DEVOPSdigest

Applause has released The State of Digital Quality Report for the past three years. This comprehensive examination of real-world testing data identifies flaws in digital experiences and shares guidance for improvement. This year's report examined more than 200,000 defects in digital experiences across enterprise software, digital banking, streaming media services, wearable devices, online retail, voice-activated devices and more. Here's what the 2024 report revealed.

Accessibility Issues

Despite the quickly approaching European Accessibility Act (EAA) deadline in 2025, digital accessibility testing is lagging. Over 60% of accessibility issues still come from poor development for screen readers, the most commonly used assistive device. These accessibility problems could be remediated with a shift-left approach that addresses accessibility testing earlier in the software development life cycle (SDLC).

Operational Oversights

As organizations race to market with applications, the increasing development speed leads to operational oversights. Development and QA teams do not prioritize the processes, documentation, and measurement tools needed to ensure high digital quality. Only 28% of organizations currently have comprehensive end-to-end testing processes and documentation that are consistently leveraged. Meanwhile, QA teams often don't have visibility into application performance, with only 55% tracking customer-centric KPIs.

The Latest on Generative AI

27% of Gen AI users have abandoned an AI application due to user experience and performance issues. In the quickly evolving AI sector, failure to recognize the importance of a strong user experience can cause organizations to fall behind. AI organizations that are excelling have integrated user experience testing into their QA processes and are adopting other AI best practices like red teaming, real-time anomaly detection and continuous retraining programs.

The Importance of Payment & Localization Testing

It has become increasingly critical for organizations to test all aspects of the customer journey while also considering regional differences like currency, preferred payment methods, language and cultural norms. 41% of consumers encountered an issue with their ability to make a payment, while 52% abandoned an app due to poor localization user experience. In-market testing with real users and payment methods can help to mitigate these issues.

How To Improve From Here

Organizations must start by incorporating comprehensive functional testing into their regular QA process to remedy these application flaws. The companies succeeding at digital quality are doing this while also addressing the complexities of specialized testing areas, such as unique customer journeys, new payment methods and accessibility laws, to ensure their respective applications, devices, and experiences work well for everyone. Additionally, adopting digital quality frameworks, which help organizations assess their digital quality progress, can help drive improvements.