Software testing is a complex and multi-level process that often requires time and effort. In most cases, testing is not done by one person. To comprehensively analyze the product for the presence of bugs and ensure it meets its requirements and works correctly, you need to involve a group of testing engineers.
The QA team can be larger or smaller depending on the company’s staffing needs or the specifics of the project. However, whatever it is, each tester must know their role and responsibilities in the team. Moreover, any manager who wants to independently understand the effectiveness of such a team must understand this difference.
Therefore, in addition to a professional team of QA engineers, a competent organization of their work is also required, as well as clear metrics that will show real changes.
In this article, we’re going to figure out what the duties of testers are and how to organize the testing process effectively and profitably.
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Key Responsibilities of the QA Testing Team
Previously, software testing was performed after the final development of the product. Today, this trend is no longer relevant and even destructive. QA testers begin their work much earlier, at the planning stage. This allows for a faster verification and release process, as well as a deeper and more thorough study of the product. With a testing consultant https://testfort.com/software-qa-consulting at your disposal, your project can assemble a truly amazing team that will support your digital product on an ongoing basis. The main responsibilities of the QA team include:
- Analysis of project requirements. To test the final version of the software correctly, testers must understand what their final goal is and what the customer’s expectations are.
- Participation in the planning and design stage. Already at the planning stage, testers can determine which tests are suitable and which types of testing they will use and think about how to guarantee the best results of their work.
- Code check. QA engineers can check not only the product itself but also its code. It will help identify possible weak points at an early stage.
- Reproduction of test cases. Testers develop test cases and test software to check how convenient, functional, productive, secure, etc. it is.
- Product quality control during its life cycle. Any software needs to be updated. The task of testers is to guarantee its quality after each update.
A modern approach to the organization of testing allows testers to gain early access to the project and detect any possible errors at the beginning.
Basic Roles and Positions in the QA Team
The number of testers and their job titles may vary slightly from company to company. Here is an approximate list of positions that the average QA team includes.
QA Lead
The main task of the QA lead is to coordinate the work of the team. The QA test lead responsible for the organization of work processes should have significant leadership qualities and be able to determine the right strategies and key performance indicators.
QA Analyst
In most cases, a QA Analyst specializes in manual software testing. Job duties include participating in planning software development and maintaining test documentation. A QA Analyst must have attention to detail and have good manual testing skills.
QA Manager
The QA manager in the testing team manages the available resources and controls the process deadlines. Each manager must have experience in project management and carefully follow quality standards.
QA Architect
QA Architects are responsible for identifying the required testing tools, providing technical mentoring, and having a good understanding of software testing tools.
QA Engineer
QA engineers conduct both manual and automated testing. They know different methods, principles, and types of testing. In addition to conducting actual test cases, they can implement automated testing to improve the quality of product testing in the future.
Small test teams may have fewer positions than large ones. Instead, large companies with a large number of testers on staff can additionally hire other specialists.
Some Tips for Organizing QA Team Effectively
There is no consensus on what the ideal QA team should be. It depends on many circumstances, including the type of software developed, the way work processes are organized, etc.
For testing to be effective and work processes to be coordinated, you should:
- Determine priority key performance indicators. It will help determine the main direction of testing and the method of its organization.
- Set clear goals and objectives. It is not enough to test the product to detect possible bugs. The QA team must have test objectives that will determine whether the software meets the requirements.
- Implement flexible methodologies. It is important that testers and developers can collaborate to achieve a better result. The Scrum methodology can help.
