Rethink Regression Testing: 3 Reasons to Outsource
While most software engineering teams understand why regression testing is essential, few developers and QA pros enjoy running regression tests. It’s often seen as a necessary evil that slows releases and sucks the soul out of the unlucky testers assigned to do the work.
As release cycles accelerate and applications become more complex, many teams are also exploring how AI can support regression testing — helping prioritize test coverage, generate test cases, and accelerate execution. However, AI alone cannot fully validate how applications perform in real-world conditions.
Crowdtesting offers organizations an alternative way to carry out regression tests and reduce the burden on internal teams. Here are three great reasons to outsource regression testing to a community-based testing provider.
Maintain the right device coverage
“Every time there's a change in code, whether it's front end or back end, it needs to be tested to determine if that new piece of code impacts something that's already in place. If you don't do that regression testing, generally because of the complexity of systems today, there's going to be a failure somewhere along the line. It might be minor — it might not even be noticed by the average customer. But there's still going to be a challenge or a problem within the system,” said Sim Olsberg, Associate Director, Solution Delivery.
Those unseen problems with the system can have serious consequences. Highly regulated industries like financial services, healthcare, online gambling and telecommunications can expose themselves to steep penalties if these overlooked defects impact compliance. Testing across a rapidly expanding landscape of devices and OSes is nearly impossible to achieve in a lab setting – particularly for enterprises serving multiple markets, or those where a variety of connected devices come into play.
While AI can help expand the breadth of regression testing by generating additional test cases and identifying high-risk areas, it cannot replicate the variability of real devices, networks, and user environments.
Applause crowdtesting offers on-demand access to the exact combinations of devices and operating systems teams need to test. Applause-run test cases take the burden of tactical testing off internal QA teams, allowing them to focus on strategic opportunities and reduce burnout. In addition, a fresh set of eyes provides an opportunity for QA testers less familiar with the product, and therefore less likely to naturally slip into “workaround mode,” to put the system through its paces, as it was developed, not as it should be.
Every test case that passes provides peace of mind, while every failure is an opportunity to correct the issue before it causes any significant harm.
Case Study
How FLOA partners with Applause for regression testing
Find out how FLOA works with Applause to identify high-value bugs, increase its testing capabilities, and release with confidence.
Speed release cycles
Some organizations have massive regression testing suites. Even with automation in the mix, thorough testing can take weeks. AI-powered tools can help accelerate regression testing by generating and executing test cases more quickly, and by identifying which areas of the application are most likely to be impacted by code changes.
One company that acts as a centralized IT department for thousands of clients faced significant problems with device coverage due to the varied technical makeups of their client’s networks. They needed to test across Windows, Linux, physical and virtual systems. The IT services firm wanted to push patch management releases more frequently, but was bogged down with a seven week regression testing cycle.
Applause assembled a pool of testers with the technical skills necessary to cover all the complex scenarios the company needed. By combining scalable human testing with automation and AI-assisted prioritization, the IT services provider was able to reduce regression testing time to three weeks.
Reallocate internal engineering and QA capacity to more strategic initiatives
Regression testing’s repetitive nature bores most QA pros – and introduces the risk of tester fatigue. While some team members may tolerate a certain amount of regression testing as part of their jobs, too much of it can lead employees to feel like they’re stagnating. QA team attrition and difficulty hiring and onboarding staff adds costs – and extends timelines. Staff turnover can put even greater pressure on teams that are already struggling to meet release deadlines without sacrificing test coverage.
Working with a crowdtesting provider for regression testing allows internal teams to spend their time on more challenging – and fulfilling – work. Tara Ziegler, Senior Director, Testing Services explained that regression testing is a common use case for Applause. “When we start working with a new client, we look at how they are doing their QA today: all the different things they're doing a lot of,” she said. Applause often takes over large volumes of regression testing and repetitive manual test case execution.
In many cases, Applause helps teams determine which regression tests are best suited for automation or AI-driven execution — and which require human validation — and then manages the execution across both. This ensures the right balance of speed, coverage, and real-world insight as applications evolve.
“Now their internal QA team can focus on feature testing, or maybe helping with the requirements gathering for new features and advising on that. If they're having to do a lot of repetitive regression testing and that kind of thing, it's difficult to find the time for those higher level tasks,” Ziegler said.
TL; DR: Why outsource regression testing to a crowdtesting partner?
Handing off regression testing to a crowdtesting partner can help teams:
- Save time by distributing work across a broader team for concurrent tests and starting tests earlier in the sprint cycle
- Increase coverage across devices, OSes, and different test case scenarios
- Improve QA staff retention by allowing internal teams to focus on more strategic and engaging work, developing their skills.
- Combine AI, automation, and human testing to increase speed while maintaining real-world validation
Tired of losing time and talent to lengthy regression testing cycles? Contact us to see how we can help.
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