John Bailey’s Post

Is Skipping Software QA Really Saving Time or Budget? When assembling an Agile Team pods for our customers, we often hear: “We’ll handle testing in-house.” But is this really saving time, budget or is it just delaying issues until later in the dev process? Upon discussing it with our Head of Product Delivery, Umesh Chandra and our product leaders, here’s what we’ve observed: 🧪 Functional vs. Acceptance Testing These are not interchangeable. Integrated testing may cover functionality, but acceptance testing ensures the product meets user needs. One doesn’t replace the other. 👬Including QA in Agile Teams When QA is part of the sprint, they don’t just catch bugs, they document use cases and test cases that improve the product and ensure smoother customer journey. This parallel documentation can save significant time in the future. 🚀Integrated QA = Long-term Efficiency Skipping a dedicated QA team may save a few dollars now, but delays, rework, and missed issues pile up over time. Investing in integrated QA can accelerate development while maintaining product quality. Integrating QA early isn’t just a cost, it’s an investment that will be a time saver and a quality booster for the long haul. Are you getting the most from your QA process? —- 👋🏽 I help founders, funded startups, and enterprises with Innovation, AI, Agile Product Team Pods and Product-Market Fit (PMF). If this is you, pls follow me. ISHIR’s Team Acceleration is a powerful approach to build passionate culturally-fit product team pods with subject matter expertise. This helps our bold startup founders to attain speed to market and build a killer digital product. #QA #AgileDevelopment #SoftwareTesting #IndependentQA #ProductQuality

One of the common concerns we hear from clients is the decision to handle testing in-house. But does this approach really save time and budget, or does it create bigger challenges down the road? In this post, our CEO, Rishi Khanna dives into the difference between functional and acceptance testing, and why integrating QA into your Agile team can make all the difference for long-term product success. At BorderlessMind, we understand that assembling an Agile team is more than just development—it's about ensuring quality at every step. If you need assistance with building an independent QA team, let us know. #qualityassurance #softwarequality

The Art of Balancing Manual and Automation Testing in Agile QA for SaaS Startups 🧪🤖 Ever felt like you're juggling chainsaws while walking a tightrope? That's what balancing manual and automation testing can feel like in a fast-paced SaaS startup! But here's the kicker: mastering this balance is your secret weapon to delivering rock-solid software at lightning speed. Ready to become the QA superhero your startup needs? Let's dive in! 🏊♂️ Here are 3 game-changing strategies to nail the manual-automation balance: 1️⃣ Strategic Test Case Selection: - Automate repetitive, high-volume tests - Keep complex, intuitive scenarios for manual testing - Regularly review and update your test suite 2️⃣ Continuous Feedback Loop: - Use automation results to guide manual testing efforts - Let manual insights inform new automation scripts - Foster open communication between testers and developers 3️⃣ Hybrid Testing Approach: - Implement exploratory testing alongside automated checks - Use manual testing for UX and visual elements - Leverage automation for regression and performance testing Remember, it's not about choosing one over the other. It's about creating a symphony where manual and automated testing dance in perfect harmony! 🎵 Every sprint is an opportunity to fine-tune this balance. Keep experimenting, learning, and evolving your approach. What's your biggest challenge in balancing manual and automation testing? Share below, and let's problem-solve together! 💡 #qaengineering #agiletesting #saastesting

#Shift_Left AND #Shift_Right Testing: A 360° Approach to QA Why choose between preventing defects early and improving the product after release? Embrace both strategies! #Shift_Left Testing focuses on early testing during the development phase. This approach can catch potential issues before they become major problems. For instance, in Agile development, testing happens during sprints, ensuring bugs are fixed before the product moves forward. #Shift_Right Testing, by contrast, deals with monitoring the software post-deployment. Think of companies like Netflix, which continuously tests performance and user experience even after their product is live. This allows teams to gather real-time data, track user behavior, and make on-the-fly adjustments. The Perfect Balance: #Shift_Left: Detect early and avoid costly late-stage fixes. #Shift_Right: Improve with real-world user insights and faster post-launch fixes. This two-pronged approach ensures software quality from both ends, creating a stronger, more user-centric product. #ShiftLeft #ShiftRight #QA #SoftwareTesting #Agile #DevOps #ContinuousTesting #SoftwareQuality #ProductDevelopment #TechInnovation

