Avoid bugs, reduce costs: how quality assurance succeeds in software development
In the digital world, we are constantly confronted with technologies that make our lives easier. But what happens when these technologies don't work as expected? This is where the term ‘bug’ comes into play. Bugs are small errors in the system that often seem inconspicuous at first glance. But the impact can be huge - both financially and in terms of a company's reputation. But what exactly is a bug, how does it occur, and what does it really cost? In this article, we will find out exactly that and show why it is ultimately more favourable to invest in quality assurance (QA for short).
What is a bug?
A bug is an error in software or a system that causes it not to function as intended. This can manifest itself in various ways: A button on a website does not respond, an app crashes, or incorrect data is displayed. Such errors can occur at any stage of development and affect not only the end user, but often also the internal processes of a company. If an error occurs in a company's software, for example, this can have an impact on delivery processes, orders or even communication with customers.
Errors can be caused by many things. These include unclear requirements, misunderstandings between developers and specialist departments or human error. They occur in all software products, no matter how good the development teams are. The important thing is how you deal with these errors.
How does a bug arise?
A bug often arises at an early stage of software development and in many cases remains undetected at first. There can be many reasons for this: Sometimes it is due to complex requirements that are not defined clearly enough. In other cases, there is a lack of sufficient testing to ensure that all functions work as desired. Especially in agile development environments, where rapid changes and releases are common, small changes can cause new errors.
What costs are incurred by a bug?
The costs incurred by a bug can be divided into direct and indirect costs.
Repair costs
As soon as a bug is discovered, the actual work begins. The error is reported and must then be analysed and rectified. This often means that a service employee records the bug or a project manager exports it from a bug tracking tool. The bug is then reproduced and verified by the development team. This is necessary to ensure that it is not a user error, but an actual error in the software. Once the cause has been identified, the actual bug fixing begins, followed by extensive testing to ensure that the bug has been fixed, and no further problems have arisen. Finally, the fix must be published in a new version of the software. The costs can be calculated retrospectively per bug. Experience has shown that the costs per bug are at least €4,000.
Damage to the business result
A bug can also have a direct impact on a company's bottom line. For example, a faulty API endpoint could mean that important data is no longer transmitted to lorry drivers, which in turn leads to delivery delays and additional costs. In another case, an error in an online shop could result in customers seeing incorrect prices or orders not being processed correctly. These issues lead to direct financial losses, but can also cause a loss of trust among customers. The damage can also be calculated and is either €10,000 or €500,000, depending on the severity of the error.
Loss of customer trust and damage to reputation
The indirect costs of a bug are often even more serious. If customers have a negative experience due to a bug, this can have a long-term impact on trust in the brand. For example, a data leak caused by a bug in the software could permanently damage customer trust in the company's data security. Bad reviews in app stores or negative word of mouth also contribute to deterring potential new customers. This damage cannot be calculated directly, but can be deduced by looking at the growth figures for new and existing customers.
Example 1: The high price of false positives
A prominent example is the CrowdStrike incident. In this incident, a bug in the software caused a legitimate system process to be incorrectly recognised as a potential threat. This resulted in many systems worldwide being incorrectly blocked, causing significant operational disruption. A bug in the code led to false alarms, which not only caused downtime, but also caused a major loss of confidence in the software. This error could have been avoided through more extensive testing and better quality assurance.
Example 2: Price errors and loss of trust
The mydealz platform provides further examples of the high costs caused by bugs. Here, offers with price errors - such as barbecues for just 1 euro - were shared several times. These price errors lead to high financial losses. Customers order products at the wrong prices. Companies have to cancel the orders or even deliver them. Thorough testing and proper quality assurance could have prevented such errors.
Introduce QA, avoid bugs, reduce costs
What can be done to avoid or reduce these costs?
As a company, you need a well-thought-out and comprehensive quality assurance strategy. It is not enough to simply hire a tester and hope that potential bugs will be discovered and fixed in time. Quality assurance is a continuous process that must be deeply integrated into the development process. There are many ways to achieve a solid quality assurance process.
Establish a ‘quality first’ mindset
In order to ensure high software quality, a ‘quality first mindset’ must be established. This means that quality is already important in the planning and requirements phase. It is not only tested at the end. This is the only way to achieve the best possible results in the long term.
Setting up an internal QA team
One way to establish a functioning QA process is to set up an internal QA team. The advantage of such a team is that knowledge and expertise can be accumulated within the company and a sustainable QA strategy can be developed. An internal team is advantageous for quality assurance in the long term, as it can respond directly to the specific needs of the company and its products. This approach involves a high initial investment, as qualified experts need to be recruited and comprehensively trained. In addition, it often takes a while for the internal processes to be fully established and optimised.
Support from experts with QA as a Service (QAaaS)
Another option is to outsource quality assurance to external providers. This is also known as QA as a Service (QAaaS). These experts have in-depth knowledge and experience in a wide range of projects and industries. The advantage - companies have immediate access to qualified specialists and can scale testing activities as required. This not only offers flexibility, but also a faster start without lengthy familiarisation periods. A possible disadvantage - the knowledge remains external and companies become dependent on a service provider in the long term.
Building QA expertise with QaaS
A hybrid approach, where external QA service providers are used to establish standards while an internal team is built up in parallel, can prove to be particularly effective. This hybrid solution allows organisations to benefit immediately from external expertise while building an internal team that takes over responsibility in the medium term. External specialists can also provide training to educate the internal team and gradually transfer responsibility.
Conclusion
Regardless of which approach a company chooses, it is crucial that quality assurance is seen as an integral part of the entire development process. A professional QA strategy not only saves costs, but also ensures long-term success and customer trust. Investing in quality assurance at an early stage minimises the risk of expensive bugs and thus protects both reputation and business success.