As software development in product companies grows, it becomes more important to have a formal quality assurance (QA) process. In this article, we cover the most common mistakes that you might make when you set up your QA department and suggest solutions to avoid making them.
So, you have decided that it is the right time to create a QA department inside your company. Let me add up front that by QA I don’t mean a deep and complicated software testing. Testing is important, but it is different from QA. I also want to clarify that by the QA Department in this article, I don’t mean a huge department with a complicated structure. I mean the QA department, which would be affordable by any small product company that is looking to improve its product quality.
You know what you need, but you have no idea where to start, and you have a million different questions, such as: How many people do I need? What should their level of knowledge and experience be? How do I organize their work effectively?
There are some simple key factors that can make your QA department effective and help you escape some very common mistakes.
Mistake #1: Hire QA specialists on your own
Hiring QA specialists can be tricky, especially if you’re not a QA expert. Think about it: how can you accurately assess someone’s deep understanding of testing methodologies, their experience with specific tools, or their ability to design effective test cases if you’re not entirely familiar with those things yourself? You might end up with someone who talks a good game but can’t actually deliver.
Solution
Bringing in an experienced software testing services consultant or using a specialized recruiting agency can be a much safer bet. They have the expertise to properly evaluate candidates, so we can guarantee you get someone who truly possesses the skills and experience your team needs.
Mistake #2: The number of testers = the number of developers
The idea that you need a one-to-one ratio of testers to developers is a bit of a myth. The ideal ratio depends on several factors, like the complexity of your product, the development methodology you use, and the level of automation you have in place. For example, if you’re working on a relatively straightforward application with robust automated testing, you might need fewer testers per developer. On the other hand, a complex system with frequent releases might require a higher ratio.
Solution
Instead of focusing on a fixed number, it’s better to analyze your specific needs and determine the appropriate level of QA coverage based on risk assessment and the complexity of your projects. Think quality over quantity – a smaller, highly skilled QA team can often be more effective than a larger, less experienced one. Start small and add more testers if there is a need.
Mistake #3: Let a development team member manage the QA department
Being a skilled coder doesn’t automatically qualify someone to lead a QA team. Development and QA require distinct skill sets and mindsets. Developers are focused on building and creating, while testers are trained to critically evaluate and find flaws.
Solution
A good QA manager needs a deep understanding of testing methodologies, risk assessment, quality team management and the ability to advocate for quality. Putting a developer in charge of QA can create a conflict of interest and potentially compromise the objectivity of the testing process. It’s best to keep these roles separate and allow QA to function independently to ensure a truly balanced approach to software development.
Mistake #4: Hiring people in the wrong order
According to the budget, your own opinion and maybe some other reasons, you decide how many people your company needs. The next step will be, of course, to hire all these people, and it doesn’t matter in what order.
Let’s imagine that you first find a QA specialist. So then what is the next step? Do you already have a plan about what he or she will be doing the first day at the office? Do you already know how to organize his or her work effectively? Do you already know what tools he or she will need to use?
Solution
I would strongly recommend beginning with searching for an experienced and qualified QA manager or QA team lead, depending on your budget and needs. There are many reasons for this:
An experienced QA manager or team lead can make an assessment of the job that should be done, its complexity and difficulty.
After having found this person, an estimation of the number of team members can be provided, as well as their level of knowledge, experience and professional skills. It may help you save money, since you will not overpay an employee for skills and experience that are not required.
The professional QA manager or team lead can also help with searching and choosing the test tools, such as the test tracking and management tool, the test automation tool, etc. This can also save you money, because you will buy exactly what your company needs, and will not overpay for functionality, complexity and brand name.
Finally, the QA manager will set up the work of your QA department effectively and keep each team member active. Hopefully, everyone should be busy from the first minute.
Once QA people are hired, the department has been created. It may look like everything is in the right order, but there are more not-so-obvious mistakes that could occur and potentially ruin all the previous efforts.
Mistake #5. Not properly defining objectives
While general goals like “improving quality” or “implementing a new methodology” sound good on paper, they’re too vague to be truly useful. And this is practically equivalent to a complete absence of goals. What does “improving quality” actually mean in practice? How will you measure it? What specific processes need improvement?
Solution
A good set of objectives should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Instead of just setting “improve quality,” a better objective might be “reduce the number of critical bugs found in production by 25% within the next quarter.” This gives the QA team a clear vision to aim for and allows you to track progress effectively.
Mistake #6. QA department is not involved in the company’s life
This lack of involvement leads to all sorts of problems. Communication breaks down, making it harder to share crucial information about potential risks and software quality issues. While QAs are not part of the conversation, they’re often brought in at the very last minute, when it’s too late to make significant improvements. It becomes difficult to properly staff the QA team because they’re not seen as a core part of the development process, leading to underfunding and difficulty attracting skilled testers. Escalating issues to management becomes a struggle, as QA is perceived as an outsider rather than a partner.
Solution
A truly effective QA department needs to be integrated into the company’s DNA, involved in planning from the earliest stages, and treated as a valued partner in delivering high-quality products. The QA staff responsible for conducting the reviews should be at a peer level or higher than the project managers. To effectively address more than superficial software-quality issues, the QA department needs to both understand software development and work closely with the people developing the software.
Conclusion
I believe building a successful QA department is about more than just hiring some testers. It requires careful planning, a clear understanding of your organization’s needs, and a commitment to integrating QA into the entire development lifecycle. Avoid the common pitfalls we discussed.
By prioritizing these elements, you’ll create a QA department that not only improves product quality but also contributes to the overall success of your organization. It’s an investment that pays off in the long run by reducing costs associated with bug fixes, improving customer satisfaction, and ultimately, building a stronger product.
Also Read: AI and Embedded Software Development: Trends in Edge Computing
