Software testing in context

Organisations and businesses rely upon software applications and systems to perform a multitude of tasks efficiently. These tasks are implemented to improve productivity through the streamlining of business processes.

You can expect the use of software in an office environment, at home on your computer, and when using your mobile phone. These are just a few places where software applications and systems touch our lives. What might happen if a system or application did not work as was expected?

Decorative image: A laptop in a server room displayingmultiple error messages on its screen.

Most people have had an experience with software that did not work as expected. Software that does not work can have a large impact on an organisation. It can lead to many problems including:

Loss of money: this can include losing customers through to financial penalties for non-compliance to legal requirements.
Loss of time: this can be caused by transactions taking a long time to process, but can include staff not being able to work due to a fault or failure.
Damage to business reputation: if an organisation is unable to provide service to their customers due to software problems, the customers may lose confidence or faith in this organisation and choose to take their business elsewhere.
Injury or death: some safety-critical systems that do not work as intended could even result in injuries or deaths, such as flight traffic control software.

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