In the past few years, there has been an agreement in business and government circles about the efficacy of data. How useful can the right data be, has been answered by the growth in the data governance industry?
However, there is still some form of disagreement when it comes to branding data. In other words, what is the quality of data that is being accrued is more important than anything else is. Bad data results in bad planning, strategy, and execution. It ultimately results in huge amounts of wastage- time, money, and human resource and lowers motivations.
This is why data quality management has become as important as data collection. In fact, data quality management is the single most important process when we talk of data. In this article, we will look at the meaning, definition, importance, and advantages of quality data management.
Data Quality Management: Meaning and Definition
Data might be a broad terminology, however, its optimization, is something very niche and specific. No organization can collect all forms of data. There needs to be an intent to the collection, storage, and processing process.
The intent is always fixed at the level of top management. Accordingly, data is collected, stored and processed. This helps in increasing efficiency, reduces wastage and contributes to better revenues and processes.
If you are thinking as to who maintains an organization’s data quality management processes, I might have an answer for you. The biggest organizations previously accorded this function to the Marketing department.
They, in turn, used this to inform Operations and Sales. However, since they were too embedded in the working of the organization, things were not done in an optimum fashion.
In the last few years, separate Data Management Departments have come up, which are led to a Chief Technical Officer or a Chief Data Manager.
They work in small and niche teams and work through terabytes of data on a daily basis. The different departments submit their queries and receive filtered data from the Data Management Departments.
Advantages of Data Quality Management:
1. Predict Customer Purchase Behaviour:
One of the primary purposes of data quality management is knowing what the consumer wants before he knows it. This involves aligning a consumer’s interest patterns, his buying trends, and his requirements and so on.
A sound and strategic Data Quality Management system filters through layers of ambiguity and arrives at the right strategic point. This is the tipping point, which is needed by the marketing and sales teams to close the deal.
2. Prevents Bad Decision Making:
Data quality management involves the processing of end-to-end data for an organization. This means that the quality of data is always directly proportional and informs sound decision-making. Bad decision-making can cost organizations millions of dollars in losses.
Bad decision-making can set the goals of an organization on the backtrack. They can also divest it of resources, personnel, and monetary investments. This is why data quality management can help businesses when it comes to decision making.
3. Improves Customer Experience, Branding, and Reputation:
What you do with the data of your consumers says a lot about your ethics in business. Some of the biggest companies in the world are plagued by data scandals over privacy and breach. Businesses take great pride in preventing data misuse. They use it as a form of branding.
If you have the best data quality management systems in place, security will never be an issue. You can also help customers in a big way when it comes to understanding their likes and dislikes.
Conclusion:
While many businesses think of data management as an adversary, few look at it as a friend. There is no doubt that this is not an easy thing to do. It requires the best plans, strategies, and personnel in charge. However, if you are able to create a long-term strategic goal and work towards its execution, data quality management can influence your business positively in a big way.
Lucia Patterson is the woman behind TheLegalGuides, a blog solely focused on legal guides, tips, and advice. Lucia loves essay writing and blogs at EssayWritingGuides from her college days.
A Guide to Choosing an Enterprise Document Management Solution:
Digital file management at the enterprise level can be a challenge. A document management system provides a digital way to organize and secure documents across an enterprise, but there’s more to it than that. Most document management systems are cloud-based and also include features for tagging and approving tasks, as well as collaboration.
As many offices work to be completely paperless, document management systems become more relevant. Having a document management system in place can also be important if you’re going to be engaging in transactions with external parties—for example, when you’re in the midst of a cap raise, you may need one of these solutions to share documents with relevant stakeholders without compromising security.
The following is an overview of document management systems and how to select one for your enterprise-level organization.
The Basics of Document Management Systems:
A document management system is, in simplest terms, an electronic file cabinet, although features do tend to go well beyond that.
You can upload copies of printed documents into a system, and you can add tags and metatags for easy organization.
It’s important that a document management system offers a high level of security for sharing information. A secure document management system is also known as a virtual data room.
With a document management system, you can upload all of your documents and then invite users. You can then set specialized controls as far as who can access what documents and what they can do with them.
Then, anyone who has access can securely access shared documents from any device.
Some people wonder how a document management system or virtual data room is different from something like Dropbox or another generic cloud platform. Most generic platforms including Dropbox are for general use. On an individual or even small-business level, they may be fine, but for larger and enterprise-level organizations, they’re probably not going to have the needed features and security.
Specific reasons to use a secure data room or document management system include:
You’re sharing confidential information such as financial or legal files. Along with sending these documents when you’re raising funding, you might also need to share them if you’re working on something like a merger or acquisition or you’re in the midst of litigation.
There are documents you have to keep for a certain period of time, such as tax documents, but you don’t want them winding up somewhere they shouldn’t.
You have large files that require ample storage space.
You want to maintain control over file sharing also know who’s accessing files and what they’re doing with them.
A cloud-based document management system differs from on-premises solutions in quite a few ways. If you went with something on-premises instead of off-premises, you would have to take on all the responsibilities related to maintenance and technical support. You would have to do your own updates and keep up with changing cybersecurity issues.
An on-premises document management solution requires a large IT department and also a large initial investment. You also have to have a backup system.
With a cloud-based solution, you don’t need your IT team to do any of the work, and you pay for what you need rather than having to make a significant upfront investment.
What Features Should You Look For?
The specific features you need from a document management system or a virtual data room depend on your organization, but useful features include:
Security: It continues to be mentioned, but that’s because when looking for enterprise document storage solutions, security is usually a top priority if not the number one priority. You want to choose a platform with updated and evolving data protection methods that keep up with the changing cybersecurity landscape.
Collaboration: Sharing documents and information is essential for both internal and external collaboration, so a good platform should facilitate this.
Control: You need the utmost control over the documents managed in your system, particularly if a relationship comes to an end. For example, if a deal falls through, you need to be able to manage access and rights quickly and easily. You should also look for a platform that makes it easy to view who has access to what and when things are being accessed. Some platforms will let you locate earlier file versions in case a mistake was made when it was edited, and you may be able to create reports from the activity tracking features of the platform.
Third-party integration: Choose a flexible document management solution that integrates with a wide variety of programs and applications to simplify its use and its implementation.
User-friendly: while a document management system can play a critical role in a business, you don’t want it to be overly complex. You don’t have the time to dedicate too many resources to training employees on how to use a system, so it should be fairly intuitive. As you compare platforms, think about things such as how the dashboard and workspaces are set up.
Support: If someone on your team has a question or needs help, you need constant support.
Questions to Ask a Vendor:
When you’re comparing vendors, they may offer similar features so you can start thinking about their business itself.
Ask them how long they’ve been offering virtual data rooms or document management solutions and how many new organizations they’ve started working in the past few years. You might also ask about the financial strength of the company because you need an option that has staying power and can show longevity.
Finally, not all document management systems are designed for enterprise use. A solution for small business isn’t likely to work for an enterprise organization. This is an important distinction to make during the selection process.
With an enterprise plan, you’ll have access to customized employee training, and you’ll have a dedicated point person to help your team along the way. You might also look for a platform that offers data migration and set up as part of their service, and make sure you go over the guaranteed uptime and the Service Level Agreements before making a decision.
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Worldwide, there has been a sharp increase in the number of mobile application downloads. Organizations aim to increase user engagement for their applications by releasing new features every few weeks to gain a foothold in this market. This increases the pressure on testing organizations to publish thoroughly tested mobile applications to increase user engagement.
To accomplish this, they must have a testing process that not only delivers applications that are free of bugs and function well but also has more thorough coverage. Naturally, automated mobile testing is becoming necessary to satisfy these demands. Automation testing is advantageous for all applications, including web and mobile ones.
Appium is the most widely used automation tool for testing mobile applications out of the many available options. Appium is a free and open-source test automation tool that aids in automating mobile app testing to provide users with a high-quality application and a better user experience.
The use of Appium on LambdaTest for mobile testing will be covered in this article. Before getting there, let's quickly review what mobile testing is and why Appium is utilized for this purpose.
What Is Mobile Testing?
The use of smartphones and mobile technology is growing exponentially. People find it difficult to see their lives without them. Today, we use mobile devices for practically everything, from grocery shopping to viewing films. To survive in the competitive market, mobile app testing has become imperative. Mobile testing guarantees that the apps and smartphones are safe, reliable, and easy to use.
