Software Quality Assurance: Defining Standards

Last Updated on 2024-10-11

What makes brands like Microsoft and Google stand out? With over 100,000 software companies in the US, how did these names make their way to the top of the list? Simple—impeccable product quality. If you plan to build your software startup, then you first need to learn how software quality assurance works and why it’s necessary.

Quality ensures Loyalty

The key to brand loyalty is product quality. This is especially true for the software industry. People buy tools to make their lives easier. If there’s a program or app that allows them to click their problems away then they’ll surely get their hands on it.

On the contrary, if your software happens to bring them more trouble than the actual problem, then that’s going to lead to disastrous publicity damage. Software is supposed to be a tool that helps people do their tasks better and faster. This is why you cannot afford to risk the functional quality of what you are selling. This is where software quality assurance comes into play.

What is Software Quality Assurance?

Software quality assurance (SQA) is the process of checking the quality of the product based on a defined set of standards. These standards are established at the beginning of the development stage and are used as guidelines for testers before the product’s release. SQA comprises a set of activities from the engineering processes until its production.  

Software QA incorporates a lot of quality assurance methods and often follows a combination of them. Over the years, the term “quality assurance” has evolved along with the changes in development methods.

Setting the standards of quality even higher, there are several certifications for software quality assurance. These certifications allow customers to use them as qualifying criteria in buying software. Major brands in the software industry ensure they meet the required certification standards for their products.

How does it work?

Nowadays, there are plenty of software testing trends that large companies use. With the need to keep up with emerging technologies, the quality assurance process has also adjusted its standards. 

The quality assurance testing process generally follows a cycle called the PDCA Cycle. This cycle consists of three phases: plan, do, check, and act. Each stage of this cycle dissects and breaks down the development of the software product.

Here’s a brief overview of the PDCA stages:

1. Plan – This phase establishes the objectives of the project and the processes it will undergo. In the first stage, the goals and how to attain them are specifically discussed.
2. Do – During the creation and development process, the QA tester will regularly monitor and run through each change and progress.
3. Check – This stage consists of monitoring the implementation of processes, and assessing whether they meet the predetermined objectives
4. Act – Once everything has been evaluated, corrections and QA suggestions will be implemented.  

These steps are repeated regularly on your software products to ensure that processes organization are evaluated and improved.  

Why is it necessary?

Software quality assurance plays a pivotal role in software development and the product’s performance in the market thereafter. Not only will it determine the completion of the product, but its results will also be detrimental as to how it will fare in the market. Good quality software leads to good feedback from the customer, thus leading to revenue.  

1.    Product Requirement

Quality assurance is part of the software checklist before release. Before a software company launches a program or tool, it needs to undergo a series of testing before it’s deemed ready for public use. The product manager considers QA and operation as one of the final crucial stages of development.

2.    Patronage

A sure way to keep patronage is to ensure the quality of what you are selling. Software is highly tricky because it involves a meticulous process of checking several aspects of the product. You need to ensure that your software products consistently meet the customer’s expectations.

3.    Brand Building

The US is home to the top software companies that serve millions of clients worldwide. The biggest names in technology built their empire by consistently producing long-lasting, reliable, and innovative software. Not only are they regarded for their new and unique solutions, but people also go to them because they have established a good track record for selling quality products.

Setting your Standards

As a startup owner, if you want to scale up your startup then you need to run your products through meticulous eyes. If you want to succeed in building up your target market, you need to invest in quality software products. In a highly competitive market, quality is what makes you stand out. You need to invest in the right experts to create the product and to continuously improve it when it’s done.

Hiring QA Specialists

Planning to release an awesome software product? You’ll need the best team to not only make your idea come to life but to make it in the best quality possible. You need to hire skilled QA specialists to ensure that the entire development process and its production is flawless. QA specialists play a vital role in your team’s success in product creation; hence you need to choose the right specialists for your job.  

Building your software development team is vital in succeeding as a startup. You need to hire people who are skilled and knowledgeable about your industry. It can be a tedious task finding and hiring talent. It’s even more difficult if you’re a startup where the budget is limited. Consider offshoring your talent instead.

At Full Scale, we can help you build your offshore development team. We’ve picked out the cream of the crop so you don’t have to go through the tedious process of filtering and hiring professionals. We have seasoned developers, QA testers, project managers, and content writers. Our goal is to help startups succeed by providing a business software development team. So what are you waiting for? Contact us to learn more about our services.