The recent survey carried out for Comtrade Digital Services, reveals that 47% of Irish businesses that develop software don't engage with testers or some form of quality assurance from the conception of a product.

Digital transformation is already well under way in most fields of business, traditional services and products are not the only way to attract and retail customers. A strong digital presence can open new markets, but customers need to feel engaged and have a positive experience.

The Survey found that 43% of Irish companies aren't taking the necessary precautions against the risk of producing substandard technologies.

Nikola Šopar, Director of QA Services, Comtrade Digital Services, said: “Businesses are now fighting competition on multiple facets. In order to stay competitive, they must have a digital presence that prioritises the user experience. That requires the consistent and quick rollout of innovative platforms that will attract and retain today’s digital-savvy customer.

“But launching new platforms isn’t enough: they must be issue-free and easy to use, or businesses risk losing customers within a matter of seconds. That requires engaging with quality assurance experts and software testers as soon as a platform is conceived. They understand human behaviour and can predict problems that users may encounter when using the platform, therefore eliminating them before the product is launched.”

The results of the survey come as Comtrade Digital Services prepares to host its Quest for Quality conference in Dublin, in Dublin on 4th and 5th October 2017 at The Marker Hotel., which will address the theme of software testing in the platform economy with a combination of talks, panel discussions and workshops.

The event will bring together more than 100 software testing professionals from Ireland and abroad.