Several tests are conducted on mobile devices to evaluate an application's reliability, functionality, and usability. Mobile testing can be divided into testing of mobile applications and testing of mobile devices. Mobile device testing verifies and validates both the physical components and software aspects of a device to authenticate its quality. It evaluates aspects like the screen, apps, camera, etc. On the other side, mobile application testing is a procedure used to test applications that are being created for mobile devices. The primary goals are to test the apps' usability, stability, and functioning. It makes sure that the chosen application, in terms of connectivity, hardware, and software, is compatible with the chosen device.
For an app to survive in the market today, mobile application testing is essential. The application is also tested in numerous other areas, such as its performance, security, and UI, to provide the best quality for the end users
Types Of Mobile Apps
There are three primary categories of mobile applications:
Native mobile apps
Native applications are platform-specific. In other words, they were created for a particular platform or operating system. It may be a Windows SDK, Android SDK, or iOS SDK. They have the extra benefit of being faster and more dependable in terms of performance because they concentrate on a single OS, but they are expensive to maintain. Such programs include Skype, Google Maps, and Snapchat, for instance.
Mobile Web Applications
Only mobile browsers are compatible with mobile web applications. They are accessible through mobile web browsers like Chrome and Safari. They are created using web-based languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Additionally, it is inexpensive and does not need users to install or update it. These include websites like AliExpress, OLX, Flipkart, etc.
Hybrid Mobile Applications
Native and web-based mobile apps are combined to create hybrid mobile apps. They can operate through browsers but can also be installed on native application devices. These apps are easy to create and affordable, but they lack the speed and power of native apps. These include services like Instagram, Uber, Gmail, etc.
Now to test these apps many testers and developers leverage automation test tools like Appium. Let's quickly define what Appium is.
Appium
Appium is a free, open-source, cross-platform test automation tool that uses the common WebDriver library to automate test cases for web, native, and hybrid applications. It primarily focuses on testing mobile applications while utilizing the same API across several mobile operating systems, such as Android and iOS.
The most popular mobile testing tool, Appium, offers simplicity, flexibility, and cost-friendliness for delivering the best user experiences with the continuous delivery method. It is used for quick and reliable testing across numerous platforms and devices.
Numerous programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Ruby, C#, etc., are supported by Appium. This gives testers the freedom to create test scripts in any programming language they choose. With its many features, mobile testing with Appium has quickly become popular in the mobile application organization.
Why Use Appium
Appium continues to be the top option for mobile app testing, regardless of whether the application is native, hybrid, or mobile and operating on Android, iOS, or Windows. By providing scalability and flexibility, Appium significantly improves the effectiveness of testing for mobile apps. It stands out as the best possible choice for testing mobile applications due to its broad feature set. Let's examine a few of its attributes.
It allows for the flexibility to write test code in a variety of programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Python, and C#, and it can automate any mobile application created in any of these languages.
Appium allows test automation scripts to run simultaneously on various Android or iOS sessions. This ensures scalability while accelerating the testing process.
It has a built-in UI Automator that enables thorough examination of mobile apps while producing thorough logs and reporting structures for a better understanding of test results and enhanced troubleshooting.
Appium offers the reuse of the same code for many device platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows, which saves a significant amount of time and work.
It provides versatility in allowing users to select their testing environment and device by allowing testing of mobile applications on emulators, simulators, and real devices in the cloud.
It provides cross-platform compatibility, making it possible for the same tests to run on many platforms, expanding the coverage.
It provides real-time test monitoring that enables collaborators to see and share device interactions using the integrated collaborative screen-casting capability, thus strengthening the execution of tests.
Appium smoothly integrates with the TestNG testing framework, providing a greater number of capabilities.
Through test scripts, it gives QAs complete access to the databases and back-end APIs. This aids in evaluating errors that originate from databases or back-end APIs.
Why Use Lambdatest For Appium Tests?
As is already known, Appium enables the testing of mobile applications on emulators and simulators. However, keep in mind that emulators and simulators are completely insufficient for testing at the final stage. They are unable to duplicate several device features that are required to optimize the app for unfavorable events, such as low power, unstable network, IP geolocation, and many more.
Therefore, executing Appium tests on real device cloud is essential to provide conclusive, accurate results, make an app suited for working in actual user conditions, and ensure that the user experience is always at its best.
