THE PILLARS OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
Paul Mansell
Building upon our foundational understanding, this second instalment shines a spotlight on Quality Assurance and its indispensable role in solutions development. Quality Assurance serves as the backbone of a structured development process, guiding teams through a methodology that prioritises quality at every turn. Unlike Testing, which reacts to outcomes, QA is about setting the stage for success from the outset. It’s a mindset, a culture, and a set of practices designed to ensure that quality is not an afterthought but a central consideration throughout the development journey.
The Significance of QA in Solutions Delivery
Quality Assurance is significant in the broader context of solutions delivery for several reasons:
1. Preventive Focus
QA’s proactive approach helps identify potential issues before they become problematic, saving time, resources, and effort by avoiding the cost of fixing defects after they’ve been embedded in the software or configuration.
2. Comprehensive Coverage
QA covers all aspects of the development process, including requirements analysis, design, coding, and maintenance. This holistic view ensures that quality is maintained not just in the product but in the processes that create it.
3. Stakeholder Confidence
By ensuring that quality practices are integrated from the start, QA builds confidence among stakeholders, including clients, users, and development teams, that the final product will meet or exceed expectations.
4. Adaptability and Improvement
QA methodologies include continuous evaluation and improvement of processes, making it easier for organisations to adapt to new challenges, technologies, and market demands while continuously enhancing quality.
In this instalment, we delve into the pillars that constitute Quality Assurance in solutions development, exploring its methodologies, tools, and strategies. We’ll examine how QA not only prevents defects but fosters an environment where excellence can flourish. Join us as we unpack the layers of Quality Assurance, demonstrating its critical role in delivering software products and services that stand out for their quality, reliability, and user satisfaction.
Core Components of QA in Solutions Delivery
QA in IT solutions delivery encompasses several foundational domains that combine to make up a framework of practices. In its simplest form, the domains and their components can be broken down as described as follows in the ensuing subsections.
Documented Policies & Standards: The Blueprint of Quality Excellence
Documented policies and standards underpin a quality culture within the target organisation. They communicate the key principles, concepts, methodologies, expectations and compliance requirements governing the entire solution delivery process.
Well-maintained policy and standards documentation ensures accessibility, consistency and enforceability across the organisation. For QA practitioners, this documentation provides the following:
- A clear framework of quality objectives aligned with organisational goals.
- A reference point for quality benchmarks and compliance with industry standards.
- A uniform set of guidelines on quality practices across all projects and teams.
The act of documenting these policies and standards enhances transparency, accountability, and consistency, facilitating a shared understanding of quality expectations among all stakeholders.
It is also worth remembering that without policies and standards in place, QA practices are effectively undefined and will vary significantly between projects or teams. This lack of definition will naturally lead to inconsistencies in approach and the levels of diligence applied. Vague roles and responsibilities will likely create the conditions for mismanaged resources, manifesting in the duplication of effort or omissions in task completion. Moreover, the resulting lack of measurement due to unknown targets, metrics and means of measurement will render QA efforts aimless.
By establishing robust quality policies and industry-aligned standards, organisations set the stage for consistent quality management across all phases of solutions delivery.
Documented Processes & Controls: Orchestrating Quality with Precision
Documented processes, procedures and controls detail the operational aspects of implementing and maintaining the QA policies and standards. This documentation lays out the specific actions, steps and checks required to achieve the quality objectives set forth in the policies and standards. It addresses the practical implementation of quality assurance, covering aspects such as:
- Step-by-step procedures for carrying out QA activities, ensuring consistency and repeatability.
- Controls that manage and mitigate risks, ensuring that quality targets are met.
- Documentation of processes and procedures that serve as a knowledge base for current and future QA practitioners.
Documenting these elements ensures that QA practices are carried out effectively and efficiently. It aids in process optimisation, facilitates training and onboarding, ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, and supports continuous improvement efforts.
Like with the QA policies and standards, failure to maintain documented processes, procedures and controls will bring about knowledge silos and elicit issues with consistency in approach, resource management and measurability. In regulated industries (and many are, on one level or another), a lack of operational documentation can cause difficulties during audits and reviews, increasing the risk of non-compliance penalties.
