Well well, look who has come here searching for relevant articles related to “SQA in Software Testing”.
Ok keeping jokes aside, the good news is that you have landed on the right system, oh sorry blog, whose textual quality will abet in updating your software so let’s begin step-by-step.
What is System Quality Assurance (SQA)?
System Quality Assurance affirms that all software engineering processes, methods, activities, and work items are supervised with the defined standards. These could be one or a combination of any like ISO 9000, CMMI model, ISO15504, etc, blending all software development processes starting from defining requirements to coding until release because the prime goal is to ensure quality.
Furthermore, it is divided into the following categories:
Functional quality refers to how adequately a software product coheres to the core design specifications based on functional standards.
Structural quality shows how well and effectively the project manages to impress non-functional standards, including security, accessibility, scalability, and reliability, all of which grant the proper fulfillment of the fixed requirements.
Then there is a System Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP) which composes the procedures, techniques, and tools that make sure that a product or service aligns with the requirements defined in the SRS(Software Requirement Specification).
However, the plan also helps in identifying the SQA responsibilities of a team and lists the areas that need analysis and examination with the SQA work products.
You must be curious as to what the plan consists of, so read the elements below
- Purpose section
- Reference section
- Software configuration management section
- Problem reporting and corrective action section
- Tools, technologies, and methodologies section
- Code control section
- Records: Collection, maintenance, and retention section
Activities in SQA
- SQA Management Plan:
The activity chalks out a proper plan regarding how the SQA will be carried out in your project showing what SQA approach you are going to follow, what engineering activities will be carried out, and generally ensures that you have the right mix of talented mates in your team.
- Setting The Checkpoint:
Different checkpoints are set up by the SQA team. It assesses the quality of the project at each checkpoint stage ensuring regular quality inspection and working as per the schedule.
- Software Engineering Techniques:
Implementing some software engineering techniques open up doors for a software designer in achieving high-quality specifications. For gathering information, a designer may use techniques such as interviews and FAST (Functional Analysis System Technique, which is a strategy to come up with a graphical portrayal showing the logical relationships between the functions of a project, product, process, or service based on the questions “How” and “Why”.
On the basis of the data gathered, the engineer can later onwards strengthen the project estimation using techniques like WBS (work breakdown structure), SLOC (source line of codes), and FP(functional point) estimation.
Work Breakdown Structure:
A useful and widely-used project management tool that is used to convert strategies and overall objectives into specific goals, schedules, workflows, and action plans is called a Work Breakdown structure.
Source Line of Codes:
It is a software cadent intermittently used in measuring the size and complexity of a software project. Customarily, it is used to predict the amount of effort and time that will be required to develop a program, as well as to estimate the programming productivity once the software is produced.
SLOC is of two types:
Physical SLOC counts the line in the text of the program’s source code including comment lines and, sometimes, blank lines. This one is easier to measure, but faces problems in coding style and formatting since it’s very sensitive.
Logical SLOC measures the number of executable expressions (such as operators, functions, etc.), but their particular definitions are bound to specific computer languages. It is less sensitive as compared to the physical one but tricky in measuring.
Functional Point:
FP measures the size of an application system based on the functional view of the system. The number of inputs, outputs, queries, internal files, and external files in the system and adjusting that total for the functional complexity of the system determines the size.
The advantage of focusing here is on measuring software produced in terms of functionality delivered to the end user, rather than in terms of development deliverables, which have no direct bearing on the end user.
- Formal Technical Review
Here the technical staff is called to discuss the actual quality requirements of the software and the design quality of the prototype because this activity helps in discerning errors in the early phase of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) curtailing rework efforts in the later phases.
- Multi-Testing Strategy
One should not depend on any single testing technique, but keep on experimenting with different kinds of testing so that the software product can be properly tested to see its functioning without complications in the long run.
- Enforcing Process Adherence
The activity emphasizes the need for process adherence during the software development process which should also stick to the defined procedures. It is divided into the following subcategories:
- Product Evaluation:
Product evaluation vouches as a guarantee that the software product is meeting the requirements that were earlier discovered in the project management plan.
2. Process Monitoring:
Matching the actually taken steps against the documented steps provides the verification that whether the correct steps were taken during software development under process monitoring.
- Controlling Change
A mixture of manual procedures and automated tools are used, to have a mechanism for change control.
It is ensured that the software quality remains consistent during the development and maintenance phases by validating the change requests, processing their nature, and controlling the effect.
- Change Impact
If the quality assurance team reports any bug, in that case, the concerned team fixes the error. They should figure out the extent of the brunt this defect has brought and test not only if the change has fixed the defect, but also whether the new shift will be compatible with the whole project.
Software quality metrics are used in order to allow managers and developers to inspect the activities and proposed changes from the beginning till the end of SDLC and commence corrective action wherever required.
- Performing SQA Audits
The SQA audit inspects the entire actual SDLC process followed by comparing it against the established process and keeps a check on whether whatever the team reported in the update reports was actually performed or not.
- Maintaining Records and Reports
Keep the required documentation related to SQA and share the necessary SQA information with the stakeholders. The test audit results, review reports, change requests documentation, etc. should be kept for future quotations.
