Quality Engineering in this fast-paced agile software industry is more about getting the right processes in place at a critical time than getting the right tools in hand.
Though the frequent releases keep a team relevant in the market, it drives the cost of development high with more iterations than ideally required.
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There are many factors to consider for an effective testing process, but a few main points are non-negotiables.
Now, let's dive in.
Testing Mindset:
A Quality Engineer brings an entirely different approach to thinking about a product and/or service than a developer.
The purpose of each of these members in the team collectively assures that the right product is being developed in the right way.
Artefacts:
Every team following the Agile Methodology will tell you that they hate documentation. They will rightly point out that it slows them down, so much that it is not truly part of the methodology.
A functioning QA Team makes sure that the right kind of documentation is created and available at the right time and at the right level of the development process.
Feedback Loop:
Reviews are an integral part of a Software Development Process. It helps in preventing teams from deflecting away from guidelines and regulations.
For Quality Assurance, an efficient feedback loop at different levels enables teams to alter or carry forward with chosen path.
Right Tools, Right Levels:
We are driven by tools, apps and frameworks. There is an app for everything and a framework to ship out an app as quickly and efficiently as possible.
A Quality Engineer has to make sure the right tools are used at different levels so they complement each other and the process.
Infrastructure:
The famous mantra of any Agile team has been - We Test in Production.
Quality Engineering is a multi-faceted field. Its effectiveness is dependent on the right investment in platforms in accordance with the right expertise.
Quality Engineering is making sure testing is done on the right foundations.
If any one of these points resonates with you or you think there is more to it than these 5 points, I will like to hear from you.