In this article, Ran Rachlin goes over the four warning signs that may signal that your current beta testing process might be in trouble.
The first point that he talks about is if your beta testing is having huge delays. The main way Rachlin says to over come this obstacle is to set strict deadlines for the team (this includes testers). He also points out to make sure that the objectives for the deadline are clear and reasonable; this is to make sure that everyone is on the same page and no one gets worried about what needs to be done. The other thing that this step includes is to make sure that constant contact is made with the testers so that communication is not lost and you receive better feedback.
The second item Rachlin touches upon is making sure that you don’t underestimate how much time it will take to go through testing. If you are on a tight deadline to get your product out, he recommends a few things that you should do. One is to make sure you have experienced tests for your product. Two is to stay in contact with the testers (as mentioned above), and inform them of the “time crunch” they are dealing with. These steps will help make sure that the testers know what they are doing before hand and are aware of the challenges they need to overcome.
The third thing is to be aware of the well being of the testers you’ve hired. If you’re testers become frustrated with the product they are working on, this can hinder the speed of testing the application. Again it helps to keep contact with the testers to make sure they are on track with the work, but you also want to make sure that they feel appreciated for the work they are doing; especially if they are in a time crunch. It may also help to give incentives near the end of a deadline to encourage testers to finish early or for a job well done. Although you should always have backup plan just in case things become too much for the testers that you have.
The last point that Rachlin makes is to ask yourself “Are we testing the target market and devices?” He says that you must make sure of two things; that you make sure the testers you have are from the target market and that you are using the “most popular devices and carriers in this target market” for your tests. If all of these issues are addressed, you should have minimal issues with they beta testing process for your app.
From the blog CS WSU – Techni-Cat by clamberthutchinson and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.