Many people have asked what the point of Quality Assurance is during a pandemic. It seems that when things are in such a rush, Quality Assurance gets pushed to one side. There is no doubt that there is some pressure to get some items done in the shortest of time and people feel that Quality Assurance can be eliminated or at least reduced. This view is prevalent whether or not there are pandemics in the background but a pandemic exacerbates the situation. This is based on the view that Quality Assurance is simply Software Testing.
Using the definition of Quality Assurance as Process Improvement changes that view. When we look at accelerated schedules with limited ability to correct items, the need to get it right the first time, and disrupted communications; proper processes suddenly look a lot more attractive. We have already seen several projects get delayed while things get bounced back and forth in asynchronous communications. If we had done it right in the first place, much of the communication would have been eliminated. This includes fundamental processes like issue tracking as well as technical design and project decisions. All can benefit from improved processes.
Some clients are delaying anything new until the end of the pandemic. They will be re-launching their projects when everything is back to ‘normal’.
Meanwhile another group are seizing this opportunity to implement Quality Assurance improvements while the pipeline is little reduced.
We know who we expect to come out the other end with an enhanced business model.
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Image by Vladimir Fedotov on Unsplash.