Top 8 Challenges of PoS Testing and Solutions (Backed by AI-driven Quality Engineering)
If there are two things customers expect in their post-pandemic retail buying experiences, it is this:
A safe, hygienic shopping experience and easy, quick checkout.
Elevating the customer experience is the top priority for corporate retailers; thus, it is vital that they investigate all the factors that contribute to it.
With things returning to normalcy and relaxed COVID restrictions, retailers are now expecting better store footfalls. One of the essential elements in a retail checkout is a well-developed point-of-sale system or PoS application.
What is a POS application?
A PoS system combines hardware and software elements to facilitate merchant transactions between retailers and customers. It is a complex application that has replaced outdated cash registers, excel and other manual methods of performing and recording transactions.
As POS applications deal with monetary transactions and sensitive customer data, it is imperative that they are well tested before being deployed to the market.
In addition, POS software testing is necessary to maintain the integrity of retail systems. Even the simplest of POS glitches can hamper an entire process, leading to a loss of revenue and customer trust in the brand.
Simply put, a good quality POS can ease the customer’s buying experience and checkout process.
The inherent complexity of POS systems is one of the various challenges encountered when testing them. In today’s article, we shall discuss a few challenges of testing a POS system and possible workaround using Quality engineering solutions.
Let’s get started:
8 common POS testing challenges and solutions driven by AI-led quality engineering
Testing a POS software package can lead to several challenges. But your worries can rest to ease using AI-based quality engineering solutions.
Let’s learn more about them:
1. The challenge: Rapid technological advancements
POS systems are now integrating with 21st century retail technologies such as IoT, cashier-less stores, robotic shopping assistance, etc., which augments the POS’s already complex nature. Software testing can be lengthy, hard and requires a great deal of planning and expertise, thus slowing down the QA build certification process.
The solution: A seasoned QA testing company can set in motion an efficient test strategy that accommodates all hardware and software integrations of the POS systems. They can optimize omnichannel retail shopping experiences with advanced AI-powered testing.
2. The challenge: long regression cycles
POS systems are highly complex, having multiple workflows and platforms to support them. Therefore, manually testing each negative and positive scenario can be time-consuming and a colossal effort on the tester’s part. As a result, long regression cycles can be noticed, delaying software release and curbing further iterations.
The solution: To reduce the time taken in testing the entire system, all or parts of the system can be set up for test automation. Automation reduces the burden on testers by repeating the tests after each regression.
3. The challenge: Multiple configurations and complex interfaces
POS apps have various settings, configs, interconnected systems and third-party elements, which add to their complexity. Scripting the correct tests that address all the test scenarios can be quite challenging for novice testers.
The solution: A well-defined test strategy, systematic test design and a detailed test plan that charts out the scope and direction of the POS testing can help overcome the challenge of such complexities.
4. The challenge: Testing Mobile POS systems
With retailers moving towards mobile commerce and the influx of technologies such as QR scan codes, Apple pay, Google Pay, etc., there are again increased challenges in implementing robust POS systems designed for mobile environments. Furthermore, integrating desktop and mobile systems also affects testing, thus leading to additional test efforts.
The solution: Tailored tool-agnostic POS testing solutions can help developers validate Mobile POS systems to check all the crucial aspects such as device coverage, mobile and app functionalities, session management, etc.
5. The challenge: Testing with peripheral devices
Peripheral devices can include various POS-related devices such as barcode scanners, printers, cash drawers and scales. As they are all part of an interconnected POS architecture, it is essential that testing covers the interfaces between all these systems.
The solution: Setting up intelligent AI-powered automation frameworks that test design flaws in the POS architecture system can help ensure a defect-free POS application.
6. The challenge: Back-end verification
A POS transaction verification is incomplete without validating data at the back end. Data validation errors happen when transactions have been completed but are not reflected in the database. There can be profound implications of such POS errors as they affect the inventory and financials.
The solution: Data-driven automated testing can comb through volumes of data to ensure POS data transfer between the back end and front end is seamless.
7. The challenge: Compliance-related challenges
Compliances such as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and EMV compliance (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) are requisites in POS applications. Unfortunately, gaining such compliances is often a bottleneck for POS software developers.
The solution: Continual testing can ensure that POS systems stay compliant with all the necessary industry standards.
8. The challenge: Maintenance and upgrades
Issues such as test lab maintenance, appointing a dedicated QA team, allocating costly resources to QA, and putting effort into maintaining all these QA-related assets can take a toll on POS developers. Also, frequent software and hardware upgrades can result in more costs and the need for large infrastructure.
The solution: Outsourcing QA to a quality engineering provider can help ease this burden of QA and test maintenance and support in scaling as you go.
Summing it up
Customer satisfaction that stems from a smooth buying experience can be hard to achieve. In a cutthroat competitive landscape, the product is not all. Minute things that start when a client walks into a brick-and-mortar store, his ultimate checkout and the after-sales service given to him, affect his future purchases too.
In a world where retailers are already swimming deep in software troubles, testing is the only way to the shore. Moreover, not just retail, hospitality, personal services and many other businesses rely on defect-free POS systems to enrich their customers’ experience. Thus, cementing the need for POS testing.
Quality engineering solutions for POS systems can help deliver faster, safer and easier buying experiences. POS software testing can also gain the necessary EMV compliances and help avoid fraud liability.
With over 25 years of software testing expertise, Qualitest has the perfect solutions for POS systems testing in place. We’ll leverage this experience to optimize POS systems and help accelerate your releases. Get in touch with our experts today!
