How to test services before delivering them at scale

As part of our Reimagining Services Campaign, this article looks at why charities should test their services and how. There’s a growing need for new services, but it’s important to spend time testing them before launching them. This will help to make sure that people who use a service have the intended experience.

 

Testing a service involves gathering feedback to make sure it meets the quality and standards expected. Testing is described as “a stop-start process that allows you to continually re-evaluate and make sure [services are] as near perfect as possible before launch”.

 

 

Why it’s important to test a service

 

Before charities invest time, effort, and money into creating a new service, they need to make sure it’s something people will value and use. There’s a lot at stake for charities as they need to make the best use of their resources.

 

Testing a service with a small group of service users will help you to get their insight and perspective, so you can develop a successful service. It will help you to improve the service going forward.

 

If you don’t test a service, you may not be able to identify areas that need improving. This could lead to people being unhappy and the service not working.

 

 

Brainstorming

 

Before you commit time and money into developing the service, spend some time brainstorming with colleagues. Map out on paper any challenges that could come up and look at how you can stop them from happening. If you can do a lot of the problem-solving in the initial stages, you are likely to encounter fewer issues later down the line.

 

Also, describe the idea for the service to colleagues in the early stages to get their initial feedback. You could speak to people who use your other services to see if what you’re proposing for a new service appeals to them. Get their initial reactions to see if they’re positive.

 

 

Launch internally

 

Do some closed testing with your colleagues so they can experience the service. They can give their thoughts on what is working and what needs improving.

 

 

Speak to a small group of service users

 

Next, ask a small group of people who use your other services to test the new service. This will provide you with valuable feedback as they are the target audience. It will help you to avoid spending more money and resources on a service that isn’t going to be effective.

 

 

Invite feedback

 

Gather feedback from service users through surveys and questionnaires to find out people’s thoughts on the usability of the service, its performance, and how satisfied they are. You could then hold one-to-one interviews to collect deeper insights into people’s experiences and suggestions for improvement.

 

When you’ve collected feedback, spend time reviewing what people have said. Identify if there are any common themes to think about and areas that can be improved. Then prioritise the most critical issues to address.

 

 

Carry out a longer-term pilot

 

Once you’ve tested your product internally and with a small group of people who use your other services, set up a longer-term pilot. This will help you to continue to develop and improve the service on a wider scale. You may not find all the issues and eliminate them before you launch it publicly, but it will put you in a stronger position.

 

Before you launch the new service to the wider public, make sure you carry out performance and stress testing. This will make sure the charity can handle wide use of the service and meet growing demand as more people hear about the service.

 

An example of this is load testing, which is when you simulate a large number of people accessing and using the service at the same time. This will help you to evaluate how the service performs under normal and peak conditions.

 

You should also make sure your new service is compatible and accessible for the widest possible audience. This includes making sure your product is compatible with different devices and operating systems. Also, you need to make sure your service is compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a set of standards for making web content accessible to people with disabilities.

 

Security testing is also crucial, especially if you will be handling sensitive data for people who use the service. Identify vulnerabilities and make sure the service is protected against potential threats, mitigating the risk of disruption and keeping operations compliant.

 

 

Find out more

 

Our 2025 Reimagining Service Delivery Summit unlocked new perspectives on service delivery and how charities can maximise value to service users. Click here to watch the session recordings for free.

 

Our Reimagining Services Hub features regular articles, podcasts, and webinars to support charities in delivering services. Click here to learn more.