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Efficiency and accuracy are the two factors that any application in the e-commerce field focuses on. Customers expect a smooth shopping experience without any interruptions or errors in an online shopping application. Any such interruptions may impact customer satisfaction. Even the most established retailers have come across such errors that broke their trust among customers. Accuracy in pricing and availability of the items listed on the shopping website is critical. A small error in these values can lead to financial losses, customer dissatisfaction, and damage to reputation.
One such scenario that we will discuss here concerns the renowned British retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S), which, in June 2021, updated the wrong pricing for an item on its online application. This article will discuss more about the incident and how proper testing could avoid these types of mistakes.
The Incident Unfolds
On June 7, 2021, people who browsed the Marks & Spencer web application were shocked by a huge price variation for several televisions. Those high-end televisions, which were priced at £1,099, are now selling at a revised price of £199. This huge price difference was considered a jaw-dropping offer by every customer, and soon a lot of customers purchased the discounted televisions online. But the truth was it was not an offer, but an error from the M&S employee where they entered this price mistakenly.
The immediate response from M&S was to cancel the order and issue apologies to the customer, mentioning that the revised price was an error from the company side. However, the damage was already done. This incident caused financial loss to the company and also impacted the brand’s reputation. Customers were frustrated and disappointed as the orders were canceled, which led to a public relations challenge for the retailer. News channels spread the news to a larger audience, damaging the company’s reputation more.
Root Cause Analysis
To know more about why this issue has occurred, we need to explore the potential underlying causes:
- Human Error: Manual data entry or updates are highly prone to errors. A simple mistake when inputting the price could lead to such differences.
- Software Bug: A bug in the pricing algorithm or in the content management system could have caused the incorrect price to be displayed. This shows the application was not tested properly before the updates were released to production.
- Integration Issues: Most of the e-commerce platforms integrate with different systems for pricing, inventory management, and content management. Any issues in these integrations can create incorrect data that can be shown to the customers. Read: Future of E-commerce and Automation Testing.
- Lack of Automated Testing: Automation plays a major role in test data validation. Using automation, we can validate the data across different systems and also check if it matches the requirements. If no proper automation is planned, it’s difficult to get the automation coverage, resulting in defect leakage. Read: The Strategy to Handle Defects in the Agile Development Methodology.
- Inadequate Quality Assurance (QA) Processes: Robust QA processes are essential to catch discrepancies before they reach the customer. Inadequate QA can result in critical errors slipping through the cracks.
The Role of Automated Testing Tools
This incident underscores the critical need for rigorous software testing in the development and maintenance of e-commerce platforms. Proper testing ensures that the system functions as intended and prevents costly errors. Here are some key aspects of software testing and test automation that could have prevented this incident.
Automated testing tools are designed to execute predefined tests to validate the correctness of software systems. They offer several advantages over manual testing, particularly in preventing errors like the one experienced by M&S.
Plenty of automation tools are now available on the market. Using automation tools that rely on programming language will not be an advantage in case of frequent release-to-market scenarios. So the better option would be to use an intelligent codeless automation tool like testRigor. It has many advanced features that most of the other tools in the market can not offer.
Now let’s see how automated testing tools could have prevented this pricing error:
- Automated Regression Testing: Regression tests ensure that new changes do not introduce new bugs or reintroduce old ones. By automating regression tests, M&S could have continuously validated the integrity of their pricing system with every update. With testRigor, you can easily automate regression scenarios, as the test scripts are created in plain English. The coverage will be higher and faster.
- Unit Testing: Automated unit tests verify the functionality of individual components. For pricing algorithms, unit tests can cover a wide range of scenarios, including edge cases, to ensure accuracy.
- Integration Testing: Automated integration tests ensure that different modules or services work together correctly. These tests can validate data consistency across systems, preventing integration issues from causing pricing errors. Given the complexity of e-commerce platforms, integration tests are essential to ensure data consistency across systems. Read: Integration Testing vs End-to-End Testing.
- End-to-end Testing: These tests simulate real user interactions with the system, validating that the entire workflow functions correctly. For an e-commerce platform, end-to-end testing would include browsing products, adding them to the cart, and checking out. testRigor is designed and developed for end-to-end testing. Read how easily we can do E2E testing with testRigor.
