Outsourced software testing
Get a team of certified software quality assurance testers to augment your team.
Talk to us about quality assurance outsourcing and get expert advice on the best approach for your business needs.
Pick your software testing team
We offer ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) certified software testers who have been carefully selected to be systematic, detail oriented, structured, and methodical when testing software for defects. Any bugs present in the code will be mercilessly hunted down.
Experience levels can be junior, mid-level, or senior, depending on product complexity, workload, and testing budget. The team members can be hired on a monthly basis (minimum 3 months) or on an hourly basis.
The testing process
First, we learn about the product you are developing and your existing team so that we can determine the required roles, skills, and levels of experience needed on the testing team.
After the team is formed, they will analyze the quality assurance requirements and design a test plan that specifies the software testing scope, approach, resources and schedule of intended test activities. Once the test plan has been reviewed and approved, the test suites will be created for the features being tested, and the tests will be systematically executed and the results recorded and reported back to the developers.
Why outsource software quality assurance?
Insufficient software quality assurance leads to bugs and reliability issues. Depending on the type of software, it could mean serious financial damages, or unhappy users who abandon your product. Your company's reputation could suffer.
By outsourcing quality assurance you gain access to experienced specialists whose passion and career is all about testing. You no longer have to rely on your programmers to do a tester's job, or trust that they can reliably test their own work.
At the same time, the flexibility of being able to add or remove testers on your team according to your current needs means no pressure to keep staff on your payroll when they are not needed.
Finally, while saving cost should not be the sole reason for outsourcing quality assurance, there are substantial savings to be had when outsourcing a testing team on a monthly basis.
Our Testing Toolbox
Our testers are experts in software quality assurance and are trained and experienced in a wide variety of industry standard tools and technologies.
Automated Testing
Selenium
Robot Framework
TestProject
TestComplete
Test Tools
Chrome Dev Tools
Google Speed Score
Postman
Apache JMeter
Test Tracking
Azure DevOps
Jira Software
Let us know what skills and experience levels you are seeking and will send you our available tester profiles for review.
Pros and Cons of Outsourced Software Testing
Companies considering outsourcing software quality assurance need to carefully consider the pros and cons before taking the plunge. Whether the goal is to temporarily set up a testing team to deal with a peak in testing workload up to a big release, or to augment an existing development team with testers in the long term, carefully considering all the options will decrease the risk of costly errors.
1. Lower Operating Costs
Normally the first reason companies look to outsource software testing is to reduce cost compared to having an in-house testing team. For a business, minimizing cost is one of the most sure-fire ways to stay profitable and competitive. Cost of labor in the USA, Europe, and other Western countries can be dramatically higher than outsourcing to Thailand, India, Vietnam, or other popular outsourcing destinations. Remember that choosing the cheapest software tester doesn't always give better results, so it's important to find the right balance between cost and quality.
Finally, when outsourcing testers it's possible to reduce cost for equipment, furniture, office space, and welfare benefits. These are things a software development outsourcing company will offer as part of their service, so the overall cost can be drastically reduced.
2. Increased Flexibility
A company's need for software testing resources can change for various reasons. The business might only occasionally need to develop new software applications, or it could be for more unpredictable reasons (that's business, after all). It is much cheaper to outsource testing as needed, when compared to having full time QA staff on the payroll all year round, or having to hire and fire testers with the negative impact that has on a company's reputation in the job market. With a software development outsourcing company there is flexibility to add and remove testing team members as needed.
3. Progress 24 Hours a Day
When the programmers in the USA or Europe leave the office at the end of the day, what if there was a testing team getting ready to start testing everything? What if all the testing could be done at night so all the test results could be ready for when the programmers come in to the office next morning? With a testing team in Thailand, the time zones mean you get a night shift, so you can make progress 24 hours a day.
Remember that if you decide to outsource software testing to another company then there are some common obstacles which are likely to appear. It’s quite possible that the ease of communication and close collaboration will be lower than you are used to from in-house testers; however when you understand the obstacles and know how to avoid or mitigate them, then you can outsource software testing with minimal exposure to the risks.
1. Harder Communication
It’s possible that you will experience that it is hard to communicate clearly with a tester, particularly if their rate is a lot lower than the market rate. Luckily there are ways to avoid this. Ask to see a selection of resumes so that you can assess whether their years of experience and test tools focus match what is needed. Then ask to interview the top choices or assign a test or a small project to them to gauge their real performance before making a decision.
2. Collaboration
Most software testing outsourcing companies are in countries where English is not the first language. Apart from the language barrier, there can be cultural differences and different time zones, and if this is not handled well then it can lead to challenges and frustrations on both sides. To deal with this it’s a good idea to have regular meetings, and to use video calls when possible, since facial expressions and body language can help communicate whether someone is clear or confused. Familiarize yourself with the culture and it will be easier to navigate around any misunderstandings.
3. Risk
No matter whether you employ a tester directly or use a software testing outsourcing company you will be exposing confidential and valuable company information and intellectual property, and trusting that they will keep it confidential and use it appropriately. Make sure to discuss the outsourcing company's confidentiality policy and security processes before trusting them with your information.
However, despite this risk, playing it safe will not help you increase the quality of your product or grow your business, so the key is to manage the risk carefully while being open to opportunity.
Why choose Manao Software?
We are an expat-run company with an international mindset, and we offer quality remote teams who can deliver quality work, have good communication skills, and are stable and productive. We have good business ethics and value transparency and straight-talking.
Tired of outsourcing to test factories? Try something else. Our testers will contribute ideas, suggest improvements and ask questions. No more smiling and nodding to hide confusion.
We provide rigorous training for our professional testers, including ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) certification, which is an industry standard benchmark you can rely on.
Talk to us about outsourced software testing and get expert advice on the best approach for your business needs.
"Manao Software has played an important role in the development of our product and is still a key player within our product development organisation."
