Alpha Testing: Real-life example

In alpha testing project manager teams up with the developer to define specific goals for alpha testing, and to integrate the results into evolving project plans.This article includes Alpha Testing with advantages and disadvantages.This also covers process of alpha testing.

The alpha phase was designed to allow engineers more time to resolve problems. It’s a way for projects to start quickly but produce high-quality results. This phase is also an opportunity for staff members to participate in the development process by providing feedback on early builds of the project. In addition, this phase can help identify if there are any significant issues with the product before creating a final product. Alpha testing has many advantages, and it’s worth considering for your projects.

Table of contents

• What is alpha testing?
• Alpha testing phases
• Alpha Testing Process
• Advantages of alpha testing
• Disadvantages of alpha testing
• Conclusion

What is alpha testing?

Alpha testing is the testing phase of software engineering that is used to test new software or hardware on your own before releasing it to the public. During this testing, the engineers test the product to find bugs or compatibility issues before creating a finished product. This phase is used to fix any issues with a product before releasing it to the general public. The alpha phase was designed to allow engineers more time to resolve problems.

NOTE: This testing is done in acceptance testing and can be a white box or black box testing.

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Real-life example of alpha testing

Suppose a software company has made a website for Makemytrip and Makemytrip wants the website should handle more than 2000 users simultaneously and should not crash. Then before deploying this website, that software company will test it on its own by giving more than 2000 users simultaneous to check whether it will crash or not. Now, this testing is alpha testing.

Now the question is, does this software company have to arrange 2000 users? The answer is NO.There are many softwares available which will virtually create that environment for testing.

Alpha testing phases

1. By developers

During the first phase, developers typically look for critical bugs and functional errors that prevent the product from performing its intended functionality. Suppose a software product is intended to support many concurrent users. This may include stress testing to ensure that the underlying code and physical architecture can support product functionality under various conditions.

2. By Quality assurance(QA) team

The second phase of this testing is conducted by software QA staff for additional testing in the environment. This includes both black box and white box testing.

Alpha Testing Process

1. Start by evaluating your design criteria and understanding their functional and non-functional criteria. 
2. An entire test plan is also created to track whether all tests have been executed. 
3. Once all this is done, the team will begin alpha testing as planned. The primary purpose here is to check the system for errors and defects.
4. Detected issues are mentioned in another system and forwarded to the development team for resolution. 
5. Once the issue is fixed, the team retests the software until the bug is gone.

Advantages of alpha testing

1. This process helps with finding any bugs or compatibility issues with existing products before creating a new one for those brands. In short, using alpha testing early in development saves time and money while improving the quality of your products.
2. You save all your development costs by wasting unnecessary features that don’t lend themselves to a seamless user experience.
3. This testing benefits developers and helps stakeholders decide which features to optimize when developing new software. This gives you a window to work on new features and see them through alpha testing.
4. Your company’s teams test the software but understand how it works and gets everyone on the same page. In this way, the team is well prepared and already has answers to questions that may be asked regarding the release of the software.

Disadvantages of alpha testing

1. There’s always the risk of staff members revealing sensitive information, such as customer data or company data, when developing apps for those brands themselves. Therefore, strict controls must be implemented to minimize the chance of leaking information that can put individuals at risk.
2. Differences between the tester’s tests, the data used to test the software, and the customer’s data from the customer’s perspective can lead to discrepancies in software functionality.
3. A lab environment is used to simulate a real-world environment. Still, labs cannot meet all the requirements of a real-world environment,Multiple Conditions, Factors, and Circumstances.

Conclusion

The concept of this testing has proved to be a helpful tool for developers and testers in recent years. Taking time to test your creations allows you plenty of time to find any glaring problems with your product or feature before releasing it to the general public. However, there are bound to be some issues when implementing something entirely new for the first time- which is why beta testing is also helpful.