Choosing the Right Development Approach: The QA Lens 🎯 In every project, selecting the right development approach is like crafting a perfect recipe. It depends on three key ingredients: the product, the people, and the organization. Here’s how QA adds its unique flavor to this process: 1. The Product: Turning Ideas into Reality Innovation in Action: Think of an AI-driven chatbot—QA thrives here by embracing exploratory testing and adaptive test strategies to navigate the unknown. Evolving Requirements? No Problem! Agile QA processes, like continuous feedback and iterative testing, ensure we’re always in sync with changing needs, especially in MVPs or experimental tech. Flexibility & Scalability: Building a modular e-commerce platform? Automation and scalable frameworks are our secret weapons to test changes efficiently, ensuring seamless growth. 2. The People: Power Behind the Process Stakeholder Synergy: Imagine collaborating with a healthcare provider—QA bridges the gap by defining clear acceptance criteria, ensuring compliance and user satisfaction. Resourceful Testing: On a tight budget and timeline? QA focuses on high-risk areas (like payment systems for retail) and uses cost-effective tools to deliver maximum impact with minimal resources. 3. The Organization: Strength in Structure Culture Counts: Agile teams need QA to integrate into fast-paced CI/CD pipelines, while more traditional setups rely on detailed reports and structured workflows. The Power of Location: Distributed teams testing a global fintech platform leverage collaboration tools like JIRA and Zoom, while co-located teams run dynamic war rooms to tackle challenges head-on. Team Strength: With an automation-savvy team, QA dives deep into DevOps, embedding quality into every step of the pipeline. If manual expertise rules, we focus on exploratory and user-centric testing for an intuitive experience. At its core, QA is the glue that holds development together, ensuring innovation meets quality, people work in harmony, and organizations deliver exceptional results. 💡 How do you tailor your QA strategies to fit these dimensions? Let’s share insights and learn from each other! 🌟 #QualityAssurance #QAInsights #ProjectManagement #PMPJourney #AgileQA #QAInnovation #TestAutomation #QALeadership #ProjectSuccess #ContinuousImprovement #DevelopmentApproach #QualityFirst #RiskBasedTesting #StakeholderEngagement #Collaboration #QATeamwork

🚀 Elevating Quality Assurance in the Modern Era: 10 Principles to Drive Success 🚀 In today's fast-paced tech landscape, ensuring product quality demands more than traditional QA practices. Embracing modern principles can empower teams to deliver exceptional products efficiently. Here are ten guiding principles that every QA engineer should consider: Shift-Left Testing: Start testing early in the development cycle to catch defects when they're cheapest and easiest to fix. Continuous Feedback Loop: Cultivate a culture where feedback flows seamlessly between QA, development, and operations for continuous improvement. Automation First Approach: Leverage automation for repetitive tasks, allowing testers to focus on innovation. Risk-Based Testing: Prioritize testing efforts on high-risk areas to ensure critical functionalities are robust and reliable. Exploratory Testing: Encourage QA engineers to think outside the box and explore software creatively, uncovering elusive bugs traditional methods might miss. Performance Engineering Mindset: Integrate performance considerations from day one, ensuring applications scale efficiently as they grow. Data-Driven Testing: Use data analytics to guide test coverage decisions, predict defect trends, and enhance overall strategy effectiveness. Collaboration & Communication: Break down silos with open communication across cross-functional teams for aligned goals and superior product quality. User-Centric Quality Focus: Put yourself in the user's shoes—prioritize their experience by understanding their journey and addressing key pain points. Agile & DevOps Alignment: Seamlessly integrate QA within Agile practices and DevOps pipelines for rapid delivery without compromising quality standards. These principles not only drive higher quality products but also foster an environment of innovation and continuous learning within teams. What other modern QA practices have you found impactful? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #QualityAssurance #SoftwareTesting #QA #Agile #DevOps #Automation #UserExperience #ContinuousImprovement

