5 factors that influence the success of Quality Assurance projects
In 2020, demand for digital products increased, and digitization accelerated by up to 25%. Faster digitization has brought a boom in the services of QA teams and specialists, overseeing the quality of applications and systems. However, hiring QA engineers alone is not always enough to make the mission a success. Read the article and find out what makes certain Quality Assurance projects go smoothly, and what factors determine the success of projects.
Software development – in pursuit of excellence
According to Plato, quality is “a certain degree of perfection”. Today, in the pursuit of perfection (or rather, a certain degree of perfection), time works against software providers, and users of apps and systems – who have moved to the online world because of the pandemic – have become more demanding. Software development is much more than writing code and testing app functionality. In a world of increasing digitization, users count on solutions that will work out of the box, with minimal risk of errors. QA teams and specialists can support the process, but success is determined by several factors.
#1. Choosing the right approach
Using an approach that is relevant to the project is another factor for success. Today there are various approaches to choose from, such as., Test Driven Development, Behaviour-Driven Development, Domain Driven Development or Pair Programming. Most importantly, the given approach should be chosen deliberately and tailored to the needs of the project. Following buzzwords and fads won’t always serve the purpose, so it’s a good idea to be a thoughtful choice.
#2. Awareness of the role of quality management
Today, fortunately, more and more people believe that “software testing” is synonymous with Quality Assurance. For a Quality Assurance project to be successful, it is important to actively promote the idea of quality management in the organization, emphasize its importance and be aware of the differences between Quality Control and Quality Assurance. The QA specialist in should be involved in the process and make sure that everyone is aware of the role of quality and its management in the project.
#3. Sticking to the principles of the methodology
Today, more and more organizations profess to be Agile, and agile methodologies are conducive to building quality products. If you decide to go with an agile methodology, such as Scrum, it is worth making sure that you actually stick to its principles in the project. Otherwise, Scrum becomes Scrum in name only. It is helpful here to be aware of the role of each person in the team, e.g. The role of the tester and his tasks in the Scrum Team. Scrum masters and Agile coaches, who uphold good practices, are an important support for teams.
#4. Smart automation
Nowadays, the role of the automation tester is growing and is a great support for manual testers. There are many misconceptions about automation. It’s good to have an understanding of what areas can (and should) be automated, and when automation will be beneficial, and when it will become a burden on the team’s budget and schedule. If we are using automated testing in an agile project, here too there are a number of factors that can prevail for success. It is important to plan Sprints with automation testing in mind and apply good practices (such as. code review).
#5. Adequate competence and know-how
Sometimes it happens that a project, due to staff turnover or dynamic development, needs the support of external testers. Often the competency gap can prove to be a blocking factor in the progress of the work. Today, there are many companies that specialize in outsourcing QA and testing services, and outside reinforcements are a solid injection of knowledge and support. External vendors have access to the latest tools and a solid knowledge of quality management. It is wise to consider this option when you are up against the wall and deadlines and deadlines’y are chasing.
Summary
Awareness of the role of Quality Assurance, thoughtful selection of approaches and methodologies and sticking to their principles, as well as wise automation are factors that often determine the success of a project. Many software houses have the know-how and competence to uphold good practices in the area of quality management. You can turn to them whenever something is blocking progress or there is a risk that the “pursuit of perfection” turns into a “pursuit of QA competence”.
