Jul 9, 2021
Getting QA to Work Better with Developers
With the turn of the new year, the pressure to deliver software under the infamous “unprecedented times” has never been higher. And with an estimated 22 million job losses already credited to the pandemic and work-from-home measures in place, work productivity and software development cycles suffer. All of this while many pen testing companies are being pincered by faster-moving competition that has made their work channels flow reliably through COVID. Collaboration is more important than ever, but it’s often easier said than done.
We’re seeing a trend where management approaches centered around agile developmental standards are being brought in with more frequency than ever before. This is due to the frequency at which software and applications are being sought and naturally, without such implementations, quality is jeopardized. One such approach is DevOps.
Despite the issues with DevOps, there are a few pointers QA and your pen-testing company can implement today to work more close-knitted than before. Here are a few ways testers can improve their working relationships with developers.
1. Prioritise Quality, Not Testing
While a few testers and QA personnel see testing as a way to improve general quality standards in software, the vast majority sees it as a means to an end. QA engineers often run tests to meet the desired quota for testing, while sidelining the actual focus of the job: to improve the quality of the product. Automation testing services make the process easier but more often than not, focus more on the number of test cases executed, rather than the efficacy of the test cases themselves.
Understanding what your customers find important in the system is important and should be made the focal point of testing. Thinking like an end-user will inevitably yield better results as the shift in perspective can grant testers the opportunity for a finer look at the product. It is important for every tester to know that the general user simply either doesn’t care for the number of tests done on software or is simply oblivious to the fact that testing was even part of the due process, to begin with. At the end of the day, quality determines everything.
2. Share Responsibility
As the name suggests, this point is about the entire team sharing responsibility when the quality of the product is in question. While it is true that in an agile team, QA testers act as gatekeepers, the distinction between “us” and “them” fades away. While the developers are responsible for the code they produce, and QA responsible for testing the software, every single member of each team shares responsibility that their product pertains to the highest quality possible.
3. Approach Defects Constructively
It is near impossible to ensure you have zero bugs and defects through testing. Because of how complex today’s software and systems are, defects will always be present and likely escape the notice of QA engineers. External users often find these and regardless of how rigorous your testing standards and procedures are, they will continue to linger. The important thing to note is that playing the blame game at this stage of development won’t do any good. It’s important to learn from the bugs and errors and try to sort them out in future builds and releases.
Most QA engineers conduct risk-based testing and user flows and these are usually higher in priority. There are times where consulting product management, stakeholders and customers is an important part of highlighting the key areas of testing and if some defects were to slip through, a debrief is conducted. This involves the reasons for the error, how it “escaped” and ensure tighter measures to counter such defects in the future.
4. Bring Transparency Into Workflows
Transparency helps a pen-testing company’s core functionality more than any other facet. This is especially true when collaboration is required in an agile team. It mustn’t come down to assumptions when you’re figuring out what your developers or testers are up to, and neither should it be the case between them either. Clear communication lines are essential.
These invisible channels also help developers know what details matter to the client and to yourself i.e. the management. A good way to get this up and running is by organizing bug-hunt days with the help of QA engineers. This helps put more emphasis (and eyes) on scrutinizing the software for any defects and errors.
