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The path to a new electronic product or device is full of complex steps that must be taken diligently and with a distinct focus, starting at the design stage up to the release. An integral aspect of this pathway is data sharing in the shape of measurement results – from everything starting from size and capacity to trial numbers – which should be shared seamlessly to maximize development possibilities.
With so many relevant aspects to the entire process, errors can and occur, or simply opportunities to fully optimize a product can be missed. If there are constraints in terms of budget, or the time-to-market period is particularly challenging, then errors can become even more commonplace.
Fortunately, helping hand in the form of software development- namely TestOps, or to give you its full name, Test Development Operations is available. Here is how TestOps is creating a new culture in the design and manufacturing process and transforming how measurement data is shared between relevant parties.
The Time is Ripe
Cloud computing and machine learning, among other technical innovations, are changing the landscape and offering opportunities in the fields of testing and measurement (and indeed pretty much every other human endeavor) in a way that would have been unimaginable not so long ago. Yet these technological innovations have also fundamentally changed to product landscape too as design, testing and prototyping cycles have also become more complex. Hence you may have a design or engineering team who are separated geographically (such is the modern workplace), so there are several competing factors and evolving scenarios which TestOps is facing down.
Electronic design automation (EDA) software tools have begun to make an impact with regards to saving time, while the design and stimulation stages have made huge advancements, but have also added in more complexities.
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All of these innovations and developments have further loaded the burden upon test engineers who are now faced with a unique challenge: how to deal and decipher the plethora of data and necessary measurement correlations, yet at the same time cope with decreased product development deadlines?
The TestOps Solution
The answer to this conundrum is increasingly becoming TestOps, which seeks to remove the barriers faced by engineers in the process of design and development. TestOps work on two key principles:
- That collaboration between teams is of paramount importance, and a culture of sharing within the work environment must be fostered and embraced. This collaborative culture should encompass all levels of the organization and every aspect of the design, testing and manufacturing stages, and beyond.
- Modernized equipment must be utilized to fully leverage this TestOps culture. At the center of this is software and hardware which fully automates processes as far as possible.
The Benefits of TestOps Approach
Once a TestOps approach has been adopted through the pervading culture and implementation of the right technological accompaniments, the benefits that should be witnessed are plentiful.
- First and foremost is the increased efficiency of the process due to the integrated and automated nature of all processes within the full spectrum of product delivery.
- Other benefits are therefore a by-product of this increased efficiency of the process, with lower costs one of the most instantly attractive, but increased quality in the end product the real game-changer for businesses. The increased speed in product development is also highly desired as it gives an advantage over competitors, who are usually racing to release within a similar timeframe. Early release to the market can have a big impact on the brand establishment.
- From a workers’ perspective, there is increased collaboration and therefore a greater team ethos, which, in turn, can promote greater creativity, problem-solving capabilities and productivity, not to mention a happier working environment.
Conclusion
The implementation of TestOps sees engineers within organizations implementing automated software solutions to remove the barriers which have so often prevented effective data collection and sharing practices. Akin to the way agile software changed the development landscape in the 1990s, TestOps is already revolutionary in the number of software upgrades that are facilitated in a short span of time, and is allowing for increased efficiency in collection, storage and dissemination of all-important test data at each and every step of the product development pathway.
