custom applications must ensure that test data is available in all the databases. 

Often, the database you depend on won’t have all the records you need, so you’ll have to get them from another database instead. You also have to take care that changes in one database aren’t overwritten by those in another.

 

2. Test Environment Setup

Because enterprise applications often rely on custom database-driven interfaces, their test environments can be extremely complicated to set up. These applications also have a lot of different dependencies, so the installation process for their test environments is often very time-consuming. Hence, it’s imperative to perform compatibility testing across different devices, operating systems, and browsers. 

 

3. Test Case Design & Execution

When testing custom enterprise applications, you’re not just responsible for running a series of tests that check for functionality and usability. Quality assurance (QA) teams also need to ensure that the application performs well in the context of your company’s business processes. This might mean working with application users to develop scripts or case studies that simulate real-world application usage.

 

4. Performance & Scalability Testing

Custom applications are often complex and rely on a lot of different technologies (which often don’t play well with one another). This makes it all the more important to test the scalability, usability, and performance of these applications under heavy load.

Testing for scalability measures how well the application grows as users and data volumes grow. Testers can spot bottlenecks, resource constraints, and opportunities for improvement by simulating various user loads.

 

5. Security Testing

Security is a top priority for enterprise applications, and thorough security testing is exceptionally important. Enterprise applications often handle sensitive data, making them attractive targets for cyber threats. As such, security testing encompasses various aspects, such as vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and data encryption.

Ideally, security testing should identify and address security vulnerabilities, including authentication flaws, data breaches, and potential attacks. Additionally, enterprises must focus their attention on compliance with industry regulations and standards, such as GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA, for applications handling sensitive personal data.

 

6. Usability & User Experience Testing

Usability & user experience (UX) testing is essential to ensure that the enterprise application is user-friendly and meets the needs of its intended audience. This involves evaluating the application’s navigation, design, intuitiveness, and overall user satisfaction.

Real users are frequently used in usability testing, and they offer insightful input on the application’s UI. Such testing ensures that the program not only works but also offers a satisfying and engaging user experience.

 

7. Collaborative Features Testing

Testing should encompass real-world scenarios that simulate the collaboration needs of different teams and departments. This helps ensure that users can effectively communicate.

For example, many enterprise applications incorporate video conferencing or chat rooms that need to work together. This means you’ll have to test them in collaboration with one another while also lending a focus to the target user devices.

 

The Skills Required for Effective Testing

Custom application testing effectively calls for a range of skills and expertise. To that end, testers should have the following essential competencies:

Tools & Technology Proficiency

Testers and QA professionals should be well-versed in a wide array of testing tools and technologies — as proficiency in these tools can help streamline the testing process:

  • Test Automation Tools: Testers should be skilled in using test automation tools like Selenium, Appium, or ACCELQ. These tools allow for the automated execution of test scripts, thus significantly reducing the time required for redundant testing and ensuring consistency in test results.
  • Bug Tracking Systems: Familiarity with bug tracking platforms such as JIRA or Bugzilla is essential. These help testers document and manage identified defects, ensuring that issues are adequately addressed and resolved.
  • Test Management Software: Test management tools like TestRail or PractiTest are key for organizing, tracking, and managing test cases. These tools improve test case management, facilitating comprehensive test coverage.

Domain Knowledge

Effective testing requires a deep understanding of the domain in which the enterprise application operates. 

  • Designing Relevant Test Cases: Testers need to design test cases that align with the specific needs of the industry and the organization. Hence, understanding the industry’s standards and best practices is essential to creating relevant test scenarios that mimic real-world situations.
  • Identifying Potential Risks: Industry expertise enables testers to identify potential risks and vulnerabilities that may be unique to the sector — helping in uncovering critical issues before they can disrupt business operations.
  • Regulatory Compliance: For organizations operating in highly regulated industries like healthcare or finance, testers must be well-versed in industry-specific regulations, such as HIPAA or Sarbanes-Oxley — as compliance with these regulations is obligatory.

Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking Abilities

Testing often involves troubleshooting and problem-solving, as testers are tasked with identifying issues, tracing their origins, and devising solutions. On the other hand, critical thinking skills are particularly valuable for evaluating the application from various angles and identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities. These abilities enhance the overall quality of testing.

 

Wrapping Up

Custom enterprise applications are the driving force behind many businesses’ operations and success. However, ensuring the reliability, security, and usability of these applications is a multifaceted process — one that needs testing and quality assurance expertise.

At Trinus, we specialize in creating and successfully running custom enterprise applications. Our cloud engineering prowess renders us capable of assessing enterprise applications, monitoring their performance, and optimizing them. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.