Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem
Small software companies make for the majority of software companies around the world, but their software development processes are often not as clearly defined and structured as in their larger counterparts. Especially the test process is often the most neglected part of the software process. This...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists
2011-11-01
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| Series: | South African Computer Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://sacj.cs.uct.ac.za/index.php/sacj/article/view/9 |
| _version_ | 1819145480835170304 |
|---|---|
| author | Stefan Gruner Johan van Zyl |
| author_facet | Stefan Gruner Johan van Zyl |
| author_sort | Stefan Gruner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Small software companies make for the majority of software companies around the world, but their software development processes are often not as clearly defined and structured as in their larger counterparts. Especially the test process is often the most neglected part of the software process. This contribution analyses the software testing process in a small South African IT company, here called X, to determine the problems that currently cause it to deliver software fraught with too many defects. The findings of a survey conducted with all software developers in company X are discussed, and several typical problems are identified. We also discuss two prevalent test process improvement models that can be used to reason about the possibilities of process improvement. Solutions to those (or similar) problems often already exist, but a major part of the problem addressed in this contribution is the unawareness, or unfamiliarity, of many small industrial software developers and IT managers as far as the scientific literature on software science and engineering, and especially in our case: software testing, is concerned. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T12:58:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e7c1b391c0f4b80b2577cbbdec80e4d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1015-7999 2313-7835 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T12:58:42Z |
| publishDate | 2011-11-01 |
| publisher | South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Computer Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e7c1b391c0f4b80b2577cbbdec80e4d2022-12-21T18:25:02ZengSouth African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information TechnologistsSouth African Computer Journal1015-79992313-78352011-11-0104739Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African ProblemStefan GrunerJohan van ZylSmall software companies make for the majority of software companies around the world, but their software development processes are often not as clearly defined and structured as in their larger counterparts. Especially the test process is often the most neglected part of the software process. This contribution analyses the software testing process in a small South African IT company, here called X, to determine the problems that currently cause it to deliver software fraught with too many defects. The findings of a survey conducted with all software developers in company X are discussed, and several typical problems are identified. We also discuss two prevalent test process improvement models that can be used to reason about the possibilities of process improvement. Solutions to those (or similar) problems often already exist, but a major part of the problem addressed in this contribution is the unawareness, or unfamiliarity, of many small industrial software developers and IT managers as far as the scientific literature on software science and engineering, and especially in our case: software testing, is concerned.http://sacj.cs.uct.ac.za/index.php/sacj/article/view/9Software process improvementSoftware testingIT management |
| spellingShingle | Stefan Gruner Johan van Zyl Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem South African Computer Journal Software process improvement Software testing IT management |
| title | Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem |
| title_full | Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem |
| title_fullStr | Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem |
| title_short | Software Testing in Small IT Companies: A (not only) South African Problem |
| title_sort | software testing in small it companies a not only south african problem |
| topic | Software process improvement Software testing IT management |
| url | http://sacj.cs.uct.ac.za/index.php/sacj/article/view/9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stefangruner softwaretestinginsmallitcompaniesanotonlysouthafricanproblem AT johanvanzyl softwaretestinginsmallitcompaniesanotonlysouthafricanproblem |