These core components emphasise the importance of having a systematic approach — from how quality assessments are conducted to how results are controlled and communicated. Documentation plays a critical role here, serving as a repository of knowledge and a reference point for ensuring consistency and compliance with established QA practices.
Methodologies and Best Practices: Navigating QA Pathways
ENQUIRE ABOUT OUR MENTORING PROGRAMMES
TAKE THE TAL ONLINE TEST MATURITY SURVEY
Methodologies
Methodologies provide a structured framework for planning, executing, and monitoring QA activities. They are essential for coordinating efforts, managing risks, and achieving consistent results. Common QA methodologies include:
- Agile QA that integrates QA into Agile development processes, emphasising early and continuous Testing, collaboration between developers and QA teams, and flexibility in responding to changes. Agile QA practices ensure quality is considered throughout the development cycle rather than at the end.
- Lean QA focuses on creating value for the end-user while minimising waste. Lean QA practices involve identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities, optimising QA processes, and streamlining workflows to improve efficiency and reduce lead times.
- Six Sigma for QA applies the Six Sigma principles of Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) to QA processes. The goal is to reduce defects and variability in processes, aiming for near perfection in IT quality.
Waterfall QA involves a sequential approach where QA activities are performed at the end of the development cycle, after the requirements, design, and implementation phases. While less flexible than Agile, it provides a clear, structured framework for QA in projects with well-defined requirements.
Best Practices
Best practices are specific actions or techniques proven to yield good results in assuring quality. They are derived from industry experiences and contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of QA processes. Some essential best practices include the following:
Requirements Management
- Clear Requirements Definition, ensuring that all requirements are clearly defined, documented, and agreed upon by stakeholders at the outset. This exercise includes functional, non-functional, and regulatory requirements.
- Requirements Traceability, implementing a system for tracing requirements throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring that all development activities are aligned with the intended outcomes and any changes to requirements are accurately reflected and communicated.
Design Review and Analysis
- Design Review Sessions, conducting formal reviews of the solutions design with stakeholders and technical teams to identify potential issues early in the development process.
- Static Analysis, using tools to analyse code or designs without executing them, identifying potential quality issues such as security vulnerabilities, coding standards violations, or design flaws.
Process Improvement
- Continuous Process Improvement, implementing methodologies like Kaizen or PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to continuously identify, implement, and measure process improvements.
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA), investigating defects or failures to identify their underlying causes and implementing corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Quality Culture and Training
- Fostering a Quality Culture, creating a working environment that values quality and encourages all team members to take responsibility for it. Conveying an organisation’s principles of quality involves leadership commitment, clear communication of quality objectives, and recognition of quality achievements.
- Training and Skill Development, providing ongoing training and development opportunities for team members to enhance their QA skills and awareness of best practices.
Configuration and Change Management
- Configuration Management: Establishing and maintaining consistency of a product’s performance and functional and physical attributes with its requirements, design, and operational information throughout its life.
- Change Management: Implementing structured processes to manage changes in the solutions, ensuring that all changes are made in a controlled and coordinated manner to maintain system integrity and traceability.
Performance Monitoring and Feedback Loops
- Performance Monitoring, continuously checking IT performance against defined metrics to ensure they meet performance criteria.
- Feedback Loops, establishing mechanisms for collecting feedback from users and stakeholders, analysing this feedback to identify areas for improvement, and integrating changes into the development process.
By integrating these assurance activities into the QA process, organisations can adopt a holistic approach to quality that extends beyond Testing. This approach not only ensures the delivery of high-quality software products and services but also contributes to the optimisation of the development process, enhances customer satisfaction, and supports the organisation’s overall objectives and competitiveness.
Quality Metrics & Measurement: The Compass of Quality Assurance
Quality Metrics & Measurement serve as the objective eyes through which the health and progress of IT projects are viewed. By converting qualitative aspects of solution quality into quantifiable data, these metrics provide a reliable basis for evaluating performance against established standards. They enable QA practitioners to move beyond subjective assessments, grounding their decisions and actions in solid evidence.In the realm of Quality Assurance (QA), “Quality Metrics & Measurement” stand as critical navigational tools. They not only illuminate the path to achieving high quality but also ensure that every step taken towards this goal is guided by clarity and precision.
