5 Cornerstones to Ensure Great Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is a term that includes several steps and components. The sooner you start working systematically with quality assurance, the greater efficiency and time savings you will experience.

Here are 5 of the most important steps:

1. Requirement Management

Requirements describe the functions and features that the new system should have. With unclear requirements, it’s practically impossible to know if the system is functioning as intended or meeting your goals. Therefore, make the requirements as clear as possible from the start.

The requirements for the new system should be based on business goals, with that in place you can more easily set impact goals for what the system should achieve. Start with Why, then What, and finally: How? This prevents you from getting stuck in old patterns and elicits real requirements instead of relying on the functions of the previous system. Involve different stakeholders and end-users in the requirement setting – they are the experts and should be part of the process.

2. Testing

An essential part of quality assurance is to test different flows to ensure they function as they should. There are various types of tests, from more technical ones like integration tests to acceptance tests. End-users need to be involved in testing to ensure that the system meets users’ expectations. The goal is to make sure that flows, processes, and functions work according to your requirements. In the testing phase, bugs are often identified and can hopefully be resolved quickly. Try to involve multiple end-users and stakeholders in testing if possible.

3. Bug Tracking

What happens when something is wrong? During testing, bugs are often identified, ranging from cosmetic to functional or even business-critical issues. Establish a structured process for reporting bugs so you know exactly how to act when an error is found. Begin by describing the bug and its potential consequences. Also, classify how severe it is so that you can prioritize the order in which they should be fixed. An efficient bug management process minimizes negative impacts on the business and improves users’ experience with the system.

4. Documentation

Having clear and updated documentation is crucial for securing knowledge transfer among different project members, understanding why decisions were made, and for future troubleshooting. Documentation includes requirements, technical documentation, user manuals, and any changes made during the project.

With documentation in place, it is easy to introduce new team members and you also minimize the risk of misunderstandings. For management, documentation provides insights into previous decisions and changes, valuable for understanding the project’s development history and avoiding the repetition of past mistakes.

5. Process and Methods

Many organizations lack a process for how the organization should conduct IT projects. There might be a description lying around on the intranet, but few have seen it. With a clear process, you avoid missing important tasks or information when someone leaves the team or changes positions.

Aim to create a process that does not depend on just one person, is simple and provides the business with a united approach for how to work with the above steps. In Reqtest, you can build a structure to make it easy for the organization to adhere to the established processes.

In Conclusion

In summary, a well-thought-out quality assurance with the components above reduces the risk of costly and prolonged projects. It also ensures that the systems introduced create greater value for the organization from the start.