State of Software Testing and Third-Party Support

This white paper presents findings from a survey commissioned by Acutest to assess the current state of software and technology testing within organizations. The survey, which included 109 respondents from various sectors such as financial services, transportation, telecommunications, and healthcare, reveals that a significant majority, 95%, of organizations release software containing severe undetected bugs. The document outlines the negative consequences associated with these bugs, including application downtime, performance issues, and financial losses. It also highlights that most testing is conducted in-house, often by individuals lacking the necessary expertise, with only a third of testers classified as experts. The paper discusses the financial implications of inadequate testing budgets and the tendency of organizations to engage third-party testers primarily in emergencies. Recommendations are provided for effectively integrating third-party testing to enhance software quality and mitigate risks during the development lifecycle.