The importance of Domain knowledge for Software testers

Basic knowledge of testing isn’t enough to meet market competition as the industry grows.  The industry needs experts in the domain and subject-matter. Domain knowledge testing is used to adopt business use cases, and software testing knowledge is required to gather the ideas of the software to its limits. Hence, Software testing skills along with testing domain knowledge is always a plus point.

While there are many testing tools, methodologies, and approaches existing in the market, there is a critical aspect of software testing that helps the tester achieve the best results.

That is DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE.

So, what is a Domain?

The domain is a specialized discipline or in simple words a field. The IT industry considers a person to be a Subject-matter expert if he has expertise in a particular domain.
Generally, in any software organization, the projects are classified based on the domains they work for.

Importance of Domain Knowledge in Software Testing

Is it necessary for a developer to have domain knowledge?

Well, no, it is equally important for a QA tester as well.

Read The importance of Manual Tester

When it comes to testing, the quality of the testing can be improved when the person who tests the application has sufficient domain knowledge along with technical skills. A person without relevant expertise can still test the application, but the testing capacity will be improved with relevant expertise.

  • The terminologies used in the business would be better understood with domain knowledge.
    For example, you could easily test a banking application when you knew the terminologies & functionalities like Account Summary, Funds Transfer, Bank statements, payment gateway, etc.
  • It makes it easier to do your job.
  • It helps you to understand the project easily.
  • When you are unfamiliar with the project domain, you tend to focus on the wrong things, which are time-consuming for your testing.
  • If you want to distinguish yourself from others, the only option left for you is to become a domain expert.

What domain projects do you need to add to your portfolio?

Retail, Travel & Hospitality

Retail is the process of selling small quantities of goods. Retail includes the sale of all types of products, ranging from food and beverage to consumer durable goods to soft goods. It also includes the sale of books and hotels.

The aviation and railway industries are included in travel. The restaurant industry is the focus of the hospitality clubs.
Some of the major areas testers are involved in the retail, travel, and hospitality sectors.

• Point of Sale
• End of Day (EOD)
• Websites
• Pricing
• Invoicing
• Payment Validation

Also read How to plan tests in Software testing?

Banking & Financial Services (BFS)

The major banks and financial institutions are categorized into the BFS domain. The banking industry demands maximum security.

The BFS Sector has some of the major areas those need to be tested.
• Account Functionality
• Credit Card Functionality
• Loan & Mortgage application
• Banking Websites
• Trading Websites

Healthcare

The Healthcare industry deals with the health of individuals, hospitals, insurance companies, and other companies that fall under healthcare. Since the Healthcare industry deals with sensitive user data, it’s important to have a secure working environment.

The Healthcare Sector has some of the major areas those need to be tested.
• Insurance Companies
• Hospitals
• Wellness Groups

eCommerce

It’s a place for buying and selling that happens through the internet. There is high demand for online businesses, which leads to the need for e-commerce sites.

The Ecommerce Sector has some of the major areas those need to be tested.
• Website testing
• Payment Functionality

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Conclusion

To distinguish yourself, you need to become a domain expert because only testing knowledge will not make your life easy.

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