Banks today operate in a high-stakes environment where digital speed and customer trust are non-negotiable. A single missed defect in production could lead to service disruption, compliance violations, or even reputational damage.
Traditional QA models that treat testing as a final step are no longer enough. By the time defects are caught, fixing them becomes time-consuming and costly. Banks are encouraged to embrace modern QA strategies like combining shift-left and shift-right testing, embedding QA throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC), not just at the end.
What is Shift-Left Testing?
Shift-left testing advocates for moving testing activities earlier in the software development lifecycle, from the requirements and design stages, all the way through to development. The fundamental goal is to detect and resolve issues when they are cheapest and easiest to fix. Uncovering a flaw in the system’s logic during the requirements definition stage, or identifying a security vulnerability during the design phase, is more cost-effective than discovering it after the application has been deployed to millions of users.
Instead of waiting for code to be completed before testing begins, shift-left teams:
- Collaborate on clear, testable requirements to catch potential architectural flaws or integration issues before any code is written.
- Use static code analysis during development, where automated tools can identify coding errors, security vulnerabilities, and adherence to coding standards in real-time.
- Implement unit and integration tests to ensure individual components and their interactions work as expected.
- Validate business rules early to ensure the intended functionality aligns with business needs from the outset.
Why Shift-Left Testing Matters
The shift-left approach is very important for QA teams, especially for those working closely with clients or brand stakeholders. Simply put, “shift-left” means getting involved earlier in the software development process, instead of waiting for the product to be ready for testing.
If shift-left isn’t applied, QA teams only start testing when everything is already built; that’s where problems begin. They might find out late that the requirements were unclear or wrong. There will be another round of discussions and alignment with developers, business analysts, or the client, conversations that could have happened much earlier if QA had been involved from the start. Then QA teams would have to redo test cases, go through another round of reviews, update their test data, move schedules, and fix reports. All of this takes up time, delays the project, and adds unnecessary pressure.
Proactive Issue Prevention
QA traditionally comes in after everything is built. But with shift-left, QA teams start reviewing and analyzing things much earlier, like when documents, requirements, or initial designs are still being discussed. This gives them the chance to spot problems or unclear requirements right away. For example, they might see missing information, confusing instructions, or features that don’t align with what the client needs. Finding these early is a big win.
Fewer Late-Stage Surprises
Getting involved helps QA teams prepare better and plan the test cases ahead of time based on clear and correct requirements. This means when it’s time to test, they already know what to look for and how to measure if the feature works properly. It also avoids last-minute surprises.
Stratpoint’s Shift-Left Approach in Action
At Stratpoint, we understand the critical role quality plays in the success of banking applications. Our shift-left approach is deeply integrated into our quality engineering practices, ensuring robust and reliable solutions for our financial services clients.
Early QA involvement
Our QA experts collaborate closely with business analysts and product owners from day one, helping to define clear, testable requirements and identify potential pitfalls early in the development cycle.
Automation at development stage
We empower development teams with robust test automation frameworks, enabling them to run comprehensive unit, integration, and API tests automatically as code is written, providing instant feedback and accelerating development
Standards and frameworks
We implement industry best practices and leverage advanced tools to ensure adherence to coding standards, security guidelines, and test coverage targets throughout the development process, reducing the likelihood of defects.
Shift-Right: Continuous After Release
While shift-left testing ensures early defect detection, shift-right testing is the other half of the equation. It involves testing and monitoring in production-like environments or post-deployment. Shift-right testing is about continuously validating performance and customer satisfaction in real-world scenarios, providing invaluable insights for continuous improvement
Essential shift-right practices include:
Together, shift-left and shift-right testing create a powerful feedback loop that continuously improves performance, security, and reliability for banking applications.
Why a Dual Strategy Wins for Financial Services
Adopting both shift-left and shift-right testing offers a comprehensive quality engineering framework, leading to significant advantages for banks and financial institutions.
| Benefit | Impact |
|---|---|
| End-to-end coverage | QA across requirements, development, and production |
| Faster go-to-market | Less rework and more predictable releases |
| Stronger security posture | Vulnerabilities caught before they escalate |
| Real-time feedback | Better decisions based on customer behavior |
| Greater customer trust | More stable, seamless digital experiences |
How Stratpoint Embeds Quality Across the SDLC
Stratpoint’s quality engineering model supports clients with a holistic approach to embedding quality across the SDLC, from shift-left to shift-right testing. We partner with financial institutions to build resilient applications that meet the highest standards of performance, security, and user experience.
CASE STUDY
For a leading Silicon Valley tech enterprise, Stratpoint delivered end-to-end QA support for the implementation of Workday, a Human Capital Management (HCM) and Financial Management solution. Our team handled test strategy, planning, execution, and defect management across multiple modules and integrations, collaborating closely with internal stakeholders.
We applied advanced tools for test case management and real-time reporting, implemented robust automation to speed up regression cycles, and followed agile testing methodologies to ensure a seamless and efficient quality engineering process. By embedding QA throughout the delivery lifecycle, Stratpoint helped ensure a smooth rollout, minimize risks, and maintain quality at scale.
This dual approach is powered by advanced tools, robust automation, and agile testing methodologies, ensuring a seamless and efficient quality engineering process.
Quality is a Continuous Journey in Banking
In banking, QA must move beyond isolated test cycles and become a dynamic, continuous function. Shift-left testing empowers banks to significantly reduce time-to-market without compromising the integrity and security of their applications. When combined with shift-right practices, financial institutions gain invaluable insights into application performance and user experience, enabling proactive adjustments and continuous improvement.
Stratpoint helps banks and financial institutions implement this balanced and proactive testing approach to stay ahead of the curve, build resilient applications, and deliver exceptional experiences to customers. Fill out the form below to schedule a discovery call with #StratpointQA experts.
