Software Testing and Software Quality Assurance

In this article, I will try to talk about Software Testing, methodologies, benefits of Software testing, differentiate software testing from software quality assurance. lets dive in now for more insight. In my current company where i work, Our Software Testing and QA team works with a team of experienced Senior Software Mobile Engineers in Android & ios, CTO, Chief Product Officer, Engineering Managers, Product Owners, among other stake holders, following the Software Development Life Cycle. The QA Team consists of experienced QA Engineers on board that have successfully completed several QA projects up their sleeves within SafeBoda.

We deliver supreme quality assurance through a deep understanding of the business goals and applications.

Quality Assurance allows for a better control of the quality of the applications, makes the evaluation of the product’s compliance with the original requirements fast and easy and provides valuable insights into end-user impressions of the product.

Often Time and time and again, very many tech people, employers, CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, CMOs, CPOs, Companies, etc confuse the two fields of Software Testing and Software Quality Assurance. Today I will try to shed some more light on the two areas to try to show the difference.

Software Testing & QA Method

QA Consulting

Documentation analysis of the required feature along with fact-and-experience oriented recommendations from the design team through its User Testing

Full-Cycle QA

From the requirement analysis through the development, implementation, and maintenance of solutions. While Development is on going, QA is involved with writing test plans, test cases based on the documentation, Automation Planning is also done at this point.

Test Cases and Test Automation

QA comes up with out of the box test automation solution usually test project as the frame work, to create the optimum combination based on goals, technologies, and infrastructure, to speed up the tests, ensure nothing is left out during the testing, guaranteeing top notch quality of the apps, and all in house tools.

Software Testing

Web, API, mobile applications or server-side systems, QA creates a comprehensive testing mix for each application to ensure consistent high-quality.

Software Testing

When testing is done, Bugs are always reported at this stage, filling out a necessary bug template to provide adequate information, through videos, screenshots, explanation to developers, and following the tickets created through the board to verification and validation.

Software Approval and Production Deployment

When all the testing is passed to conform with all the necessary standards and requirements, The QA Approves the Apps, API, Web Apps for Release in Production, and the cycle continues.

Benefits of Software Testing & QA

• Saves Money through Prevention is better than cure. early detection of bugs and issues avoids great costs further along the line. It is much more expensive to fix problems when the development process is advanced, or even worse if the product is finished.
• Problems that arise with certain software, especially with those that operate with sensitive data, can lead to communication breakdowns, massive blackouts and data leaks. Testing and QA makes sure there is no room for such fatal errors.
• Continuous testing maintains and upholds software security, eliminating weaker pieces of code and errors. Reliable and trustworthy products should always be a priority.

Difference Between Software Testing and Software QA

According to Baires Dev, Outsourcing QA, Quality Assurance is integrated by a series of activities and methods organized through the whole product life cycle to guarantee the efficiency of the development process. That software is developed according to defined specifications. In other words, it is a thorough and systematic approach to testing that focuses on preventing bugs and looking after the overall final product quality so that it matches customer expectations. According to me though, Software Testing is a unit within Software Quality Assurance,

On the other hand, Software Testing involves different processes to identify quality, security and adequate system operation. These checkups guarantee software functionality and allow to fix any arising defects. QA engineers define testing protocols and software testers follow them through, searching for issues before the product is released to market.

Common Testing Methodologies

• Unit Testing
  Unit testing refers to developer level testing and it occurs prior to further processes that are carried out by the QA team. It is an essential step as it ensures code functionality. It can be carried out manually, but automating this process provides a more efficient environment.
• Integration Testing
  Units have to be tested integrating them into larger modules and groups that carry out designated tasks, making sure they do so accordingly. These tests are often performed in user scenarios, and they can be done by both developers and independent testers.
• System Testing
  System testing involves evaluating the system as a whole, guaranteeing it works in compliance with its requirements. This task includes end-to-end functionality testing and is carried out by the specialized QA team before it goes live.
• Usability Testing
  This method assesses an application’s UX/UI from a consumer’s point of view in order to maximize its performance.
• Security Testing
  Crucial though often ignored in today’s high-risk environment, these processes actively look for possible issues, errors and glitches that could eventually prove to be harmful, safeguarding your final product.
• Compatibility Testing
  These ensure software is correctly supported across different platforms, operating systems and environments, guaranteeing compatibility on which they are supposed to be placed.
• Performance Testing
  This includes various testing techniques to evaluate responsiveness and system behavior:
  Spike testing: Determines how software will respond to simultaneous and significant system activity.
  Endurance testing: Aims to understand how your system behaves when confronted with prolonged usage.
  Load testing: Evaluates if the system can manage what it’s required to do.
  Stress testing: Focuses on discovering your software’s failure points.
• Acceptance Testing
  This is the last stage of functional testing performed to double check that the final product is in accordance with pre-established criteria, documentation and Business goals. QA testers are major players at this stage, but it is also crucial to involve end-users in order to obtain valuable feedback, crucial to delivering a satisfactory product.

As I wind up, all projects, no matter their scope and size, can benefit from QA and thorough software testing, as it guarantees a remarkable UX and top-notch security conditions. Even when changes are made on the back-end of the software, QA testers can make sure that the front-end remains functional and unchanged.