August 16, 2017 By: Prasenjit
Computerization has led to numerous processes and applications going the digital route. One of the biggest sectors to witness this change is the financial sector.
Numerous software programs have been developed to address financial management. This has helped streamline processes and increase efficiency. With a view to accommodating ever-evolving technologies and the changing requirements of customers, there is a need to give applications a trial run before rolling them out. A logical way to conduct these tests is with automated testing. It is fast, cost-effective, and saves time. However, despite the frequent use of automated testing in the finance industry, there still are challenges to overcome. Developing practices that can meet these obstacles head-on is a priority.
Challenges Faced Currently
- Internet Security: This is one of the biggest obstacles to testing financial applications. Since computerization and the advent of the internet, many software programs are offered over the Web. This has helped connect users from different parts of the globe to applications hosted in cyberspace. While highly efficient, there is a risk of cyber-attacks with hackers and phishers aiming to gain unauthorized access to data and systems.
- Unstable Performance: Ensuring seamless performance of software programs is a bigger challenge than one may think. Variables such as bad internet connectivity and the ability to support multi-tier functionality without experiencing downtime are just a couple of issues that hinder application testing.
Best Practices
Just like there are several banking workflows and processes, there need to be multiple testing techniques. This end-to-end process will ensure that the application in question functions well, is secure, and provides a better user experience.
- Test Case Preparation and Review: Test cases can yield positive and negative results and are a good way to know which areas need improvement. QA specialists can create test cases and review the results.
- Database Testing: Successful database management is crucial to efficiently managing data and letting users perform several tasks easily. Testing triggers and data integrity (among other techniques) can improve user experience and the application’s functionality.
- Seamless Integration: Financial applications need to be able to integrate with other programs well. They should be able to handle complex workflows without a hitch and support multi-tier processing without trouble.
- Security Testing: While all other aspects of application testing are important, security tops the list, as unauthorized access and loss of data can cost a financial institution millions of dollars. The application should not only be able to withstand cyber-attacks but it needs to comply with industry standards as well. Vulnerabilities, if any, will have to be addressed and bugs fixed. This important aspect of testing can influence if an application can be rolled out or needs to be redesigned.
The testing of financial applications is complicated and multi-layered. While automated testing reduces the time is taken and cuts costs, it still needs to go through certain steps to produce an efficient, secure result. The practices mentioned here are widely used in application testing and are the norm today.
Summary
Financial applications need to be tested thoroughly before utilizing them. Therefore, you must consider the obstacles and practices of automated testing.
