Today, the need for test developers, also known as Quality Assurance (QA), represents a phenomenon that has gained great momentum in recent years.
The increasing complexity of computer systems, as well as the increasing number of connected devices and platforms available, have led to a considered increase in the demand for QA developers. In addition, the popularity of mobile applications and the rise of e-commerce have increased the dependence on software systems, and, therefore, to increase the importance of ensuring their reliability.
What is Quality Assurance?
Quality Assurance (QA) is a systematic process that is performed in the development of software to verify the quality of a product or service. It involves the implementation of techniques for identifying errors, problems, and defects in the software.
What is the role of a QA analyst?
The main function of every QA developer is to guarantee and verify the operation of software systems, as well as the compliance with the requirements and standards previously set when a product or service was previously launched on the market.
This includes:
1. Test planning
It represents the initial stage of any QA developer, in which developers must know and understand the requirements of the software and develop a Test Plan.
The Test Plan marks the starting point of test planning. It is a document that mentions in detail and specifically the scope, environment, risks, as well as functional and non-functional requirements of the software tests necessary to carry out the project. It includes defining tools and resources, estimating time and identifying test cases.
It is, therefore, a continuous process that must be kept updated and regulated as the tests are carried out.
2. Execution of tests
In this stage, both manual and automatic tests are executed to stop errors or bugs and possible problems in the software. It reflects the most critical part of the whole process, in which developers must:
- Prepare the test environment, to match what is presented in the Test Plan
- Execution of manual tests
- Running Test Automation
- Validation of results
It is one of the processes that require the most repetition, throughout the testing process, in order to ensure that it is reliable and safe.
If you want to know in-depth, what are the main differences and what is the automatic and manual QA for? Next, have the link to our previous news Do not miss it!
3. Error Reporting
Developers play a critical role in this process, as they are responsible for identifying bugs and providing detailed information about them. It includes the documentation, the description of the bug, and its corresponding location in the software.
Once documented, you must order the errors in order of their importance and prioritize those that have a greater impact on the software and their subsequent communication to the entire team.
Finally, they must make sure they are corrected and verify that they do not cause further problems.
4. Verification and validation
Both processes are based on the systematic and rigorous evaluation of the software to ensure quality compliance.
Verification helps to identify problems early, focusing on evaluating the software against the requirements and documentation contained in the Test Plan. In which techniques such as code review are used.
On the other hand, validation is related to checking that the product or service meets its intended use and the needs of users. Runs acceptance and performance tests.
Both automatic and manual QA are used to evaluate and verify that the project is suitable for subsequent market launches.
5. Monitoring and follow-up
Once the product or service has been released, developers must continue to detect any bugs and ensure long-term quality. They perform updates and documentation of improvements.
Reasons why your demand has grown
The increase in demand for QA has been driven by several factors, such as the increased complexity of software and its importance, the need for a culture of quality, and the improvement in development efficiency.
We currently live in a digitalized and technology-dependent world. Therefore, companies are taking a more proactive role to improve the efficiency and quality of their services, investing in professional QA analysts.
All this translates, in an improvement of the experience of the users, in the reduction of the possible costs in correcting errors and quality problems,
If you want to know what has been its growth in recent years, then have the link with a news that specifies by 6% the demand of QA analysts and their salary increase.
CENTUM Digital Specialized in Quality Assurance
From CENTUM Digital we have been helping companies to verify that their services and products work from the beginning for more than 15 years. Thanks to our customized QA solutions, we have managed to significantly increase user satisfaction, maintain a better user experience, and increasing their Net Promoter Score.
