Business vertical testing (BVT) in Software Testing

Business vertical testing :
Business vertical testing is a process in which a product is being used and tested for different business verticals such as banking, insurance, asset management, etc., and also verifying the business operations and its usage. This testing is done for products in different business domains. For similar varied operations, the procedures enforced in the product need to be modified according to the processes followed in the business, Therefore, the testing of similar products involves testing the new or modified features that are introduced.

In business vertical testing, the procedure in the product is modified according to the process in the business. Let’s take an example, In a loan disbursement process, the loan is first approved by the senior official and after that, it is sent to a clerk. So, here user objects such as a clerk and the official are created by the product and associated with the operations. The Business vertical testing has 3 aspects:

1. Customization –
   It’s important that the product understands the business processes and includes customization as a point so that different business verticals can use the product. With the help of this point, a general workflow of a system is modified according to the specific business verticals to make a match.
   
2. Terminology –
   Let’s consider an example of an e-mail in which when an e-mail is sent in a loan processing system it is called a loan application. After that, an e-mail is sent in the insurance context and can be known as a claim. Now, the users can be familiar with this terminology rather than the basic terminology of an email. So, the user interface should reflect these terminologies rather than use basic terminology e-mails.
   
3. Syndication –
   It is to be noticed that not all the work demands business verticals which should be done by product development companies only but even the solution integrators and service providers pay a license fee to product companies and sell the products and solutions having their name and image. A product should give features for those syndications in the product and they must also be tested as a Business vertical testing.

How BVT Can Be Done?
BVT can be done in two ways:

1. Simulation –
   In the simulation of a business vertical test, the customer or the tester assumes requirements, and the business flow is tested.
2. Replication –
   In the replication process, the client data and process are acquired and the product is fully customized, and tested, and the customized product as it was tested is released to the client.

Advantages of Business Vertical Testing (BVT) :

• Early detection of critical issues specific to the business vertical or domain.
• Improved test coverage for critical business functionalities.
• Faster time-to-market through streamlined testing efforts.
• Ensures alignment with business objectives and requirements.
• Enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring critical business functionalities work as expected.

Disadvantages of Business Vertical Testing (BVT) :

• Limited focus on business vertical-specific functionality, potentially overlooking issues outside the scope of the business vertical.
• Reduced test coverage for non-critical features, leaving potential defects or issues undiscovered.
• Complexity and scalability challenges in managing testing efforts for multiple business verticals.
• Maintenance overhead to keep BVT suites up-to-date with evolving business requirements.
• Overemphasis on business verticals, neglecting other important aspects of testing such as performance, security, or compatibility.