Software Testing Tips For Proper Quality Assurance

Among other things, one of the main reasons why projects fail is due to poor quality which makes QA during the development process very important. The main role of running quality assurance tests is to assure product quality, as the name suggests, and avoid small mistakes from slipping through the gaps which can otherwise lead to greater losses. 

Having said that, it's nearly impossible to develop software that is free of bugs or errors. Despite having expert software quality assurance engineers, even popular applications such as Facebook, Twitter et al crash at times and the entire world go bonkers. Even a few days ago, #whatsappoutage was trending all over Twitter when nearly a million people around the world reported problems with Instagram and WhatsApp services.

There are a number of issues currently affecting Facebook products, including gaming streams. Multiple teams are working on it, and we'll update you when we can.

— Facebook Gaming (@FacebookGaming) March 19, 2021

Even though QA is necessary, developers should also know about the software testing tips and should be an active part of software quality assurance planning. Many companies require software engineers to run unit testing or automated code-based tests at the least. But the main reason for having separate QA engineers is that it saves time that developers can otherwise spend on coding.

According to reports, 35% of firms occasionally include non-testers in the software testing process, although 55% still use software testers for the great majority of testing.

What is Software QA or Quality Assurance?

QA is a quality management system and one of the most important steps in the entire software development life-cycle. During this stage, experts test the quality of software and the code thoroughly to identify bugs (errors).

After this, they send the feedback in the form of a documented report directly to the development team so that they can fix the identified bugs or issues before the release. The QA team works closely with the development teams to ensure the high-quality delivery of the application. But the battle between the two teams is inevitable.

Software Quality Assurance Principles

SQA principles are different for different companies and projects but below are some of the main attributes based on which QA engineers should test the product:

• Functionality: Are all the features of the application functional? 
• Reliability: Is the software resilient? How long does it take to function again in case of failure?
• Usability: Is it user-friendly? Are the functions easy for users to understand?
• Efficiency: Is the speed of the software above par?
• Maintainability: Stability of the software after the modifications have been applied.
• Portability: How easily can the software be installed? Will it easily adapt to changes? 

 Software Quality Assurance Process

 

Requirement Analysis

Come up with a testing strategy such as the application that needs to be tested, which software quality assurance methodologies to use, features to focus on, software quality assurance activities to follow, tools to use, testing schedule, and the like. In short, this stage includes the complete plan and functional/ non-functional requirements gathering. 

Test Case Preparation

After requirement gathering, the second stage is to plan the test cases. It includes the actions that QA experts will take to ensure the functionality of the application. Tools such as TestRail or Zephyr can help engineers to write test cases. 

Test Design

After the test cases have been prepared. The team runs the test cases and makes sure that the solution is developed properly and meets all the requirements from a technical perspective. 

Bug Tracking & Reporting

After identifying a bug, the QA expert is obligated to report the bug responsibly through a bug-tracking system. Many companies use Jira for this purpose. Through Jira, developers can track task updates in real time without missing out on quality improvement in the software testing process. Of course reporting can get messy if a multitude of issues and inputs from larger teams are being identified and fixed in a short period, which is where squashing commits in Git comes in handy. It essentially involves consolidating more complex commits into a single unit, which is less unwieldy when the time to review changes and track progress arrives. 

Verification

Developers are specifically responsible for this last step. After the developer has fixed the issue, he is responsible to mark it as fixed. They can not mark the bug as fixed until final approval from the development team. QA Esports should re-run the application to check it for final verification.

Software Testing Tips for Quality Assurance

QA is Not the Final Step

Software quality assurance testing should not be considered a final step in the entire development process. According to Lauma Fey of AOE

It is one step in the ongoing process of agile software development. Testing takes place in each iteration before the development components are implemented. Accordingly, software testing needs to be integrated as a regular and ongoing element in the everyday development process.

Let Go of the Common QA Misconceptions 

Many companies restrict the scope of quality assurance best practices and methodologies even in the most strategic environments. Some common misconceptions about QA are:

• Testing is only for bug detection
• Testing alone can resolve all the bugs and enhance the product quality
• Automated testing means lesser costs

Software testing strategies for software development are very important since QA is not just about bug identification. It's so much more than that. The main objective is to deliver a seamless customer experience by gathering sufficient information about the improvements and then providing the information to the relevant teams, in this case, the development team.

Now, let’s see what QA is all about:

• Feature Implementation: Proves that the particular feature or functionality has been implemented as requested by the stakeholders.
• Feature Correctness: A report that gathers the information that the new functionality is however working correctly and can be released. Also that the existing features work correctly and there are no risks of failure.
• Software Quality Information: Evidence about the stability, reliability, performance, usability, and security of the application.
• Defect Identification: To check the defects in the application and take corrective measures.
• Defect Prevention: Testing can result in a significant decrease in errors in the future. 

Automated Testing Over Manual Testing Any Day

This is one of the most important software testing tips. Since both manual and automation SQA methodologies have their pros and cons. Yet automated testing is preferred.

In manual testing, QA experts put themselves in the place of end-users and manually test all the features by running the application on the mobile phone to identify defects and ensure a smooth customer experience. Popular manual testing methods include black-box testing, white-box testing, unit testing, system testing, integration testing, and acceptance testing. 

Whereas in automated testing, automated tools are utilized to ensure the smooth running of the software. Some of the popular automation testing tools are HP QTP(Quick Test Professional)/UFT(Unified Functional Testing), Selenium, LoadRunner, IBM Rational Functional Tester, SilkTest, TestComplete, WinRunner, WATIR, etc. 

Benefits of Automated Testing

• Quick identification of bugs and feedback
• Faster process improvement ideas in automation testing
• Improved test accuracy and quality of the application
• Minimum effort needed
• Improved test accuracy due to eliminating the human factor
• Reduced the costs of manual testing, i.e. too costly to be implemented

Now that we have learned some of the software testing tips, let’s look at why QA is important.

The Importance of QA in Software Development

Saves Time and Money: QA assurance catches the bugs during the development phase which saves time. Moreover, identifying bugs after the application has been deployed can be costly. 

• Product Quality: QA ensures the quality reliability, and stability of the product. Moreover, quality control checks the functionality and performance of the software product.
• Security: Customers always want products that they can trust. Therefore, businesses need to keep customers’ sensitive data protected at all costs. Quality assurance testing does help with your product security. You can perform penetration or vulnerability testing to identify loopholes. 
• Product Reputation: The quality of your software is very important for your brand image. Faulty products can lead to negative reviews that can damage the reputation of your company and lead to a higher customer turnover rate. Whereas a well-tested product can save your brand image. 
• Customer Satisfaction: To satisfy and better serve your customers, make sure your product fulfills their needs. Customers can only be satisfied if your product delivers. Therefore, quality assurance gives your customers exactly what they want; high-quality and fast products.