How To Test Banking Domain Applications Testing: A Complete BFSI Guide

Table of Content

1. How to plan and design BFSI testing
2. Common Challenges Faced During BFSI Testing and How to Overcome Them
3. How to execute and automate BFSI testing
4. How to monitor and improve BFSI testing
5. How we can help you

Got Banking App Issues? Here's How Testing Can Help (and Save You Money)

Building a banking app is tough. You're dealing with people's money, so everything needs to work flawlessly. That's where testing comes in. But testing BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) apps can be a headache.

This guide will help you understand the challenges and give you practical tips to test your BFSI app effectively. Here's what you'll learn:

• Why testing is crucial for BFSI apps (and how it saves you money in the long run)
• Common challenges faced when testing BFSI apps (and how to overcome them)
• Steps to take to plan, run, and improve your BFSI app testing

Who can benefit from this blog post?

• Testers working on BFSI applications
• Project managers leading BFSI app development
• Anyone interested in understanding the importance of quality in BFSI apps

By the end of this blog post, you'll be equipped to ensure your BFSI app is:

• Reliable: No crashes or errors when people are trying to bank.
• Secure: Keeps financial data safe from prying eyes.
• Easy to use: Customers can navigate the app with ease.
• Compliant with regulations: Follows all the banking rules.

So, let's dive in and make sure your BFSI app is a success!

How to plan and design BFSI testing

Crafting a secure and user-friendly banking app requires rigorous testing. This guide equips you with the knowledge to plan and design effective testing strategies for your BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) app.

Here's the first step: Planning and Design. This stage establishes a solid foundation for successful testing. We’ll examine the required steps you need to take:

1. Understand the App's Core: Analyze business goals, user needs, and the app's functionalities. Review documents, mockups, and clarify any ambiguities with stakeholders. This ensures your testing aligns with the app's purpose.
2. Define Testing Goals: Set clear objectives (what you want to achieve) and desired outcomes for testing.
3. Determine Testing Scope: Identify the areas you'll test based on risk, impact, and complexity. Prioritize high-risk areas for more in-depth testing.
4. Choose the Right Testing Techniques: Select appropriate testing types like functional testing (ensures core features work), performance testing (checks speed and stability), and security testing (identifies vulnerabilities).
5. Design Test Scenarios: Craft test cases that cover various situations, including positive scenarios (everything works as expected), negative scenarios (what happens with invalid inputs), and boundary conditions (testing app limits). Define expected results and pass/fail criteria for each case.
6. Prepare a Realistic Testing Environment: Create an environment that mimics real-world app usage. Ensure the testing data is available, high-quality, and secure. Grant the testing team the necessary access to conduct thorough testing.

By following these steps, you'll establish a well-defined testing plan that sets your BFSI app on the path to success. Stay tuned for the next section where we'll explore how to execute and automate your testing strategy!

Also read: Best Practices for Insurance Software Testing

Common Challenges Faced During BFSI Testing and How to Overcome Them

Even with a well-defined plan, BFSI testing can encounter roadblocks. Here are some frequent obstacles and their solutions:

• Data Security Concerns:
• • Challenge: BFSI applications deal with sensitive financial data. Testers need to ensure test data is anonymized or masked to prevent breaches.
  • Solution: Utilize data masking tools to replace real data with fictitious values that retain data types and functionalities. Employ secure test environments isolated from production systems.
• Regulatory Compliance:
• • Challenge: BFSI apps must comply with strict regulations like Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML). Testing needs to ensure adherence to these regulations.
  • Solution: Involve compliance experts in the testing process. Design test cases specifically targeting regulatory requirements. Maintain a record of testing procedures to demonstrate compliance during audits.
• Integration Complexity:
• • Challenge: BFSI apps often integrate with multiple core banking systems and third-party services. Testing these integrations can be complex.
  • Solution: Develop a comprehensive test strategy that maps out all integrations. Utilize API testing tools to simulate interactions with external systems. Conduct thorough integration testing to identify and resolve interoperability issues.
• Rapid Release Cycles:
• • Challenge: The BFSI industry is fast-paced, with frequent updates and new features. Testing needs to keep up with this rapid release cycle.
  • Solution: Implement agile testing methodologies like continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). Automate repetitive test cases to free up time for manual testing of new features. Prioritize test cases based on risk and impact to optimize testing efficiency.
• Legacy System Integration:
• • Challenge: BFSI institutions often have legacy systems that need to integrate with the new app. Testing compatibility between old and new systems can be challenging.
  • Solution: Thoroughly document legacy system functionalities and limitations. Conduct thorough regression testing to ensure the new app doesn't disrupt existing functionalities. Utilize tools for virtualization or emulation to create a testing environment that replicates the legacy system.

