Software Testing - Pilot Testing

Software testing is performed into multiple phases before the software is actually released into production. During the time of pilot testing, a team of testers works with the software prior to being released for the customers.

What is Software Pilot Testing?

Software pilot testing validates a portion of the software or the entire software under real time circumstances before it is deployed to production. This type of testing involves the evaluation of the feasibility, duration, budget, risk, and robustness of an application which is still under research.

Objectives of Software Pilot Testing

The objectives of the software pilot testing are listed below −

• The pilot testing analyzes the feasibility, budget, and various other parameters of the software.
• The pilot testing looks for optimal use of time, resources and other configurations during the development of the software.
• The pilot testing evaluates the customers involvement in using the software.
• The pilot testing analyzes whether the software is successful, and is able to meet the end users expectations.
• The pilot testing gives another opportunity to the development team to revive the performance of software.

Prerequisites of Software Pilot Testing

The prerequisites of the software pilot testing are listed below −

• Identify the correct test environment where the pilot test cases need to be executed. For the pilot testing, an environment which exactly replicates the production environment should be configured along with the hardware, and software. Thus it is necessary to come up with the similar circumstances which the customers shall have for the pilot testing.
• Identify the appropriate testing resources who can execute the pilot test cases. Without that, pilot testing will end up in failure.
• Come up with the suitable test plan to execute the pilot test cases. While executing the pilot test cases, it should be ensured that all the correct configurations and resources are available and abundant. Also, the test planning involves coming up with the correct test scenarios along with the test environment.

Process of Software Pilot Testing

The process of the software pilot testing are listed below −

Step 1 − Identify the test plan for the pilot testing. This is the most critical portion since rest of the steps are obtained from this step.

Step 2 − Complete all the test preparation for the pilot testing. All the required parameters, and configurations required for the pilot testing are identified along with the target end users.

Step 3 − Once all the preparations have been completed, a group of end-users are chosen before the software is deployed. The end users have similar circumstances like the actual customers.

Step 4 − The outcomes observed by the end users are recorded and then evaluated to check whether the software meets the customer requirements.

Step 5 − On the account of all the requirements being met, the software is made available to the market.

Advantages of Software Pilot Testing

The advantages of the software pilot testing are listed below −

• The pilot testing is done to validate if the software is effective, and productive. It also ensures that the end users are accustomed with the software and brings their confidence, and trust.
• The good outcomes from the pilot testing can be used for promotion of the software during its release, and generate interest around it.
• The pilot testing reduces the probability of finding defects in the software after the production release.
• The pilot testing detects defects which are not detected during the other phases of testing.

Disadvantages of Software Pilot Testing

The disadvantages of the software pilot testing are listed below −

• The pilot testing is conducted with a very small number of users, and hence does not detect issues which arise when the actual users work with the software.
• If the security features are weak, the pilot testing may result in the data breaches while handling the secure data.
• If the correct group of users are not available, then the pilot testing will not be able to give the correct results.
• At the time of pilot testing, there may be technical issues or compatibility problems that could hamper the user satisfaction.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Pilot Testing. Weve started with describing what is software pilot testing, what are the objectives of the software pilot testing, what are the prerequisites of the software pilot testing, what is the process of the software pilot testing, what are the advantages of software pilot testing, and what are the disadvantages of software pilot testing. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Pilot Testing. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.