Quality Assurance is a way of keeping track of the procedures and techniques used in engineering to ensure quality. The concept of quality assurance was initially borrowed from the manufacturing sector, which mainly operated according to a waterfall-like, highly linear model. Therefore, it was not surprising that early software engineering adopted a similar framework for producing software. A similar pattern could be seen in software quality assurance, which was more concerned with ensuring quality than engineering. This appeared to function correctly for a time.
All of this changed with the introduction of iterative development—more popularly known in our industry as Agile Development. In terms of software development timeframes and delivery, iterative development turned the concept on its head. It challenged teams to adjust to a procedure that favored shorter, more frequent releases rather than longer, fewer ones. This has a significant effect on how testing is carried out.
Traditional QA to QE – What does the transition involve?
Quality engineering (QE), which comprises concurrent development, testing, and bug fixes, can eliminate speed and quality tradeoffs. As non-functional requirement testing occurs so late in the process, it frequently leaves developers with insufficient time to solve performance or security issues. The issue fix/rework cycle can be shortened by a team of developers who are knowledgeable about testing, have the necessary DevOps pipeline, and don’t have to compromise on scope, speed, or quality. However, the accountability and responsibility for quality must be transferred to that delivery team.
Because it’s simpler to train a developer to test for quality than to train manual testers to become developers, agile QE has combined the jobs of development and testing. The intention is to incorporate quality so that the build pipeline runs unit testing, functional testing, and baseline non-functional requirement (NRF) testing against important performance indicators every time you contribute code to obtain quick, precise feedback.
Working with long-standing domain-specialized consulting firms like Maveric Systems helps transit from QA to QE a seamless journey.
3 Ways to Move from QA to QE
- Defining an Automation Strategy: A change in approach is needed to get from inconsistent testing to reliable QE. There are many moving variables for a company to consider as the QE trajectory shifts more and more toward automation. People, Processes, and Tools are the three most crucial components.
- Getting the automation basics correct. Software Quality Assurance and Test Automation procedures will be more incorporated into the QE as the quality war heats up. Making the best testing options is made easier with the help of testing quadrants and pyramids, which also offer the proper Automated QA framework. By classifying all current tests into testing quadrants and executing them following the testing pyramid, QA test automation will work.
- Leveraging Agile Frameworks. Building a solid and unwavering foundation requires the application of Agile concepts and principles to Quality Engineering processes. To make it easier for testing teams to implement engineering best practices, organizations should cooperate with them. When using automation, it’s crucial to keep things straightforward. Simple tests or activities can be identified by paying attention to subtle but essential indications such as test ROI, implementation, manual intervention, and pain points.
How Quality Engineering Works
Quality engineering employs a strict end-to-end quality control strategy to guarantee product and process quality. The method ensures quality from the beginning of the project and provides real-time test feedback at each phase so that problems may be fixed immediately. As the suggestions from each stage are incorporated into the following steps, a quality engineering strategy provides ongoing quality validation throughout a project. This guarantees effective localization of the problems in the individual components, eliminating flaws in the finished product. All the touchpoints that affect the quality of the project as a whole are connected by quality engineering, including ideation, documentation, architecture, implementation, and user experience.
Conclusion
Thanks to Agile and DevOps, the software delivery industry has developed over time and has almost undergone a revolution. The competition has changed from “Ship your Products Faster” to “Raise the Quality Bar” in every release due to widespread access to tools and technologies. Quality is, therefore, the next major thing. This pushed quality teams to use cutting-edge testing techniques, but more is needed now. Because when something can no longer match the necessities of the time, it is no longer considered modern. Since quality makes a difference, QA teams need help to keep up with the development teams’ pace. So how can organizations maintain their testing lead, especially when quality is on the line? A comprehensive Quality Engineering program should replace outdated methods of sparse and inconsistent Automated testing in Agile and DevOps.
About Maveric Systems
Starting in 2000, Maveric Systems is a niche, domain-led Banking Tech specialist partnering with global banks to solve business challenges through emerging technology. 3000+ tech experts use proven frameworks to empower our customers to navigate a rapidly changing environment, enabling sharper definitions of their goals and measures to achieve them.
Across retail, corporate & wealth management, Maveric accelerates digital transformation through native banking domain expertise, a customer-intimacy-led delivery model, and a vibrant leadership supported by a culture of ownership.
With centers of excellence for Data, Digital, Core Banking, and Quality Engineering, Maveric teams work in 15 countries with regional delivery capabilities in Bangalore, Chennai, Dubai, London, Poland, Riyadh, and Singapore.