By understanding these challenges and implementing the suggested solutions, you can ensure a more efficient and effective BFSI testing process.

Also read: Software Quality Assurance in Financial Services: A Comprehensive Guide

How to execute and automate BFSI testing

The next step in BFSI testing is to execute and automate the testing scenarios and cases, and verify the results and outcomes. This involves the following activities:

• Execute the testing scenarios and cases: You should execute the testing scenarios and cases according to the testing plan and design, and observe the behavior and performance of the BFSI applications. You should also record the results and outcomes, and compare them with the expected ones.
• Automate the testing scenarios and cases: You should automate the testing scenarios and cases that are repetitive, time-consuming, or prone to human errors, using the appropriate tools and frameworks, such as Selenium, Appium, JMeter, Postman, and TestNG. You should also integrate the automated testing with the development and deployment processes, using the tools and platforms, such as Jenkins, Git, and Azure DevOps.
• Report and track the defects and issues: You should report and track the defects and issues that are found during the testing, using the tools and systems, such as Jira, Bugzilla, and Trello. You should also provide the relevant information and evidence, such as screenshots, logs, and videos, and assign the priority and severity of the defects and issues.
• Re-test and verify the fixes: You should re-test and verify the fixes that are provided by the developers, and confirm that the defects and issues are resolved, and that they do not cause any new or regression errors. You should also update the testing scenarios and cases, and the results and outcomes, accordingly.

Also read our case study: Paving the Way with Quality-Driven Fintech

How to monitor and improve BFSI testing

The final step in BFSI testing is to monitor and improve the testing process and performance, and ensure the quality and reliability of the BFSI applications. This involves the following activities:

• Measure and analyze the testing metrics and KPIs: You should measure and analyze the testing metrics and KPIs, such as test coverage, defect density, defect resolution time, test execution time, and test automation rate, using the tools and dashboards, such as Grafana, Power BI, and Tableau. You should also compare the testing metrics and KPIs with the benchmarks and targets, and identify the gaps and areas for improvement.
• Evaluate and review the testing quality and effectiveness: You should evaluate and review the testing quality and effectiveness, based on the testing results and outcomes, and the feedback and satisfaction of the stakeholders and users. You should also assess the testing risks and challenges, and the lessons learned and best practices, and document the testing findings and recommendations.
• Implement and follow the testing improvements and actions: You should implement and follow the testing improvements and actions that are suggested by the testing evaluation and review, and the testing metrics and KPIs. You should also monitor and track the testing improvements and actions, and measure and analyze their impact and value.

How we can help you

BFSI testing is crucial, but it can be complex. By following the best practices outlined in this guide, you've equipped yourself to plan, execute, automate, monitor, and continually improve your testing process. This ensures the delivery of high-quality BFSI applications that meet user needs, regulatory standards, and business objectives.

Need a Helping Hand?

If you seek expert guidance, we're here to support you. As India's leading software testing company with over 10 years of BFSI expertise, we offer:

• End-to-End Testing Solutions: Leverage our comprehensive services that utilize the latest tools and industry best practices.
• Certified Testers: Our experienced BFSI testing team tackles projects of any size or complexity.
• Unlocking BFSI Testing Benefits: Achieve enhanced functionality, improved user experience, reduced risk, and more.
• Transforming Challenges: We turn testing hurdles into opportunities for innovation and quality improvement.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Engage with us today to obtain a free-of-charge consultation and a price quote. We're eager to discuss your BFSI testing needs and empower you to build a secure, reliable, and user-friendly banking app.