It is not uncommon for crucial bugs and issues to be missed during and after consumer electronics reliability testing. Unfortunately, consumers often discover these issues after you've launched the product, which can lead to grave consequences, including damaging your brand's reputation.
The question is: why are crucial issues being missed during testing? One of the most significant contributors might be that you are relying solely on manual testing.
Why You Miss Issues With Manual Consumer Electronics Testing
Manual consumer electronics reliability testing is subject to certain limitations that can lead to critical issues being missed, including:
1) Limited Intensity And Repetition
While many bugs in consumer electronics can be discovered through manual testing, it is not uncommon for these tests to miss bugs that occur infrequently. For example, manual testing can rarely uncover bugs that manifest less than 10% of the time.
This is not because of human error or negligence but rather because of the low intensity and reduced repetition of manual testing processes compared to automated testing. In contrast, automated testing solutions can simulate high levels of usage over prolonged periods, increasing the likelihood of uncovering bugs that may only manifest during intense or extended use.
2) Single-Variable Testing
When manually testing consumer electronics, testing every variable and use case is often impractical. This can result in products being released with unforeseen issues, leading to customer dissatisfaction and costly recalls.
Automated testing solutions offer a more efficient and comprehensive approach. They allow for the simultaneous testing of multiple variables, providing a more realistic simulation of real-world usage. This way, you can be sure that your product will perform as intended in any situation. Even bugs that occur only 5% of the time will significantly impact customer satisfaction. To avoid this, it is vital to ensure that all potential use cases are covered during testing.
3) Time-Consuming
Manual testing is so time-consuming that it is difficult to be as thorough as necessary. While some might claim that manual testing results in human error and carelessness, the reality is that time constraints are the true culprit.
For a human tester to achieve even a tiny fraction of what an automated testing system can do, it would take days, if not weeks. Alternatively, you could employ an army of testers, which would be logistically difficult and prohibitively expensive.
Avoid Missing Issues In Consumer Electronics Testing For Good
Missing bugs and issues during consumer electronics testing can have severe consequences, including dissatisfied customers and damage to your brand reputation. To avoid this, it is essential to understand the limitations of manual testing and consider using automated testing solutions.
Automated testing can help you overcome the limitations of manual testing, including the ability to test with greater intensity and repetition, test multiple variables simultaneously, and do so in a fraction of the time.
Find Out More
To learn more about how an automated testing system can help you, check out Nextgen's guide on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interoperability testing.
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