Top Trends in 2023 - Software quality to be the saving grace of digital transformation

The past few years had organisations balancing on the edge of uncertainty whilst accelerating digital transformation opportunities for many. Whilst some businesses faced hard decisions to shut down their operations, others embraced technology and innovation to pivot their offerings.

As the world continues to face uncertainty over the financial crisis, it might be tough to predict what this will mean for the future of software development. However, with about $672 billion spent on enterprise software in 2022, it is evident that the market will continue growing no matter the challenges. So, let’s look at the trends that will influence the future of software development.

Test automation in digital transformation

In 2023, software quality will become increasingly important across industries, such as healthcare, banking, and technology, as businesses accelerate their digital transformations. As enterprise organisations develop applications that rely on continuous software updates, test automation is crucial in increasing release speeds and improving application quality, helping the organisation run more efficiently to meet its bottom line.

Additionally, test automation allows organisations to monitor and assess issues in real-time or even stop them before they occur, averting any significant disruptions. As we head into the following year, there will be a high expectation that the importance placed on software quality will only skyrocket.

AI in Automation Testing Won’t Take Jobs

When it comes to DevOps, experts are confident that AI is not going to replace jobs. Instead, it will empower developers and testers to work more efficiently, as AI can help save over 240 hours and return almost $10k in value to the employer. AI integration is augmenting people and empowering exploratory testers to find more bugs and issues upfront, streamlining the process from development to deployment.

In 2023, we’ll see lean teams working more efficiently and with fewer risks as AI continues to be implemented throughout the development cycle. Specifically, AI augmentation will help inform decision-making processes for DevOps teams by finding patterns and pointing out outliers, allowing applications to continuously ‘self-heal’. This, in return, will free up time for teams to focus their brain power on the tasks that developers want to do and that is more strategically important to the organisation.

Data Protection and Security Remains Paramount

With the rise of 5G and IoT connections, the amount of data consumed will continue growing in 2023, which will require further investment in secure solutions. The public has become more aware of the access companies have to their data, leading to the impending end of third-party cookies and other similar restrictions on data sharing. However, security issues still exist. The persisting influx of new data across channels and servers introduces a greater risk of infiltration by bad actors, especially for enterprise software organisations that consistently need to test and update their applications.

The potential for damage increases as iterations are made with the expanding attack surface. It’s no longer a matter of if but when your organisation will be the target of an attack. To combat this rising concern, organisations must integrate security within the development process from the beginning, integrating compliance testing to reduce risks and prevent disruptions significantly.

Adapting to Survive in a Declining Economy

In the face of a turbulent economic environment and talent shortages, organisations will need to adapt to survive and thrive in 2023. If companies do not make changes and continue operating on smaller budgets with fewer employees, reaching financial and business goals will become increasingly difficult.

Organisations willing to be agile and invest in digital solutions from the get-go can look at economic uncertainty as an opportunity to accelerate digital transformation, increase focus on customer engagement, and adopt cloud-first technologies while simultaneously reducing organisational budgets. Implementing digital solutions, including test automation tools, will allow leaner teams to move more quickly and essentially ‘do more with less’ without risking quality.

Rationalisation of Applications

Over the last couple of years, many companies have loaded up on applications to the point of redundancy. Nearly 10% of businesses use over 200 apps. However, these various applications are now front and centre of many budget conversations as impending economic turbulence has many companies evaluating their operating structures and expenses. For example, many organisations have redundant applications, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack. These applications offer the same value and have their own expense to the company, not just subscriptions.

They also cost organisations time and resources to maintain compliance, data governance and security. In 2023, companies will need to consolidate and optimise the applications that offer the best value. Automated testing will be crucial to ensure quality and speed as they migrate, deploy, and continue maintenance.

In conclusion, 2023 will be a challenging year that will face a lot of turbulence, and companies will be looking for tools to help them save costs across various functions. However, technology and software development will always be at the heart of digital transformation and innovative strategies; therefore, emerging trends in software development will continue to meet the rising market expectations. As we head into 2023, it will be crucial for organisations to quickly adopt and invest in new technologies that reduce costs and enable speed and agility, allowing them to thrive in 2023.