Maximizing Efficiency in Test Management: The Case for Choosing Titan Over Custom Solutions
You recognize that streamlining and automating your testing processes will enhance quality while reducing costs. As you consider the idea of creating a tailored solution that would perfectly fit your current process, it's important to also understand why this might not be the best approach.
And here are some reasons why you shouldn’t do it.
Rapid Deployment
The sooner that testing processes are automated the sooner your company can enjoy the benefits of improved quality and productivity. The average time to build a test lifecycle management solution can vary widely depending on several factors, including the scope of the project, the complexity of requirements, the size and experience of the development team, and the technologies used. A comprehensive, fully-featured test lifecycle management solution could take 12 to 18 months or more to develop. In addition to rapid deployment within days or weeks, there are other significant benefits for obtaining a solution like Titan.
Costs
Developing a custom solution is a bit like exploring a cave – you don’t know where the end is until you get there. Decisions about which technology to develop on, where the infrastructure is hosted, how security is implemented, and how the application will communicate with other applications is just the start.
using a COTS solution like Titan, you have all the cost information you need up front.
Ongoing support and Training
Once your application is developed, who will provide ongoing support? Is this someone’s part-time job? A full-time job? What happens if the person leaves, or the technology used becomes obsolete? You don’t have to worry about these headaches with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution like Titan. Titan is staffed with knowledgeable support personnel. The technology is developed and supported with the long term in mind.
Customization
Customization is likely the number one consideration when deciding to go the in-house development route. But Titan has predicted that need. Out-of-the-box, Titan provides an extensive list of features, like custom workflow, which allows the team to tailor the application to their unique process. Enterprise Edition of Titan also features a set of APIs that allow it to communicate with other applications within your company.
Features
Test approvals, scheduling, technician allocation, and equipment and material reservation represent just a subset of full end-to-end test life cycle management. Reporting with view and mark-up capability; preventive maintenance; inventory management – these are a few out of the box features that the team may not have considered when designing a test management system. They come standard in Titan.
Community
Developing your own test management application leaves you with a community of one and at times forced to reinvent hot water. Titan offers a wide community of users that share the same concerns and as your organization does. The community offers informal support and can drive application recommendations; this input drives the roadmap for Titan.
Enterprise wide Test Lifecycle Management
Perhaps Titan’s greatest strength lies in its “portal” concept. Portals allow individual test teams to execute their local processes, while providing the ability to share items (like equipment or facilities) among teams. It is this capability that allows multiple test teams to share Titan, reducing costs while giving leadership new insight into the full testing operation.
Standarization
Standardization in engineering testing, fosters a unified approach to testing and leads to more efficient, reliable, and predictable testing environments, facilitating continuous improvement and innovation within organizations.
Standardization offers significant benefits including cost savings by eliminating expenses associated with maintaining multiple, potentially obsolete systems and simplifies onboarding for Engineers and Technicians.
Conclusion
When making the decision to go COTS or custom, the organization needs to ask itself ’Does your testing process us a competitive advantage? Some of the technologies used might indeed give you an edge, but the administration of the testing process itself is a candidate for automation. Titan can manage it.
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