Why QA is increasingly relevant
January 17, 2022
The QA/QC role is no longer questioned by the organizations delivering state-of-the-art software solutions. Even so, it does not mean that it is all rosy and frictionless. An open question remains – who should do the testing?
Why hire QAs if developers can test as well?
Now that SW testing is deservedly treated as a compulsory part of software development process, the software development world has divided into two camps. Some believe that SW testing could be performed by the developers themselves (and – allegedly – cut costs), some rely on users, while others support the idea that a good QA team is a wise asset.
So, who should be responsible for the quality of a product? Global Mediator follows the principle stating that the code must not be tested by those who wrote it. Therefore, we clearly distinguish the roles of the software and QA engineers. The policy applies best to the subtle NAV/BC testing, which takes more than being a good QA pro – and here is why.
“When it comes to testing, peer code review is a viable option, ok! It’s not some kind of a magic bullet. Allowing developers to test their own code is similar to letting a parent grade their own child at school – parents might have a bias that makes them turn a blind eye to certain shortcomings.”
– Nicolai Krarup COO at Global Mediator
Testing and beyond: why you might need Global Mediator’s QA pros
No doubt, the developers’ second nature is striving to deliver robust solutions and speed up the time to market. But the QA engineer’s duty is to explore the product from the user’s perspective and prevent the product failures before it goes live. The issue is critical, since NAV/Business Central automated tests and manual testing NAV/BC processes deal with sensitive business and financial information. Such peculiarities challenge a QA team as they have to combine technical skills, business and financial consulting experience to provide bug-free solutions.
Literally, the QA team bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and the real-world implementation i.e., it leverages insights about NAV/BC testing while understanding both the technical aspects and the processes followed in a real working environment. Well-structured and accurately described tests, critical thinking, meticulous planning, and sharp focus on the areas of concern have to come together for Global Mediator’s QA specialist to ensure the highest quality of solutions.
Global Mediator sees its QA/QC mission in providing customers with bias-free and highly accurate quality assurance services. Our test engineers dive deep to investigate and analyze the solutions and provide holistic test approaches that ensure the validity and reliability of our test deliverables.
Global Mediator’s test engineers ensure the validity and reliability of the test deliverables
Getting into it: the benefits of the QA professionals on board
Sounds like a cliché, but prevention is better – and a lot cheaper – than cure. Incorrect or late application of QA skills can result in additional cost in solving bugs in production. Bringing QA early into the process and getting a software product tested by a dedicated team of QA pros well-versed in BC/NAV testing features is often a beneficial decision as this ensures that
- Testing is performed by a team of experts, vastly experienced in all kinds of testing (functional, non-functional, system, performance, security, integration, user experience, deployment, production verification testing).
- All test processes comply with the ISO 29119 and respective NDAs. The delivered software solution is of high quality – from both technical realization and user experience aspects.
- Testing activities are well planned and reported in a timely fashion.
- Test deliverables (including test strategy, test cases, defects, test status report, test completion report, production verification plan) are informative, well-structured, and properly tracked.
Obviously, a timely engagement of a QA team will most certainly reduce unnecessary investments and secure the customers’ reputation. Introduced with bugs, the product will most likely disappoint the users and first impressions can be very hard to fix.
Tasting a dish before serving it
It seems like the easiest way to highlight the importance of software testing (for those who still hesitate) is drawing a parallel. With cooking, for instance. We all love tasty food and we don’t expect it to appear out of nothing. We carefully select the ingredients, sharpen our tools, follow a predefined process with checks along the way – in short, if we want to serve a wonderful dish to our guests, we perform some form of QA all the way. Before serving it, you actually taste the dish, making sure you prepared everything from the best possible ingredients.
With a QA team, you let the dedicated professionals refine a piece of software using the best tools and processes to exactly match the customers’ needs. As the quality ambassadors, the QA engineers can help minimize risks, add value to the product – and ensure against additional costs spent on fixing bugs. When stakes are high, isn’t it more prudent – and cost-efficient – to consider checking a dish as part of a process or just before serving it?
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