Quality is one of the most significant acceptance criteria for any software. A software which has been developed with great hard work might be rendered useless, if it fails to satisfy the requirement of the users. This is the reason why software development companies invest so much time and resources in testing every increment of any software before releasing it.
Nowadays, there are many third-party software testing agencies which promise to provide quality assurance. These agencies deploy dedicated teams of talented testers to software testing contracts so that each and every bug can be identified. However, there are quite a few software development agencies which still rely on their in-house testing talent. They refuse to take professional help citing the issue of increased cost in hiring external services.
Such software development agencies often fail to live up to the expectations of the users while the ones which invest in professional testing get the opportunity to capture their market. Now, if you ask what sets apart the professional testing agencies from the general testing teams, you should get acquainted with the following three concepts:
- Knowledge management
Professional testing agencies know how to manage their knowledge. Knowledge management refers to the accumulation of acquired knowledge in a classified manner and developing a way to retrieve and implement that knowledge whenever required. The agencies which practice knowledge management believe that every software testing gives the testers ample knowledge which must be documented immediately. So, these testing agencies practise the reporting of even the minute details of testing. The documentation which is prepared during a testing activity is referred to, time and again. - Auditing
Auditing is another activity that must be considered as one of the most important parts of the quality assurance process. The processes and methods used for testing must be audited at regular intervals so that malpractices and corruptions can be identified and nipped in the bud. The auditing can be held by a team formed by a few managers belonging to the testing agency itself. However, it is recommended to go for third-party auditing to ensure integrity in the auditing process. - Focus on process quality
Another thing which makes professional testing excel over generic testing is the focus on process quality. In most cases, testers lay emphasis on ensuring the quality of the product and all the bug finding activities revolve around the product. However, many a times, the testing activity might be rendered flawed if the quality of the testing process is not kept under check. All testers must understand that the product quality and process quality together form successful quality engineering.
