The focus on the quality assurance process and its importance are more emphatic in the manufacturing industry. However, quality assurance is also very necessary in software, web app, and SaaS development as well. Business quality assurance is not limited to any niche, every business either rendering services or producing products must stick to quality output. What is the importance of quality assurance? We will get to that in a bit.
Software development must proceed with system quality assurance because anything less of quality will not meet the market demand. The competition in the software development industry is fierce, more software is getting out daily. Every software developer that wants to remain relevant must then pay attention to the quality of its software. Now, let’s get into what software quality control is about.
What is software quality control?
Software quality control is the set of actions that are taken to ensure that software products have the quality set in their requirements. Why quality assurance in software development? There are software requirements that highlight the expected functionalities of the software. It is expected of the software development team to deliver the software product according to the set standards.
The final software product must align with these set benchmarks. It is software quality control and assurance that delivers this. The quality control action takes place at the software testing and review stage of the development process only. But quality assurance (wiki) on the other hand focuses on the process and not just the final product.
The quality assurance process ensures that the right processes and frameworks are in place even before the development starts. It starts at the documentation stage where the expected functionalities and requirements are laid in words. Ensuring that the right foundation is laid will help forestall errors during the development stages.
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The importance of Quality Assurance
Business quality assurance in software development is beyond software testing. It is extensive work that covers the entire software development journey to ensure the right quality is delivered. Why Quality Assurance (QA)? We have compiled the top 6 benefits of software quality assurance. But before we talk about them, what does software quality assurance involve?
Summarily, QA processes are carried out by a Quality Assurance Engineer. This process starts at the product requirement and specification stage. Quality assurance ensures that the requirements and technical design documents are in the proper shape. It is also the job of the QA engineer to create and coordinate testing activities and execute automation scripts. More functions extend through the entire development process.
If the QA process involved these extensive activities, what then are the quality assurance benefits? See the top 6 reasons why quality assurance is important for every software business owner:
1. Saves time
It has been repeatedly emphasized that money and time are the sides of the same coin in business. The more time you save in getting business needs met, the more money you will make at the end of the day. Software development can be a lengthy process that requires a big budget. It is thus important that the best methods are put in place to ensure that time is saved.
Quality assurance methods ensure that you don’t get to waste time fixing errors than you get to do the actual development. Creating a software product without appropriate quality checks may be a fast process. But more time will be wasted on fixing errors and correcting misdeeds.
With system quality assurance woven into every length of the development, more time will be saved. There will be minimal time needed to fix bugs and errors if there are any. Routine QA testing will save time and ensure the product hits the market on time.
2. Prevents corporate emergencies
Irrespective of the industry, emergencies are never palatable. This kind of situation causes chaos and disarray leading to a potential cascade of wrong decisions. To avoid this kind of unhealthy rush, quality assurance must be prioritized. Doing the right thing at the right time is important in software development.
Corporate emergencies can easily result when software is not built to the expected standard. There is widespread adoption of software solutions in the corporate world, which makes the demand for quality higher. A whole organization can be handicapped if the software that powers its operations hits an iceberg.
To forestall this kind of corporate blackout or system collapse. Quality must be assured through every step of the software building. Quality assurance keeps the systems working properly and prevents any emergency that can cause loss of productivity and system integrity. Your team will not have to worry over a software product that has been recorded as a finished project.
3. Creates more profit
Quality assurance business is a good business because it increases profit. As an organization that builds software for sale, putting QA in focus will mean more money for you. How is that possible? Firstly, you will get to deliver the top quality that people will be willing to pay more for.
Nobody pays for junky software that doesn’t perform the functions it is tagged to perform. More Profit will be realized when the software delivered is in tandem with what was promised in the specifications. Investors will be happy and willing to part with their cash for such a product.
On the other hand, when quality is not checked, the final software product will be of inferior quality. This may not only mean less profit but can result in loss. Investors that have shown initial commitment may pull out their funds leading to loss. Quality assurance keeps the promised quality delivered making room for more profit and happier Investors and clients.
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4. Saves money
Two essential metrics in business that must be saved are time and money. Effective quality assurance processes will help you save these two. How it helps in saving time has been discussed earlier. It is also in a similar manner that it helps to save money. The app development process involves money, clients or investors may have committed financially to the process.
With QA, you will not be in danger of compensation settlements. A failure in the software’s performance will result in a loss of money for the client or end users. This may result in a need to pay them compensation. That will be a lot of money that could have been invested into another course.
In another vein, QA can help in making the best of the project budget. Guarding against unnecessary costs that can come from fixing faults and errors is also a way of saving money. In business, it is even important to minimize expenses so that the profit margin can increase.
5. Promotes efficiency and productivity
The efficiency and productivity due to quality assurance can be experienced in two different phases. First, the software development process will go efficiently and productively. Secondly, the usage of that software will cause a rise in efficiency and productivity for the end users.
Enacting quality assurance policies from the start of a software development project will make the process fast and optimized. QA testing removes the stress from the team and keeps everyone organized as the work is carried out. The whole team does not have to worry about fixing errors with the right QA parameters in place.
More time will be saved as the team will be focused on the exact task needed per time. Tension and pressure can arise when the team keeps running into errors. This will decline the speed and productivity of the development. QA ensures that these situations are avoided or rather kept minimal leading to increased productivity.
6. Boosts client’s confidence
Customer satisfaction is a recipe for more business and corporate reputation. Confidence of clients in your quality of work will turn them into brand loyalists and evangelists. How can you boost your clients’ confidence? You keep delivering on your promises. Their software products keep working fine and efficiently.
All of these can be achieved when you go hard on QA. It has already been stated that quality assurance will deliver a software product that aligns with the client’s expectations. This will also be done in the best possible time and under a considerable budget. You save your clients money and time while you save yours as well.
This quality of delivery will boost your client’s confidence in your brand. Just like every happy customer, the client will go about informing anyone who cares to listen about the good work you do. The happier your customer, the more their confidence in you and ultimately the more return jobs you get from them and their networks.
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Conclusion
Business should be a win-win situation where the clients go home happy, and the service provider is also happy. Quality assurance is a part of the software development life cycle that makes a win-win situation possible. Quality software starts with design documents, product requirements, and specifications. The right things must be communicated and documented for the development team to work on.
Quality assurance must be there from this initial stage till the end of the process. Delivering quality is not just about software testing, it is an all-around move to ensure every step is done right and every code is written cleanly and correctly. With this in place, there are worthy benefits to reap.
Conclusively, quality assurance benefits you and also your customers. It is a guarantee of saved money, time, and effort. It may look tasking at the onset, but QA has more significant benefits in the long term. You will have happier customers, more profit, increased reputation, increased team morale, and also more clients.
Web Developer & SEO Specialist with 15+ years of experience in Open Source Web Development specialized in Joomla & WordPress development. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions".