Why do most product companies hire a QA partner? The details vary, but the main reason is this: it’s a great insurance policy. Testing ensures that your product meets your quality standards and is ready for use in the market. This protects your customer from a poor user experience and you from bad PR and revenue loss.
But great QA doesn’t operate in a vacuum. You can’t apply the “set it and forget it” philosophy to it. In order to achieve great results with your partner, you’ll need to participate in the process.
Here are a few tips that will help you select the right QA partner or successfully utilize the one you just hired:
Look for a dedicated partner, not just a temp
Stop thinking of QA teams as a collection of mere “resources” that will help fill temporary roles. QA is an industry and a culture in and of itself, and the leading vendors pride themselves on the combined expertise of their engineers. A true, dedicated partner serves as an extension of your team, ready to leverage their domain skills and vast knowledge of tools and methodologies to improve your product.
Stay on the same page & review often
Regular project analysis helps all members of the team stay informed about what’s working, as well as what isn’t and what needs to be done to fix it. Retrospection, or a detailed product release analysis, also helps teams change problematic areas into measurable action items. “Better than the last release” is always your goal, and your QA partner is responsible for using actionable data to achieve it.
Embrace outsourcing
Outsourced QA has come a long way in a short time, thanks to a boom in new tech markets and improved digital communication. Today, the quality of service provided by outsourced vendors is better than ever. The best part? It can still cost you up to 50% less than partnering with a nearshore vendor or expanding your in-house testing team. Outsourced teams often give you access to rare, hard-to-find skill sets and a 24/7 testing cycle, which allows your developers to write code by day and have it tested by night.
How else can you use a QA partner to add value to your company?
Grab our free whitepaper below to find out!
