Offshore, nearshore or onshore testing

Over the last decade or so, many large organisations have looked at outsourcing their testing to the east, particularly India. While the USA and parts of Europe have realised that this is not the silver bullet. They have started to move many of these services back home.

Some South African counterparts are just starting their offshore endeavours. Over the last decade, offshore providers have been a popular solution for large companies seeking to cut costs and have one central solutions provider. Workers in the East (offshore companies) are oftentimes difficult to manage. Companies are faced with language problems, cultural differences, time zone issues and hidden project costs (of compromised quality through poor communication and integration).

Many companies are starting to realise that the cost benefits associated with offshore outsourcing may not be enough to override other associated risks. Nearshore providers closer to home, particularly Mauritius, are still in the infancy stages of providing full solutions to South Africa. But there are other countries closer to SA that may be worth investigating for more options.

There is a boom in the software testing outsource industry; because of this there are several companies providing testing outsourcing services.

All these companies are offering the exact same testing services making it hard to differentiate between them on anything other than price. Price differentiation does not ensure getting the highest quality vendor. Many lower quality vendors will eventually disappear over time. But that does not resolve the current issue of poor quality local providers.

Testing is often seen as an unnecessary expense or regarded as a lower priority. We recommend that you relook your outsourcing strategy on development and testing resources.

For more information about QA Consultants and its solutions and services, visit www.qualityassuring.co.za.