How is System Testing used in a business?

System Testing is a way that a business can validate and integrate a software product into their organization. As software is just one part of a more grand computer-based system, it is critical to perform system testing to evaluate the system specifications and how the software integrates with the entire computer system.

The Two Types of Software Testing

There are two types of software testing, “black box testing” and “white box testing.” During white box testing, the inner workings of the code of the software is being tested, whereas with black box testing, the external workings are being tested from the perspective of the user.

What does one accomplish with System Testing?

When doing a System Test, you will want to accomplish the following things. In an end-to-end testing scenario, you will test the fully integrated applications to see how everything is working together and interacting. Each input of each application will be checked as well to make sure the desired outputs are being produced. You will also be testing from the user’s perspective to see that the experience is seamless. 

Systems Testing is a process that requires a lot of attention to detail and patience as the application is viewed from the outside rather than looking internally at the source code.

The Testing Hierarchy!

As many tasks, there is a specific order in which to best run these system tests. These are the steps that would be taken before a new software comes out to market! 

1. The first test is the Unit Testing which is typically done by the software programmer who actually wrote the code. The programmer will perform this test on each block of the code as it is being developed.
2. The second test is the Integration Testing which is continuously completed as new blocks are integrated into the software package. This is especially critical as several different programmers may be contributing a variety of different modules to a software. This is to ensure that each module blends seamlessly with the entire software without incident. 
3. System Testing then comes into play on the software before it is actually released into the marketplace to test out the user experience. 
4. Last but not least, the software is out and Acceptance Testing begins via beta testing by actual users of the program.

Which type of system testing would one choose?

As there are more than fifty types of System Testing, the type that is used on an application or software will depend! Each type of testing produces a different informational outcome and gives insight into how easy it may be to use the application, how it will perform, its overall reliability, and other variables.

How does a tester choose which System Testing they should perform?

One, the tester would consider who they work for and what methods are already used by the company. Time is another factor that needs to be considered. Essentially, every single test could be done on a software. All 50 of them! However, the time it would take to complete this may not allow for it and some of these tests may not be necessary depending on the application. The tester will need to consider the time that is available and which types of tests are most relevant. They will need to consider what important information they are hoping to gain from the tests that they choose. Depending on where the tester works, they will also need to consider what resources they have available to complete certain tests. This may rule out not completing a few due to simply not having the resources available to do so. Another factor to rule in is the testers own education and ability. Last, but not least, budget! If money is a factor, which it often is in many businesses, this can affect what testing is completed and which ones are not.

Although lengthy and at times complicated, Systems Testing is highly important for a business who is releasing a new software or application. What a shame it would be to release a software for sale and then realize there are major bugs that require fixing and the user experience is not what you had hoped for. 

We hope this article was helpful in helping you understand why Systems Testing is done, a bit about what steps are taken during the process, and how it reaches the end result of a fully functioning software that integrated inside and out!