Your team has finally completed a large project and has software ready to be tested. You may be tempted to go with crowdsourcing to get the job done, but is it really the answer? The truth is there are several problems that arise when using this method. Whether it’s lack of vision or coming up empty handed, you may be disappointed if you use crowdsouring for software testing.
Work Completed on Their Time, Not Yours
This is especially true if you go with free crowdsouring. While the workers want the experience, there’s a good chance they have other jobs that will come first. In other words, you may have to wait twice as long, if not longer, to get the work done. This can set your company back by several months. After all, once the testing is complete, work will still need to be done to fix any issues that the workers pointed out.
Hard to Find Workers in the Desired Target Market
While it would be great to find a group of workers that fit your target audience, it’s unlikely. That’s why in-house software testing is always best. You have workers that are dedicated to creating software for a certain niche. Software testers that are found through crowdsourcing may have excellent knowledge on software, but they will be limited by not being of the desired target market.
You Need Workers That Are on the Same Page
From the very beginning, before even one line of code was written, your company had a vision for this project. Bringing in people at the end of the project just doesn’t make sense. You want workers that have been excited about this piece of software and want to end up with the most polished piece possible.
Ideas Can Get Stolen
One of the worst things that can happen is that your ideas can be stolen. Nothing is worse than to have invested a lot of money into a project only to have others reap the rewards. Using in-house workers that are bound by a contract ensures that your projects are protected. You roll the dice when you hire out-of-company workers to complete projects such as these.
No Results
Last, but not least, you may end of up with nothing to show for the time that the workers supposedly worked on the project. If you’re paying the workers, they may claim that they went through the software and didn’t find any bugs or other issues that need to be addressed. In other words, they’re just telling you that to get a quick payment. This can greatly hurt your project and the time and money you’ve invested.
Crowdsourcing is a wonderful option for very basic tasks, but there are better tools out there for software testing. Important finishing touches should not be left in the hands of workers that aren’t part of your company. Handing over the process of testing software can greatly put your project at risk.