- Continuous Testing in CI/CD Pipelines: Integrating automated tests into the continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline ensures that code changes are continuously tested and validated before deployment. testRigor has inbuilt integration with most of the CI/CD tools. You don’t need to write down any additional steps for the integration. Read this blog to learn more about continuous integration and testing.
- Load Testing: Automated load tests simulate high traffic to ensure the system can handle a large number of users without performance degradation. This is crucial for preventing errors during peak shopping periods.
- Comprehensive Test Coverage: Ensure that all aspects of the e-commerce platform, especially critical functionalities like pricing, are covered by automated tests. Use tools like testRigor to create and maintain these tests.
- Real-Time Monitoring and Alerts: Implement real-time monitoring tools that track pricing data and alert the team to any anomalies. Automated tests can be configured to run whenever an anomaly is detected, providing an additional layer of verification. Read: Understanding Test Monitoring and Test Control.
- Automated Rollback Mechanisms: In case of detected errors, automated rollback mechanisms can revert the system to a previous stable state, minimizing the impact on customers.
The Human Element and Organizational Learning
While technology plays a crucial role in preventing errors, the human element is equally important. Creating a culture of quality and accountability within the organization can significantly reduce the likelihood of such incidents. Here are some ways to foster such a culture:
- Training and Education: Provide regular training for employees on best practices in software development and testing. Educate them on the importance of data accuracy and the potential consequences of errors.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourage collaboration between development, QA, and operations teams. A DevOps approach can help ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goal of delivering high-quality software. Read: DevSecOps vs. DevOps: Differences, Tools, and Strategies.
- Blameless Post-Mortems: When errors occur, conduct blameless post-mortems to understand the root cause and identify areas for improvement. Focus on learning and preventing future incidents rather than assigning blame.
- Employee Empowerment: Empower employees to speak up if they notice potential issues. Create an environment where they feel comfortable raising concerns without fear of retribution.
Customer Communication and Recovery
When an incident like the M&S pricing error occurs, effective communication with customers is critical to mitigating damage to the brand’s reputation. Here are some strategies for handling customer communication and recovery:
- Immediate Acknowledgment: Quickly acknowledge the error and inform customers about the steps being taken to rectify the situation. Transparency is key to maintaining trust.
- Apologies and Explanations: Issue sincere apologies to affected customers and provide a clear explanation of what went wrong. This helps in managing customer expectations and reduces frustration.
- Compensation Offers: Offer compensation or discounts to affected customers as a goodwill gesture. This can help in retaining customer loyalty despite the error.
- Feedback Mechanism: Implement a feedback mechanism to gather input from customers about their experience. Use this feedback to improve processes and prevent future incidents.
Case Studies of Similar Incidents
The M&S pricing error is not an isolated incident. Other retailers have faced similar challenges, providing valuable lessons on the importance of software testing and quality assurance.
- Amazon’s Pricing Glitch (2014): In 2014, Amazon experienced a pricing glitch where numerous products were listed for just 1p. The error was caused by a third-party repricing tool. Amazon quickly rectified the issue, but many sellers incurred significant losses.
- Best Buy’s Black Friday Incident (2016): During Black Friday 2016, Best Buy accidentally listed a $200 gift card for free on their website. The error was quickly corrected, but only after many customers had taken advantage of the deal. Best Buy had to issue apologies and manage customer expectations.
- Target’s Online Price Error (2017): In 2017, Target mistakenly listed several items, including expensive electronics, at significantly lower prices. The company canceled the orders and issued apologies, emphasizing the need for robust testing and validation processes.
Conclusion
The Marks & Spencer pricing error is a stark reminder of the critical importance of rigorous software testing and robust quality assurance processes. By implementing comprehensive testing strategies and utilizing advanced automated testing tools like testRigor, retailers can significantly reduce the risk of such errors. testRigor, with its ability to automate end-to-end testing and validate complex workflows, offers a powerful solution to ensure the accuracy and reliability of e-commerce platforms.
Creating a culture of quality and accountability within the organization, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and maintaining transparent communication with customers is also essential to preventing and effectively managing such incidents. Continuous improvement and learning from past experiences are crucial to ensuring the long-term success and integrity of e-commerce operations. Ultimately, the goal is to provide customers with a seamless and trustworthy shopping experience where they can confidently rely on the accuracy and reliability of product listings.
