Product testing is an integral function with any software house or machine based business. It is second nature to these types of companies because if things go wrong after delivery, it will cost big-time to put it right.
Product testing is done as early as possible in the life-cycle because it is more cost effective to fix issues found earlier than during or after production.
Product Testing, valid for you?
Having worked in the IT and Telecoms sector for more years than I care to remember, one thing that I did take from it was the value of good quality and early testing to validate what you are producing. But if you are not an engineering or IT business, do you still need to do it?
My view would be definitely. The chances are you are doing some right now in your business, you may just not call it testing.
You might call it a design review for example. A design review is testing that you have understood the brief correctly with the client. You may do this a number of times before delivering the final article to the customer for which you will be paid.
Now imagine that you had not done reviews before hand. You’d spent the planned two weeks on a design, never once spoken to the customer after the initial conversation, never checked your assumptions with them and delivered to time. Unless you are some sort of miracle worker, the chances are you will have failed in your customer project and have to re-work not inconsiderable portions of the work. Not to mention the fact that the customer will be less than happy.
So it is in any industry. Each will check their work out as early as possible and throughout the delivery.
- An architect will check his designs
- A builder will (should) check out the site before building
- A wedding planner will float ideas past the client
- A restaurant will validate it’s menu
- An events planner will check the brief with the client continuously
- .. the list goes on.
Product testing saves you time and considerable expense if done earlier rather than later. Factor “testing” into your business delivery process as early as you can. The up-front investment in time and effort to do so will be relatively small for the savings that you will make later if things go wrong.
Do you product test in your business?
Photo : Kevin Dooley
