Digital automation intelligence system provider Testplant revealed 42 per cent of app development team leaders in the US and UK believe they are under undue pressure to design, develop and test apps in an unrealistic amount of time.

The figure was flagged in a survey of more than 750 development team leaders conducted by the company.

Testplant’s research also found 36 per cent do not feel they are given enough time to ensure apps are properly tested before deployment, and 60 per cent said the majority of pressure comes from within the company rather than from competitors.

Some 49 per cent said they issued apps before they go through proper testing as a result.

John Bates, CEO of Testplant, said: “Companies are struggling to keep up with the pace of digitalisation and there will be a quality toll unless businesses see the imperative to completely rethink their traditional development processes and move towards more automated, intelligent solutions and tools.”

Over the next year, 50 per cent said their company will develop more apps with IoT components, more than half said they would be looking at artificial intelligence and 62 per cent said their company will increase the amount of apps deploying machine learning and deep learning components.

A majority (81 per cent) believe if they were given more time, apps deployed by their team would have a greater impact on the business.

Over half of the respondents (56 per cent) said use of outdated techniques and tools is holding them back from meeting the demands of the digital world.