In software development labs around the world, web application developers face palpable pressure to ensure the application they create delivers a great experience that users demand and expect. And in the enterprise sector, that task can encompass a broad distributed operation, requiring collaboration and streamlined processes throughout the web app development cycle. That’s why it is essential to implement processes that streamline productivity at every step of the way.
When adopting this strategy, it’s important to realize that both new apps and existing apps should be optimized. Whether the app is going to be used by thousands of employees or just the finance department, it will be judged by users on the ease of use and intuitiveness of the user interface.
With all that in mind, here are the processes to streamline enterprise web application productivity:
1. Good Communication With Stakeholders
During the development process, it is essential to get quick feedback from the stakeholders, as it is ample to ensure the developers are moving in the right direction. There is no point in investing knowledge, time and resources if it’s going the other way.
Keeping this in mind, it’s essential to communicate with the stakeholders often so they can provide feedback on what they would like to see in the application and the features they would like to be replaced/improved upon.
2. Application Testing
According to Tricentis, web apps include three different tiers, one of which is the actual web browser. These apps need to go through cross browser tests to give information about user interaction with the app, but does not cover the inner functionality. It is important to test the top layer to keep up efficiency and provide enough risk management.
Whether the app is for Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer or Firefox, the compatibility across every browser is now becoming a standard expectation at the user’s end. This should also be taken as a warning that apps that are best compatible with specific browsers disappear from the enterprise marketplace. Apart from cross-browser testing, enterprise can also invest in testing features, interface, etc. before the final release.
3. Security Testing
No matter how ironclad you may consider a web app to be, a web scan may reveal a vulnerability you may have missed: don’t let it affect your end user as security is of their control. You can also consider adding an application firewall for another layer of defense.
Also, avoid investing in shady products to test the security of your applications. These security tools are poorly written and may miss out on exploits. Make sure you trust the developers working on the application and stick to open source and well-recognized web app testing products.
4. Analysis Tools
To change any feature or part of the application quickly, the developers working on the application need to be certain that any changes made will not disrupt what has already been done. This issue can be minimized through impact analysis tools during the development phase. For example, it can be seen if a change in layout is impacting a certain feature.
Enterprises can further use regression testing, and also make sure that the impact of changes is always measurable, especially when it has outsourced part of the production development. If the change is breaking the application, it may be reconsidered in favor of something else.