The Significance of Metrics in QA
Quality Metrics & Measurement serve as the objective eyes through which the health and progress of IT projects are viewed. By converting qualitative aspects of solution quality into quantifiable data, these metrics provide a reliable basis for evaluating performance against established standards. They enable QA practitioners to move beyond subjective assessments, grounding their decisions and actions in solid evidence.
Quality Metrics for QA
While numerous metrics can be employed, focusing on a core set ensures that efforts are both manageable and impactful. This Blog will be tackling the subject of metrics in future updates, but for now and for the purposes of this post, it is important to be aware of the types of quality measurement a QA Practitioner might look at covering as part of a wider Quality Management System (QMS):
Defect Metrics
- Defect Density: The number of confirmed defects divided by the size of the software (e.g., lines of code, function points).
- Defect Severity: Classification of defects based on their impact on the system’s operation.
- Defect Category: Breakdown of defects by type (e.g., functional, user interface, performance, security).
- Defect Aging: Time elapsed from when a defect was identified to when it is resolved.
Process Metrics
- Process Compliance Rate: The percentage of processes followed per the QMS documentation.
- Process Efficiency: Measures the time, effort, and resources required for a process compared to the value it adds.
- Cycle Time: Time taken to complete a particular QA activity or a set of activities, such as testing cycles.
Product Quality Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT): A measure of how products or services meet or surpass customer expectations.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): An index ranging from -100 to 100 that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a company’s products or services to others.
- Return on Quality (ROQ): Evaluates the financial return on investments made in quality-related activities.
Performance Metrics
- First Pass Yield (FPY): The percentage of products or services produced correctly and to specification the first time without needing rework or correction.
- Escaped Defects: The number of defects that were not found during QA but were reported by users after the release.
Productivity Metrics
- Test Case Productivity: The number of test cases designed, executed, and maintained per unit of time or effort.
- QA Staff Productivity: The amount of work (in terms of features, user stories, or requirements) covered by QA staff in a given time frame.
Quality Costs
- Cost of Quality (CoQ): The total cost of all efforts related to the achievement of product or service quality, including the following:
-
- Prevention Costs
- Appraisal Costs
- Internal Failure Costs
- External Failure Costs
- In addition to the long-standing ‘Cost of Quality’ breakdown, practitioners can also look at implementing Quality Adjusted Productivity (QAP)
The Perils of Overlooking Metrics
Failing to prioritise “Quality Metrics & Measurement” can steer a project into troubled waters. The absence of objective measures introduces ambiguity, hinders the ability to track progress, and obscures quality issues until they escalate into significant problems. Projects risk misallocating resources, missing critical defects, and ultimately, delivering solutions that fall short of user expectations and quality standards. Moreover, demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements without documented metrics becomes a daunting challenge.
Navigating Towards Quality Assurance
In the voyage of solutions development, “Quality Metrics & Measurement” are indispensable for maintaining the course towards excellence. They empower QA practitioners with the data needed to steer decision-making, prioritise efforts, and substantiate improvements. As we continue to explore the pillars of Quality Assurance, it becomes evident that embedding rigorous metrics and measurement practices is not just beneficial—it’s essential for achieving and sustaining high-quality outcomes.
Supporting Tools and Technology
In the evolving landscape of OT and IT transformation in a digital age, Quality Assurance (QA) transcends traditional boundaries to ensure excellence in every facet of the product lifecycle. At the heart of modern QA lies a commitment to a data-driven approach, which not only supports the process itself but also underpins decision-making informed by robust, actionable insights. This paradigm shift towards leveraging data elevates the role of QA, making it a cornerstone of strategic decision-making in IT solutions delivery.
Beyond the familiar confines of Testing, a comprehensive QA strategy harnesses a broad array of tools and technologies. These tools do more than just facilitate tasks; they are conduits for the flow of critical process steps and data across the delivery pipeline. From requirements management to process optimisation and from collaborative efforts to deployment agility, the right set of tools not only streamlines QA activities but also turns data into a powerful ally. The following examples provide a hint at the array of considerations to be made:
Requirements Management Tools
Jira: While known for bug tracking, Jira is also used widely in requirements and user stories management, ensuring that all development activities are aligned with defined goals.
