Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Are Your Apps Ready for Primetime

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Are Your Apps Ready for Primetime In a recent webinar with Inside Solutions and SilkRoad, Italked about the growth of mobile apps in the HR space, and specifically, citizen development. Over the past five years, many organizations have moved their HR systems into cloud platforms and are looking for add-on tools that allow them to access and integrate â€" or build their own â€" mobile apps. We discussed the benefits that apps bring to HR operations and how you can get started on an app dev program of your own without having to rely exclusively on IT. In the QA period, one attendee asked about the factors to consider when testing new mobile apps. This is a terrific question, as the actual development of an application is only the first step. While it’s tempting to immediately release your new app to the world, it should first undergo significant testing so you can ensure it works as intended and is meeting user needs. Here are some points to keep in mind as you prepare your creation for prime time. Select the Type of Testing Device Mobile apps can be tested a variety of ways. There are device emulators, which are often the fastest and most inexpensive means of testing basic functionality and features. But physical devices are better for understanding how an application will perform in real-world situations. In considering the type of device, consider that you’ll want to test on all OS versions and on screens of varying sizes and resolutions. Memory and connectivity requirements also come into play. Select the Testing Environment Generally speaking, cloud-based environments allow for most testing activities and have the benefit of providing on-demand access to a wide range of mobile devices. Network simulation tools allow you to test your app with different network speeds and bandwidths. It’s important to remember that at least some tests should occur in actual network environments so that you know exactly what will happen when users engage. For more, head on over to the SilkRoad blog.