At Crombie, #empathy-driven innovation is the heart of everything we do. Our latest blog takes a deep dive into how we’ve mastered the synergy between Agile methodologies and QA to deliver high-quality, user-focused software. 🔍 Why QA Testing Matters: Without proper QA testing, software projects can experience a 45% increase in post-launch bugs and a 30% longer time-to-market. In contrast, projects with dedicated QA testing not only deliver on time but also see a 35% reduction in customer-reported issues and 40% higher user satisfaction. QA isn’t just a box to check—it’s a key driver of long-term success. Here are 5 key takeaways: 1️⃣ Collaboration at its Core: Agile thrives on teamwork. Our cross-functional teams at Crombie work side-by-side, ensuring every project is aligned with our shared quality goals. 2️⃣ Always Improving: Agile means continuous improvement. Through regular feedback loops, we’re constantly fine-tuning our processes to deliver better software every time. 3️⃣ Real-Time Code Quality: We integrate tools like SonarQube for real-time code analysis, catching vulnerabilities early and maintaining top-notch code integrity. 4️⃣ Agile Flexibility: Change is the only constant, and Agile helps us adapt quickly to meet evolving client needs—always keeping quality at the forefront. 5️⃣ DevOps Collaboration: By streamlining our DevOps practices, we ensure seamless development and deployment, with a relentless focus on maintaining high quality. At Crombie, blending Agile with empathy-driven solutions and rigorous QA is how we continue to push boundaries and deliver exceptional results. #Agile #QualityAssurance #CrombieTech #SoftwareDevelopment

Tired of the endless cycle of bugs and delays? Let's break the mold! By empowering developers to take ownership of quality, we can: 1. Reduce Defects: Catch issues early and often with robust unit and integration tests. 2. Accelerate Delivery: Streamline the development process and minimize rework. 3. Enhance Collaboration: Foster a culture of shared responsibility between development and QA. What strategies do you use to shift the quality left in your organization? Share your experiences and let's learn together! #softwaredevelopment #qualityassurance #devops #agile #shiftleft

Let's talk about introducing processes as a new QA Engineer in a Startup Realistically, starting out as a QA Engineer in a startup is like diving into a dynamic, fast-paced environment where processes are either minimal or non-existent. It’s exciting, challenging, and can be daunting especially when you have no idea on where or how to start. Here's what I’ve learned about building quality assurance processes from the scratch: 1️⃣ Understand the Nitty Gritty: Start by getting a feel of the team, the product, and the workflow. This helps in identifying gaps where a process can make the biggest impact. 2️⃣ Start Small: Implement lightweight processes that don't disrupt the team's momentum. For instance, introducing a simple bug reporting template or defining acceptance criteria can do wonders for clarity. 3️⃣ Collaborate: QA is a team effort. Involve developers, product managers, and designers when setting up processes. It ensures buy-in and reduces resistance to change. 4️⃣ Be Adaptable: What works today might not work tomorrow. Startups evolve quickly, and so should your QA processes. Always be open to feedback and iterate. 5️⃣ Document and Share: Processes are only effective when they're easy to follow. Keep your documentation simple, accessible, and visible to the entire team. Building processes isn't just about catching bugs (learnt this a little too late 😁 but glad we are on the right path)— it's about fostering a culture of quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement. As someone who values opinions, I’d love to hear from you: -- What strategies have worked for you when building QA processes from ground up? -- What challenges did you face at the initial stages, and how did you overcome them?

With evolving industry practices, R&D teams often find themselves stepping into the shoes of QA. Why is this happening? 🔄 **Shared Responsibility for Quality**: Modern development demands that everyone, including R&D, owns the quality. 🧪 **Shift-Left Approach**: The focus is on catching bugs early, leading developers to take on more testing tasks. 🤝 **Collaboration & Accountability**: Efficient teams are ensuring that quality isn't just a QA job but a joint effort. While these trends foster better products, they also highlight a potential overlap between roles. How are your teams adapting to these changes? #ProductDevelopment #QualityAssurance #DevOps #Agile #SoftwareDevelopment #ShiftLeft