As the software development sphere expands further into advancement, every individual, even slightly connected with information technology, knows what quality assurance (QA) is. The situation was a little different few years ago when only a handful organizations were following through QA processes. Instances where tech-developers were asking ‘Why do we need a quality assurance team?’ were not uncommon. Even today, certain QA positions seem underestimated compared to those belonging to developing experts.
People who think that the answer to the question above is just ‘testing software’ probably fail to evaluate the main goal and responsibility of quality assurance. Let’s have a look at QA tools’ basic importance for tech companies.
QA tools are essential
Many software engineers would know that it is near to impossible coding something that is 100 per cent perfect. You can never be too sure if an app would run smoothly until you hit the update button and the code to see if it does what it is supposed to do. Hence, testing is a vital part of building and improving the work of products these days.
A global renowned tech entrepreneur, innovator, and investor, Marc Andreessen, declared in 2011 that Software Is Eating The World, but after a few years, in 2016, he updated his analysis to claim “Software Is Programming The World”. It is gravely important, in this context, that your small business has a comprehensive testing methodology and that you aim to automate it as much as possible to get the best results.
Automated software testing has now become an essential part of all successful programming and development projects. In the past, automation was considered an affordable luxury for start-ups, however, as more and more software testing tools pop-up, its cost has considerably reduced becoming less of a barrier for smaller organizations.
In a country like Ireland, QA testing is increasing in demand as more and more companies are looking into filling positions in this area. However, one of the challenges is that there are not enough people to apply for these positions. A QA Software Placements recruiter, Laura Boland, explains:
“We have some great candidates here in Ireland, but not enough for all the roles we are trying to fill. Some foreign companies opening their IT HQ’s here in Ireland far outweigh the amount of available IT workers.”
Why software companies should use one
If the software you developed is buggy and difficult to use because you didn’t take the time to test it, there is a good chance your company could lose customers post-launch. Skipping QA can even result in fewer efficacies, especially if your app was built to improve internal processes.
1. Product launch
Having software quality problems will compel you to rework on the product if anything. The refixes and backtracking is the most taxing stage. It tends to become pricier depending on how late in the process the error emerges: do you recognize it at the start, during the design phase or do you only catch it later on?
For your company and the customers’ sake, it should best be the initial stage when you’re setting the basic requirements. Since with each following phase, the cost of mending a software error rises fast; it should be dealt with in the early stages. The majority of the product can be re-built using the correct specifications. Indeed, there will be some extra work involved, but it is better than detecting the problem after the product has been shipped out to the market. That is when the customer complains; orders are returned/rejected, and your brand reputation takes a dramatic dip.
2. It’s not only about finding bugs
Quality assurance is not just about doing the ‘negative test.’ It also has to make sure a product/software performs its supposed duty. This is as essential as discovering issues while looking at the invention through the consumer’s eyes. Can you get to the area without meandering through the bumps, jumping through too many loops? Does the final upshot look nice or is it too much for the eyes to handle?
3. Customer specifications
Carefully recording each step in the manufacturing and quality process is a basic part of software development. The QA team documents the machined parts against the customer specs and adds the information to the company’s database. Usually, the certified documentation is electronically attached to the product throughout the process; with the ERP system providing experts with all the traceability options needed from raw material receipts to finished product shipment. Software companies like btechsolutions documents workflow, timelines, and testing verification simultaneously.
4. Avoid the failure costs
You can save your company the cost associated with bad product quality by putting in the necessary effort up front to track customer software development. Apt methods for quality assurance and automation are all important parts of the equation.
Undoubtedly, these trials cost extra investment of resources: understand how software quality is scaled and measured, get the right tools to do it, work with QA experts who know what they’re talking about.
Follow the things mentioned above, and rest aussred you will be able to save heaps of money in the end; ensuring that you don’t have to spend a large portion returning and rebuilding a flawed software product after development.
Creating a high-quality tech programme is expensive, but it is less costly than creating a low-quality one.
5. Reducing risks
The program advancement risks can be both automatic and specialized; that is, dangers that the online space or programming won’t execute as expected to or will be excessively entangled, making it impossible to change, utilize or keep up, while the dread that the task will exploit the time or cost are automatic risks.
The principal objective of QA apparatuses is to diminish the probability of these dangers. Coding norms, for example, are made to guarantee the conveyance of value code. If there should arise an occurrence of no set standards, the code winds up plainly open to insurability hazard, and inevitable revamp by the QA team. In any case, if set tenets are contrived however there is no express technique for guaranteeing that all codes meet the standard, there is a desperate danger of the base not satisfying the necessities.
The quality affirmation process is vital for a product advancement cycle to diminish the risks, building up quality in both the final-built item and work process. To have no QA devices implies expanded hazard for an organization and the arrival of unsuitable codes.
Conclusion
Many developing experts think QA is the last step of a manufacturing process, or even after the launch take it as a means to find and fix bugs. As a software company, get to know your product and customer requirements first, building quality assurance around the exact needs of the consumer base. QA tools ensure a reliable, well-worked final product by gathering requirements through product delivery.
Guest article written by: 
Erica Silva is a blogger who loves to discover and explore the world around her. She writes on everything from marketing to technology, science and brain health. She enjoys sharing her discoveries and experiences with readers and believes her blogs can make the world a better place. Find her on Twitter: @ericadsilva1