For those who are just starting a used phone business, testing phones manually might seem appealing. However, this approach is outdated, and using testing software is a must to keep pace with the competitors. Today, we explore why manual testing is inefficient—and in which cases it still might be used—and how businesses can ensure quick and accurate validation of smartphone conditions.
Manual Phone Testing: Pros and Cons
Manual quality assessment is the type of phone diagnostics that is done without special software. The tester usually visually inspects the device and checks the information in the settings. In case there are signs of internal defects, the worker might disassemble the device and check the condition of its components.
What are the advantages of this approach? At first glance, the key benefits of manual testing are low expenses—the business pays only the salary, with no additional costs required. Also, it might seem easy to set up the workflow and begin testing phones straight away. These advantages make starting a used phone business more accessible for those who have limited resources and want to try out working in this industry.
However, there are major disadvantages that drastically lower the appeal of manual testing for businesses. Let’s explore the most significant of them:
- Human error: People evaluate device quality subjectively, often skip tests unintentionally, and make other mistakes. For that reason, any step that requires the tester to do manual work—whether it is checking for defects or entering data into the system—is prone to human errors. Businesses can’t rely on the results of this work fully and have to consider the risks of mistakes when setting the price for their services.
- Fraud: Besides unintentional mistakes, manual testing leaves space for deliberate deception. Your clients can sell you a smartphone of the worst quality, concealing defects from the tester. Also, your employees might assign a higher value to the device than it’s actually worth and keep the difference—between the amount paid to the seller and the amount recorded—for themselves.
- Personnel issues: With manual testing, businesses are highly dependent on human resources. Each employee needs to go through a long onboarding process to learn how to evaluate devices in accordance with the company’s requirements. Additionally, high staff turnover, understaffing, and other issues are common in used phone businesses, just like in other service sector industries.
- Lack of scalability: Building on the previous point, a major challenge emerges: difficulties in business development. When the company grows, hiring more testers and training them takes time and money, hindering scalability.
Manual Testing Isn’t an Option: Here’s What to Do
Automation is the key to eliminating the disadvantages of manual work and strengthening its benefits.
To automate their workflow, businesses can integrate used phone testing software, such as NSYS Diagnostics. It drastically improves phone processing by offering greater accuracy and consistency. Software solutions eliminate human errors and fraud, thanks to automated tests and data entry. Additionally, NSYS Diagnostics automatically extracts the IMEI and verifies it with the integrated GSMA Device Check, ensuring the device hasn’t been substituted.
Moreover, implementing testing software creates opportunities for future effortless business scaling. Software-assisted testing doesn’t require difficult training and can be easily deployed across all stores in the chain or multiple warehouses. Also, NSYS Diagnostics seamlessly integrates with other solutions, creating an ecosystem for a complete device processing cycle and allowing businesses to buy back, grade, wipe, and track mobile devices.
How Can Manual Testing Still Be Used?
Although manual testing isn’t efficient as a solo approach, it can be used in addition to testing software. For example, NSYS Diagnostics checks the originality of smartphone parts, and highlights potentially non-authentic components. Then, manual disassembling can be used for further assessment.
NSYS Diagnostics: An Advanced Solution for Businesses
NSYS Diagnostics doesn’t just accurately test mobile devices: most importantly, the solution provides verification of the device quality. Testing certificates by NSYS Diagnostics increase the device value as they assure customers of the smartphone’s condition. Also, when a business is sure that the device was tested correctly, it can provide longer warranties, resulting in an additional competitive advantage.
Testing certificates are also required for becoming a reseller at marketplaces, as platforms want to guarantee that their products can be trusted. NSYS Diagnostics is an authorized software for Back Market, Refurbed, B-Stock, and Amazon Renewed, and its certificates can be used to resell electronic devices at these marketplaces.
Want to elevate your testing workflow and offer longer warranty periods? Try NSYS Diagnostics!
