One of the items which comes up in most Quality Assurance discussions is the determination of when to involve Quality Assurance in the project. Those with the traditional view of Quality Assurance as simply Software Testing (Quality Control) delay the arrival of the Qaulity Assurance Professional until the last possible moment and are then disappointed when the testing is not done correctly or with due regard for risk. People (including some Quality Assurance personnel) believe there is nothing to be done until the software is ready and ‘complete’.
These people are missing the value that can be contributed by Quality Assurance early in the project including the following:
- Assessment of Risk from a Quality Assurance point of view.
- Review of Requirements and Design from a Quality Assurance point of view.
- Proper design of the test environment and the processes surrounding it.
- Proper and complete design of the testcases that address the most important risks while minimising the efforts.
- The chance to have feedback from other project members over the course of the test design and preparation.
Of the above items the last is probably the most important. Feedback can help find and correct deficiencies earlier rather than later.
Our next two blogs will provide concrete examples of how and where Quality Assurance can provide valuable input.
Take a look at some of the seminars that we offer that address this situation and see if they apply to your situation. Design review is very cost-effective.
Contact us for further information.