Why We Need QA

Testing is a critical part of any development process. It is aimed to check whether the actual results match the expected outcomes. Testing provides stakeholders with relevant data about the quality of the service/product under test.

The same fully applies to QA testing. QA engineers work hard to make sure that the agency is providing the best possible service/product to clients. While this statement is obvious to some people, it may seem too vague and broad to others. Someone will say that everyone can do the testing. So, in this posting, we have decided to talk about why we need QA testing, examine some of its specifics in order to help you understand its role in software development, and see the value it can bring to your project.

What Is QA?

Quality assurance (QA) is a systematic process targeted at making sure that software is user-friendly and works as intended, be it design or functionality. In other words, it refers to providing confidence that all the requirements are met. However, QA is not just about a simple testing process aimed to find bugs. The main idea behind it is to prevent potential flaws/defects that can cause software product failures, therefore ensuring its quality. In simpler terms, QA helps build high-quality products.

What Does QA Engineer Do?

Typically, all activities in which QAs are involved come down to the following:

Testing the product during all stages of its development lifecycle
Helping meet project requirements
Providing comprehensive data about the product’s level of quality
Identifying product’s inconsistencies and flaws

Needless to say the quality assurance process requires close cooperation and communication with team members.

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Stages of Software Testing Process

Data collection

During our first meeting, a customer describes in general what he/she needs, outlining the functionality of the desired web/mobile application. Our QA engineers will examine and validate the provided requirements before the development starts in terms of their feasibility. In simpler words, we must know what will work and what will not. This knowledge serves as the foundation for future development.

Test planning

At this stage, our QAs will determine an appropriate testing approach, testing environment, and project’s deliverables.

Test development

Now, it is time to develop test cases to determine whether the product is bug-free and meets the Acceptance Criteria.

Execution

Many customers believe that the whole QA process actually starts and ends here. Well, as you can see, it is not true. Now that we have a strategy and plan, we can finally execute all test cases. If an app or its section does not work well, our QA engineers will report back to developers for fixing.

Reporting

If bugs were detected, they must be well reported and documented to make sure fast fixes without any issues from the developers’ side.

What We Do

At Loonar Studios, our QA engineers perform the following testing activities:

Comprehensive project analysis (design, functionality)
End-to-End scenarios
UI testing
Feature testing
Cross-platform and cross-browser testing
Device compatibility testing
Functionality testing on different Internet connections (offline, 4G, wifi)
Localization testing
User acceptance testing
Installation and re-installation testing
Security scanning
Providing testing statistics and detailed QA report

Why Developers Cannot Do the QA?

Can you remain 100% objective and neutral when it comes to your own work? The fact is that most people cannot do that. What does it mean? This means that if you decide to go into the testing of your own project, some flaws will be overlooked simply because of your own bias.

When it comes to software testing, every coder will test its own features instead of testing an app as a whole. Common reasons why developers cannot be good testers include the following:

Developers have less experience with common app flaws & bugs

In contrast, QAs are fully aware and focused on common failures and bugs.

Developers typically have a lack of real-user perspective

Most coders concentrate on a single feature/element of the software, while QAs have a much broader vision of the product.

Developers focus on positive sides

Developers typically have a positive mindset. They are focused on making things work. Being a QA tester, one needs first to perform the mental switch to what-can-possibly-go-wrong mindset.

Developers have an emotional connection with the product

Most developers are emotionally linked to their code. They have a kind of “parental feelings” towards their work. This makes them unable to criticize it.

Finally, it is just not the developer’s job to do the testing.

Key Takeaways

QA testing adds lots of value to the general development process and its results. QAs make it possible for you to enjoy high-quality software by checking if everything works as intended. But good work is a lot harder to notice than poor work. That is why any good product needs to be checked by someone who is not its creator. At Loonar Studios, we really mean what we say. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. Stay safe!

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