However, it is highly challenging and expensive to set up an internal device lab that must be regularly updated and maintained for both the newest and older versions. Therefore, using a cloud-based testing platform like LambdaTest is recommended because it makes thousands of real devices instantly accessible for testing.
Appium and LambdaTest, an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform, can work together seamlessly. As a result, testers can scale their existing testing across several platforms and develop, run, and analyze their test automation with Appium on LambdaTest's real device cloud. Additionally, QAs can use Appium on the LambadTest real device cloud to do manual and automated app testing.
LambdaTest enables testers to run Appium tests by offering online cloud-based access to more than 3000 real devices, browsers, and operating system combinations online. As a result, testers may meet deadlines more quickly and with less setup time.
The Appium automation testing on LambdaTest can assist with:
Simplify the entire CI/CD process, make it simple to write reliable Appium scripts, and minimize the complexity of test frameworks.
Support numerous mobile devices for parallel testing to speed up test execution and guarantee the best app performance across a range of devices, networks, and geographical regions.
Test apps on actual remote devices in real-world conditions to speed up development and quickly find and fix major flaws.
Additionally, LambdaTest offers a wide variety of advanced features that facilitate easy-to-use, effective testing. Here are a few of these features:
It has an inbuilt mobile inspector that makes it simple for testers to check the components of an app. Additionally, it enables them to record their test procedures from the same location.
It enables seamless integration with well-known technologies like Circle CI, Jenkins, Bamboo, and others to speed up DevOps and continuous delivery workflows.
Gives testers access to a variety of debugging tools for Appium testing, including text logs, network logs, device logs, Appium logs, extensive reports, and accompanying screenshots and videos for both successful test execution and complete test failure.
The test cases execution metrics reports can be retrieved whenever necessary from anywhere. This helps to support all remote team workflows.
A mobile app can now be developed utilizing a variety of technologies and programming languages. Thus, another fantastic benefit of using LambdaTest is that it covers all of the key technologies and programming languages required to support a particular set of development practices.
Furthermore, with LambdaTest, testers can benefit from manual cross-browser testing, automation testing, visual user interface testing, responsive testing, manual app testing, geolocation testing, and more, all with lifetime free access to LambdaTest.
The Prerequisites To Use Appium
There are a few prerequisites that must be installed on the system before automating apps with Appium.
Downloading and installing the JDK (Java Development Kit) and the Appium Desktop/Server.
Installing, and configuring the environment variable for Java.
Installing the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) after downloading it.
JAR file for Selenium Server.
Setting up the Eclipse IDE.
Having access to Google Play's APK app information.
js installation is not necessary. Because "Node.exe" and NPM are included by default whenever the Appium server is installed.
Integrating Appium With Lambdatest
LambdaTest integration with Appium is necessary to utilize Appium testing fully. The following actions are necessary for the integration process:
Visiting LambdaTest and creating an account.
Acquiring the API credentials needed for Appium integration. The credentials will facilitate linking the LambdaTest cloud infrastructure and the Appium tests.
Next, setting up and specifying the desired capabilities in the Appium tests to specify the device, operating system, browser, and any other essential factors that create the intended test environment and guarantee that tests are executed on the desired devices in the cloud. These configuration variables specify test environments and guarantee the smooth operation of the tests in such environments.
The next step is configuring the test execution by including the appropriate capabilities and the LambdaTest endpoint URL in the Appium test script. By doing so, the platform and the Appium tests will be connected.
Finally, run the Appium tests and keep track of their progress on the LambdaTest dashboard. The test results can then be analyzed to find any problems that require attention by examining the test reports, logs, and screenshots.
Conclusion
It may be concluded that due to Appium's cross-platform capability and simplicity of use, it has grown to be widely utilized in testing mobile applications for iOS and Android to meet the expectations of quick and dependable testing that spans numerous platforms, devices, and versions.
In comparison to alternative testing techniques, Appium offers greater efficiency, flexibility, and cost-friendliness, empowering teams to deliver excellent user experiences while utilizing the continuous delivery methodology.
It is advantageous to use Appium with a cloud testing platform like LambdaTest because it gives users access to automated test environments with cloud-hosted real mobile devices that are simple to use. The testing process is made more easy by having access to the vast array of functions offered by the cloud.
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Automation testing uses software tools and scripts to automatically perform tests on a software application. Automation of mobile app performance testing involves running tests previously designed and developed by testers and developers to ensure that an application is functioning correctly and efficiently.
The tests that developers run during automation testing can vary depending on the application being tested and the specific requirements of the testing process. Some standard tests that developers may run during automation testing include:
Functional Testing: This testing checks whether the software app meets its functional requirements. Functional testing ensures that the application behaves as intended and that all its features and functionalities work correctly.
Regression Testing: Regression testing helps check whether changes to the application or system have introduced new issues or caused any existing problems to resurface. It helps to ensure that previously working features of the application are still working correctly after recent changes or updates.
Integration Testing: This testing aims to identify any compatibility issues between these components or modules and ensures that they work seamlessly together.
Performance Testing: Performance testing verifies app performance under high traffic or heavy usage. This testing type helps identify performance bottlenecks and ensures the application meets the required performance criteria.
Developers use various automation testing tools to run these tests, such as Selenium, TestComplete, and Appium. These tools allow developers to create automated test scripts that simulate user actions, interact with the application's graphical user interface (GUI), and validate the results of the tests.
Automation Testing In Retail
Businesses must constantly find ways to differentiate themselves and offer better customer experiences. One area where retailers can gain a significant advantage is by implementing automation testing. In the retail sector, automation testing can help improve critical systems' speed, accuracy, and reliability, leading to improved customer experiences, better business outcomes, and increased profits.
Here are some benefits
Improved Efficiency: Automation software testing in retail helps to speed up the testing process, allowing retailers to identify and fix issues more quickly. This, in turn, improves overall operation efficiency, leading to improved CX.
Improved Accuracy: Automation testing eliminates the risk of human error, ensuring that all critical functionalities are thoroughly tested. This improves retail system reliability.
Cost Reduction: Automation testing tools are generally more cost-effective than manual testing, reducing the need for a large team of testers, reducing costs, and increasing profitability.
Scalability: Automation testing allows retailers to quickly scale up their testing efforts to meet changing demands, ensuring critical systems are available when customers need them.
Competitive Advantage: E-commerce app testing automation helps retailers to stay competitive by offering seamless and reliable experiences across all channels.
Compliance: Automation testing helps retailers to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated costs.
Improved Customer Satisfaction: Automation testing ensures critical systems perform optimally, leading to enhanced customer experiences and increased brand loyalty.
Better Business Outcomes: Automation testing improves business outcomes by reducing errors, increasing efficiency, and improving customer experiences.
Faster Time-to-Market: Automation testing enables retailers to release new features and updates more quickly, reducing the time-to-market and keeping up with changing customer demands.
Future-Proofing: Automation testing helps retailers to future-proof their systems by identifying and fixing issues before they become significant problems, ensuring that their systems remain reliable and up-to-date.
Automation Testing Challenges
Test Script Maintenance: Test script maintenance is a significant challenge in automation testing. Test scripts must be updated as software applications evolve to reflect application functionality changes. The time and resources required to maintain test scripts can be significant, particularly for complex applications. Test script maintenance is critical to ensure that automated tests remain effective and reliable over time.
Tool Selection: Selecting the right automation testing tools is another significant challenge. Choosing the right tool requires careful consideration of factors such as the application being tested, the testing environment, the team's skills, and the budget available.
Test Data Management: Test data management is another significant challenge in automation testing. Test data must be accurate, representative of real-world scenarios, and relevant to the test case being executed. Test data management is critical to ensure that tests accurately reflect real-world scenarios and identify potential issues before they impact end users.
Integration with Development Process: Integrating automation testing with the software development process is a significant challenge. Automation testing must be integrated with other software development processes, such as continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, to ensure testing efforts align with development activities. This requires significant planning and coordination to ensure that testing efforts do not slow down development and that testing results are delivered in a timely and actionable manner.
Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated and strategic approach to automation testing. Effective automation testing requires a team with the right skills, tools, and processes to ensure that automation testing efforts are reliable and deliver the desired results.
Conclusion
In conclusion, automation testing is becoming increasingly important in the retail sector. It helps businesses improve their critical systems' efficiency, accuracy, and scalability, improving customer experiences and increasing profitability. By investing in automation testing, retailers can stay competitive in an increasingly crowded marketplace and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. In today's fast-paced retail landscape, automation testing is no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity for success.
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