How we test
Next to facts with a source and verified reviews there is a third basis. A FieldTested editor does what a buyer does in a trial or demo, and notes what works, what half works and what does not.
What we test
For each category we publish a test script: a short list of numbered tasks a buyer does in the first week. For Checkinatwork apps that is, for example, registering an employee on a construction site, making an export and checking whether the app works without a network. Each task states what counts as passed, partly passed or failed, and what we time with the stopwatch.
We work with fictional sites, customers and employees. We send nothing to the NSSO (RSZ/ONSS) or to real customers.
Who tests and how we get access
An editor runs the test. His or her name and the date appear next to the result. We also note how we got access:
- Free trial: requested through the vendor’s website, as any buyer can.
- Public demo: a demo environment anyone can open.
- Vendor demo account: an account the vendor gave us. That is always labelled “Access provided by the vendor”.
What a test does not do
A test does not change the score. The score comes only from the published method: criteria with a source. The test result sits next to it, so you can read both.
A test does not move a tool up or down a list either. You can filter on “Tested tools only”, but the order stays that of the score.
Requesting a test
Every vendor in a category with a test script can request a test, free of charge. That can be done through claim your profile or with a message to us. We test in order of request. A vendor cannot buy a test, cannot skip the queue and cannot have the result changed or removed.
Is a result wrong, for example because a feature now exists? Report it with a source. We then test again with the current version of the script and replace the old result. Earlier results stay in our history.
Versions of a script
A script can change, for example when a rule changes or when buyers find something else important. Every result states which version of the script it was tested with. A test with an older version stays until we test again.