How agencies can build better quality mobile apps
To users, mobile applications are simple, but developing applications that meet citizens’ needs is anything but easy. Even a basic mobile app can take several months to develop — and most government apps aren’t basic. They’re complex tools designed to provide users with a vast amount of information, reducing the need to make a phone call or trek to a local office.
An application that doesn’t deliver what a user needs, or is too difficult to use, is an application that’s most likely going to be deleted. But the problem goes deeper than just having an app removed. Agencies that push out poorly designed applications risk frustrating constituents and eroding trust in their digital services.
Mobile application testing can help agencies avoid this problem. Testing an application as it’s being developed can produce a better application — and, ultimately, better outcomes for both agencies and users.
The Role Mobile Apps Play in Citizen Service
Mobile apps are an increasingly important tool for cash-strapped and resource-limited governments. They allow agencies to provide faster services with less paperwork or fewer in-person visits for public services. They save constituents time, but they also make agencies operate more efficiently thanks to mobile apps’ self-service features.
We’re seeing the efficacy of mobile applications in states across the country. For example, Colorado and a handful of other states are experimenting with driver’s licenses and IDs on smartphones, giving users control over what personal information they share while verifying their identity. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources unveiled a new mobile app to buy and manage hunting and fishing licenses for the 2025 season, which also allows conservation officers in the field to validate documents without cell service.
Americans across age groups spend hours a day on their smartphones, so moving services like paying taxes, renewing licenses, accessing vital records and viewing public transit schedules to mobile apps is a no-brainer. The Pew Research Center found nine in 10 American adults own a smartphone, with about 15% of adults relying entirely on their mobile devices for internet access.
In short, mobile apps have the potential to offer the public access to seamless, on-the-go services while transforming how government employees collect and interact with their data. It’s a powerful combination — but too many agencies are struggling to get it right.
The Struggle to Create High Quality Mobile Apps
Many government agencies are finding it difficult to meet user expectations for mobile app quality and performance, according to a Tricentis survey of more than 1,000 senior IT professionals in the private and public sectors.
Unsupported devices, buggy experiences, lack of availability and poor usability topped user complaints — all of which add up to real dollars. More than 90% of public sector organizations expect poor-quality apps to result in up to $2.49 million in lost revenue.
The rush to market is one of the key issues that lead to half-baked or unreliable mobile apps. Governments often start releasing apps without first mapping out a comprehensive strategy for their development, deployment and maintenance. Each app — and the service it connects people to — is a longer-term commitment than some officials realize. Apple, Google and other manufacturers frequently debut new capabilities for operating systems and devices. To keep up, agency teams need timely releases to prevent good apps from degrading and bad apps from being deleted from phones.
The Importance of Automated Software Testing
Another culprit is inadequate software testing. While 88% of public sector respondents acknowledge testing is essential for app quality, only 31% said their testing strategy is effective. The challenges holding agencies back from rigorous testing regimens are familiar IT issues: competing priorities, talent gaps, cross-platform compatibility issues and, of course, costs.
To build better apps, agencies must embrace better testing methods than current manual processes. Most public sector respondents view automation and artificial intelligence (AI) tools as effective ways to help resource-restrained teams de-bug ever-growing app libraries. Low- or no-code automation allows non-technical staff to participate in quality assurance activities, alleviating bottlenecks when needed or freeing up experts to tackle highly technical head-scratchers.
Within seven to 13 months, more than one-third of respondents also plan to add AI tools, which scan code, analyze logs, and detect errors more quickly and more accurately than human testers. AI learns from each cycle, identifying harder-to-find bugs, delivering faster feedback, and shortening releasing cycles. Automation and AI offer IT teams the speed boost they need to roll out new app features and keep pace with the constant barrage of security updates and changes in iOS and Android systems. After all, mobile app users are fickle: 71% of users stop using an app within three months of downloading it, even when it works perfectly.
Mobile apps offer governments an immense opportunity to provide modern, user-friendly services to constituents on the devices they usually keep within arm’s length. By automating software testing, government IT teams can ensure their mobile apps meet the same standards they place on in-person or phone conversations, with similar reliability, usability and performance across all platforms and devices. Failing to meet those expectations risks losing public trust and declining participation in digital services.
Ben Baldi is Senior Vice President of Global Public Sector for Tricentis. Ben has spent more than 15 years delivering solutions to federal and state government agencies to help them achieve their mission through IT modernization. He currently leads Tricentis’ public sector team, working closely with DOD and civilian agency customers to provide automated low code software testing.
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