Supportsoft Glossary

Quality Assurance Practices for Reliable Software

 Quality assurance (QA) is the practice of ensuring that all software is ready to be released when it has been developed. QA does not simply mean testing software; it has many elements as a process, methods and controls that can be put in place to avoid having defects created throughout the software's development cycle. QA teams collaborate with product managers, development teams and design teams to gain an understanding of what the requirements are and create test plans and acceptance criteria.

QA teams are responsible for functional testing, performance testing, usability testing and validating against business objectives. QA also monitors all process items that contribute to quality, including, but not limited to, version control, code review, and continuous integration to ensure that the quality of the product is integrated into the product consistently over time. By detecting defects early in the development cycle, QA helps the development teams avoid having to spend additional resources on rework while also ensuring that the entire application behaves as it was designed to within the real world. 

QA does not stop at the detection of defects but also identifies and promotes best practices, including keeping clear documentation on processes and procedures, using automated tools, and refining processes to improve efficiency and therefore meet user needs. Ultimately, through the activities of QA, we have software applications that are more reliable, perform better and are better equipped to serve the users of the application.