Confluence: Another Atlassian product that is a collab tool for documenting project requirements, specifications, and decisions, aiding with clear comms among team members.
Process Improvement and Compliance Tools
SonarQube: Beyond static code analysis for quality, SonarQube helps enforce coding standards and tracks technical debt, contributing to long-term process improvement.
QMS Software: Tools like Qualio or MasterControl are explicitly designed for managing a Quality Management System, ensuring compliance with standards such as ISO 9001, facilitating document control, and process management.
Collaboration and Communication Tools
Slack: Facilitates real-time comms among team members, integrates with other tools to provide updates on QA activities, and enhances collaboration.
Microsoft Teams: Similar to Slack, Teams is a platform for communication and collaboration, allowing for seamless integration with other Microsoft products used in QA and project management.
Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Tools
Jenkins: An open-source automation server that enables continuous integration and continuous delivery, playing a crucial role in ensuring quality at every stage of development by automating builds, tests, and deployments.
GitLab CI/CD: Provides a comprehensive solution for automating the flow from code through Testing to deployment, facilitating a DevOps approach to quality.
Version Control Systems
Git: Essential for maintaining code quality, Git allows teams to manage changes to code, collaborate on development, and ensure that only quality code is deployed.
Subversion (SVN): Another version control system that helps teams manage changes and maintain the integrity of their codebase over time.
Code Review Tools
GitHub: Offers code review features that enable peers to review code changes, discuss improvements, and ensure that only high-quality code is merged.
Gerrit: A web-based code review tool that integrates with Git, allowing inline comments to be made and ensuring that team members examine every change before integration.
Performance Monitoring and Log Management Tools
New Relic: Provides real-time performance monitoring of applications, offering insights into how software performs in production, which is crucial for maintaining quality post-deployment.
Splunk: Helps analyse and visualise machine data, including logs, which is vital for troubleshooting and ensuring the quality of services in operation.
Conclusion: Elevating Excellence Through Quality Assurance
Having journeyed through the expansive landscape of Quality Assurance (QA) in this second instalment of our series, it has become evident that QA is far more than a checkpoint or a final review before a production release. It is a multidimensional practice that infuses every phase of the solutions development lifecycle with a commitment to excellence. From the foundational Documented Policies & Standards to the Methodologies and Best Practices and the pivotal role of Supporting Tools and Technologies, each pillar of QA we’ve explored serves as a testament to the complexity and necessity of quality assurance in delivering and maintaining high-end solutions.
QA’s preventive focus, comprehensive coverage, and adaptability ensure that business technology products and services meet the highest standards of quality and foster an environment where continuous improvement is the norm. By embedding quality into every process, QA elevates stakeholder confidence, ensuring that the final product meets and exceeds expectations. The significance of QA in solutions delivery cannot be overstated—it is the backbone of a structured development process, guiding teams with a methodology that prioritises quality at every turn.
However, as we’ve seen, the journey toward quality excellence is not without its challenges. The absence of robust QA policies, documented processes, and the right tools can lead to inconsistencies, inefficiencies, and, ultimately, solutions that fall short of their potential. Adopting a data-driven QA approach, supported by diverse tools and technologies, is essential in navigating these challenges. It enables organisations to harness actionable insights, streamline QA activities, and turn data into a powerful ally in the pursuit of quality.
As we look ahead to the next instalment in our series, we’ll delve deeper into the human element of QA—exploring how culture, collaboration, and leadership influence the quality assurance process. The intersection of people, processes, and technology in QA offers fascinating insights into how teams can achieve and sustain optimal results from IT project and service deliveries.
Join us as we continue to explore the multifaceted world of Quality Assurance, where the blend of best practices, innovative tools, and a quality-centric culture holds the key to consistent delivery of standout excellence.
TAKE THE TAL ONLINE TEST MATURITY SURVEY
ENQUIRE ABOUT OUR MENTORING PROGRAMMES
Sign Up for Regular Comms and Updates
Get the latest breaking developments delivered straight to your inbox.
Share this Article
Posted by Paul Mansell
We're Here To Help!
Office
85 Great Portland Street, First Floor, London, England, W1W 7LT
Hours
M-F: 09:00 – 17:00
S-S: Closed
0 Comments