Businesses know they have to mitigate exposure to risk. Not just financial risk, but operational risk too. One of the greatest operational risks is the introduction of new technology applications that fail to work, perform poorly or have an unplanned and deleterious effect on existing systems.
Paul Wandrag, QA Architect at Compuware SA, says: "The results of poorly performing technology can be disastrous - and can even close the doors of a company that is reliant on this particular technology. It has happened in the past, and without appropriate checks to properly evaluate the effects of new technology in the business environment, it will happen again."
He continues: "Removing the risk from software development projects requires that the most neglected of all the software development disciplines must be implemented throughout the application development lifecycle - these are load and quality testing procedures.
"When introduced into the development cycle, quality testing takes the application through a simulation process and the testing process can then be used to automatically test the system, minimising the possibility of human error. The real issue with risk mitigation is to understand all the forces at play when introducing a new application - no surprises means less risk," Wandrag notes.
He believes application developers should be using technology that not only pinpoint poorly written server code, but also determine the limitations of hardware devices that comprise the application environment, thereby mitigating the risk of allowing the application to go live on that hardware and within that environment. He also says developers should use additional tools designed to support an application once it is already exposed to the user community.
"Developers need production monitoring and troubleshooting solutions. When a problem begins to manifest itself in an application development project, technology staff need to have a method to quickly determine what the problem is and where it is located. This is especially the case for organisations like banks and online traders, who will appreciate the risk to revenue posed by non-performing or non-available systems," Wandrag explains.
"There`s no longer any reason for any business to play Russian roulette with its business systems. With increased focus on corporate governance - including IT governance, organisations must consider the implications of new applications and take the necessary steps to ensure new systems add value and don`t adversely affect trading conditions," he concludes.
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Compuware Corporation (NASDAQ: CPWR) is a world leader in delivering software and services that enable businesses to manage their enterprises and maximise the value of their IT assets. Compuware solutions accelerate the development, improve the quality and enhance the performance of business-driving applications. Founded in 1973, Compuware serves the world`s leading IT organisations, including more than 90% of the Fortune 100 companies. Learn more about Compuware at http:www.compuware.co.za.
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