Why Every Software Development Project Needs a QA

During the pandemic, thriving businesses and young startups have realized the importance of being online. Since the demand for digital solutions has increased, many development services companies have multiplied. According to Daxx, the number of programmers in the world was 26.9 million in 2021 and is expected to increase to 27.7 million by 2023.

Due to the great competition in the market, each IT company strives to create high-quality software. Therefore, it pays attention not only to a competent development process but also to ensuring the quality of the finished product.

Quality Assurance is a complex process built into development to guarantee that any application is secure and of a high standard. In order to monitor compliance with all regulations when working with software, the owners of IT companies began to invite QA engineers to work. These workers can detect possible security and performance problems before release.

If you have a team of programmers, but there is still no QA specialist, you need to understand how such an employee can simplify the work of the digital department and get an app that meets all the customer's requirements.

Who Are QAs and What Are Their Responsibilities?

QA engineers are specialists who check software operations, systematically looking for various errors and vulnerabilities in them. A professional digital worker can find bugs, analyze the conditions for their occurrence, and systematize and send a test report to the development department, according to which programmers can make changes to their code as quickly and efficiently as possible. When testing applications, they look at it as a user who evaluates a platform's interface, functionality, and convenience.

QA specialists understand how all program components are arranged and use specialized tools to check them effectively. In addition, their responsibilities include creating situations that could potentially arise during operation and which programmers might not have thought about. It requires an understanding of testing technologies, writing scenarios, and anticipating potential problems.

The main functions that QA will perform in the company will be:

• study the software specification;
• develop methods for testing the product;
• check the latest version of the app;
• draw conclusions based on the results of the audit;
• list the found vulnerabilities and shortcomings of the product in a technical document.

Some IT startups think that the developer can test the finished product, so they still haven’t hired an experienced QA engineer for the team. But app testing by experts is critical to success. Conforming with Quettra, the average app loses over 95% of new users after 90 days. QAs who can think and act like users can capture critical first impressions, tailor the software to a potential audience, and avoid losing users.

Benefits of QA in a Software Development Project

The goal of a QA engineer is to help the team create a quality product. Their job is not only to find bugs and to systematically test. The main task of this specialist in a project is to prevent defects and ensure the high quality of the development process and its results.

Collection of Customer Requirements

During negotiations, customers often describe the desired functionality and features of the software but do not say anything about the technologies that need to be used in development.

Since without these details, further work on the project can cause difficulties, a QA engineer is present at meetings with clients, writes down and clarifies all the requirements, and also deals with validation:

1. Analyze and decide whether the requirements are compatible with each other and can be implemented within the same system.
2. Evaluate which solutions will work and which won't.
3. Plan the required testing methods.

During this phase, QAs work with business analysts to determine which software product can meet the customer's needs. They analyze the market and user reviews to decide which design and features will provide the best consumer experience. Such work with a QA specialist, in the beginning, will help to achieve an attractive application that retains users and makes them take necessary action.

Saving Company Resources

In order to end up with software that meets the standards agreed with the customer, quality control must occur at every stage of development. It ensures that the bugs found are fixed immediately so that they do not prevent the team from completing the work. Having a QA team will help save time on testing and customer investment, making the project financially viable.

QA will test fixed bugs, check mockups of designs at the design stage, monitor processes, and audit and evaluate the product before handing it over to the client. The work of this specialist will reduce the time for developing the application and reduce the risk of errors appearing at the time of software operation.

Ensuring Product Privacy

Any IT company wants to maintain a good reputation, providing secure software. By hiring a QA engineer, you can ensure that all user data and financial information will be safe.

An experienced IT security professional works with developers to create innovative access control methods, including a robust security architecture within the overall software design, defining non-functional security-focused requirements to keep data safe from potential hacks.

To get a reliable app, QA develops test systems to analyze platform vulnerabilities and check data management integrity and unknown security factors.

Reducing the Workload of Developers

Developers will be able to create good software only if they are not distracted by nuances that are not part of their responsibilities: collecting requirements, reporting changes to the documentation, and constant communication with the client.

With a QA specialist on the team, programmers no longer need to spend extra time agreeing on minor criteria or thinking through user experience early on. A QA engineer enables programmers to focus on application development, product functionality, troubleshooting user issues, and ensuring thorough analysis during final edits.

Another Vision for User Experience

It is customary for developers to deal with the technical aspects and not try to look at the software from a different angle. Therefore, already at the early stages, experienced QA engineers come to the team, who analyze and predict changes in the end user's behavior.

The presence in the team of people who perceive the development of the application from a non-technical point of view helps to look at the functionality and design of the software by standing in the place of a potential consumer. It helps to change some details and make the application even more attractive.

When to Hire a QA For Your Development Project

Each IT company can independently choose when it is necessary to hire a QA engineer: MVP development, seed stage, growth, or inability to deal with bugs. QA is needed at the initial stages of working with software when you or your team have developed a minimum viable product that wants to be brought online.

Testers will increase the chances of a successful launch and the interest of a potential audience, which will help attract investments for the further development of the application faster.

If your product is already functioning and you plan to diversify it with new features, a QA specialist will determine the best development way, suggest what features users are missing and check the updated version of the software for errors.

When your product has already established itself in the market and is generating the desired revenue, there is a chance that new problems will arise (competitors, outdated offers, difficulties in maintaining market share).

To keep the application reasonable, you need an experienced QA. When making changes to the software, this specialist guarantees well-coordinated work, attractive design, convenient functionality, and the absence of bugs.

At every stage of working with a product, you need to have QAs that will help you avoid unnecessary costs, use developers' time efficiently and maintain a positive brand image. By using the services of QA, your team can be sure that the product will be released without serious errors and on time.