Summer, 2000
 

When R&D misses project deadlines and Accounts Receivable contend with collection problems, software development companies fail to meet their earnings projection. It can take six quarters of on-target performance to win back the market.

One reason R&D misses deadlines is because it does not allocate resources to a proper software audit. Software companies in the vanguard are using the beta cycle to enable their software to reach full launch potential bridging the gap between R&D and Users. It is well worth the effort for software development companies to close that gap.

To deliver on time and on budget, consider setting aside resources to cultivate and monitor globally placed beta testers. These testers provide the software audit, buy the upgrade and are delighted to brag about your new release on a speakerphone in an investment analyst’s office.

Strategically driven companies use their web site to develop B2B relationships between their development team and customers.

Here are a few tips on setting up a Beta Portal

The easiest and fastest way to establish your external audit team is to set up a portal on your web site. Entrance to the site is the completion of a Beta Site Tester Profile. BetaWatch’s template contains 9 of our 59-question Customer Profile. The rest of the 50 survey questions are gleaned from conversations and maintained on the customer profile database.

Rather than immediately enabling your beta testers to download the beta release from your ftp site, make sure that they read the test matrix. Based on the PRD and MRD, the test matrix is the roadmap to which the beta tester commits time to tasks. You want to establish a relationship with each tester find out what they will test and encourage them to put the beta in production.

To achieve success the core beta team leaders, Project Manager, Engineering, QA, Technical and Customer Support, Documentation and Training must have tools and structures to monitor, report and fix the most serious glitches. BetaWatch uses the beta summary response log and the action item registry to lead the process. This is placed in a collaborative workspace, a Project Communiqué Intranet.

And the beta sites must have faith in the release to put it into production and test the new features. It is important that the beta test cycle be treated as a company / customer team effort; no one can win without all groups winning. Managing the knowledge of the beta team leaders, the beta manager nurtures the faith of the tester by responding to issues raised in 24 hours.

The obvious benefit of this fast, more flexible beta knowledge management is that it will revitalize your user base. Potential customers visiting your site will join your beta test cycle too.

Satisfy Stakeholders

Ultimately the beta process aligns the testers with Marketing and Investor Relations. To satisfy stakeholders’ expectations, technology must deliver the value it promised. The value is measured in the software audit. The Beta Portal casts the widest net enabling you to cultivate beta testers and encourage them to become your iEUs.

BetaWatch is a software testing system that bridges the gap between your research and development team and your customer. Betawatch’s intellectual capital includes the Beta Process Cycle (BPC). The BPC provides the post-alpha pre-product launch infrastructure standard. This is customized into Project Charter. Our Software Audit Template is a seven-page questionnaire that examines potential exposures, global product placement and potential channel.

ßetaWatch provides trouble free release