- Manage Good Relations
Maintaining healthy relations between departments is another key point in getting your work done without obstacles so harmony should be kept between the quality assurance and development teams as any type of argument can easily affect the entire quality of the project.
Software Quality Assurance Standards
Now let’s describe the software quality assurance standards
ISO 9000:
The standard is based on seven quality management principles that help organizations ensure that their products or services are aligned with customer needs.
The principles are:
- Customer focus
- Leadership
- Engagement of people
- Process approach
- Improvement
- Evidence-based decision making
- Relationship management
CMMI level:
CMMI stands for Capability Maturity Model Integration which originated in software engineering and can be employed to direct process improvement throughout a project, department, or entire organization.
There are five levels of CMMI maturity
Level 1:
In the initial stage, processes are unpredictable, controlled below standards, and reactive.
Level 2:
The conditions hold onto a little stability as processes are characterized project-wise and often reactive.
Level 3:
Processes are sketched for the organization and become proactive.
Level 4:
Now the processing is controlled and measured.
Level 5:
Process improvement gets the entire focus.
An organization gets the appraisal and is awarded a maturity level based on a rating (1-5).
Test Maturity Model integration (TMMi):
Based on CMMI, this model focuses on maturity levels in software quality management and testing.
Level 1:
Early stage
Level 2:
Things start coming in hand properly in the form of:
Test policy and strategy
Planning
Monitoring and control
Design and execution
Execution
Level 3:
Things become more defined through
Test organization
Training program
Life cycle and integration
Non-functional testing
Peer reviews
Level 4:
Test measurement
Product quality evaluation
Advanced reviews
Level 5:
Defect prevention
Test process optimization
Quality control
An organization moves to a higher maturity level, achieving a higher capability for showcasing high-quality products with fewer defects, and closely meeting the business requirements.
Did you know about the 10 basic elements of Software Quality Assurance?
If not then read below
- Software engineering Standards
- Technical reviews and audits
- Software Testing for quality control
- Error collection and analysis
- Change management
- Educational programs
- Vendor management
- Security management
- Safety
- Risk management
We have tried our best to accommodate you with the knowledge about System Quality Assurance (SQA) so now learn about Software Testing.
- Software Testing
According to Simplilearn software testing is an inspection executed to provide collaborators with information about the quality of a particular product or service going through tests.
A tester is expected to know about the software that is to be tested, and the tools required to test it accordingly, above all you need to be very organized, logical, accurate, thorough, and patient in order to be good at testing.
Furthermore, with time, it has become vital for several application/product implementations and businesses have also begun to realize the importance of structured testing of applications before their official release.
Nowadays professional software testers are wanted in the industry and one can either become part of an independent software testing company or join an internal software testing department in a renowned firm.
However, keep in mind the fact that specialization is a must in the testing field; therefore decide what side of software testing are you interested in
- Domain Knowledge
- Automation Testing Tools Knowledge
- Professional Certifications
- Niche Areas In Testing
Ten Best Software Testing Tools
Here we have shortlisted the ten best software testing tools so you can use them accordingly:
- testRigor
For advanced no-code automation for manual QA with minimal maintenance
- Autify
Codeless AI testing automation platform
- QA Wolf
Software testing service for outsourcing test management
- TestRail
Best software testing tool with workload management for testing teams
- Quality
Test case management + bug tracking
- Kobiton
Mobile-first software testing tool
- Mabl
Low-code test automation platform for software testing
- Appsurify TestBrain
QA tool for a reduced test run and CI/CD build times
- Testim
Scalable AI-powered end-to-end software testing tool
- Testsigma
Open-source test automation tool for web and mobile apps
Advantages of Software Quality Assurance
How about we walk through the advantages of software quality assurance?
- Minimizes overhead costs
Many things can grow wrong during development so in order to halt them from occurring, software testing and quality assurance come to the rescue. When a systematic software quality assurance plan and test cases are implemented, the whole team k how to approach their responsibilities, how to run tests, and why. With swift responses and prompt fixes, a huge amount of capital is saved throughout the process.
- Friendly user experience
It ensures that code meets certain standards and that the app functions without cracks so credit goes to SQA for gifting us with a user-friendly experience otherwise the smooth functionality hinders.
- Produces a rigid application
Software quality assurance makes sure that the teams of software engineers follow the standard quality to successfully fit in the expectations.
It is ensured that the code is written correctly and that testing is conducted to catch possible bugs before the live release for smooth disposal in the app stores.
- Quality assurance is necessary for a secure app
To avoid data leaks, test the functioning of the application and its amplitudes so that all working components and systems work in unanimity for the security of your personal information whenever you interact with the application.
- Saves time
One of the ace factors that quality assurance puts forward is that it decreases the time consumption used in developing the entire process.
- Consumer confidence
The customer also prefers the company giving good software as nobody wishes to invest in a set-up that fails later on, therefore productive software boosts consumer confidence because the quality factor will eventually increase your software’s worth.
- Market share
When the market shares of high-quality software go up, the overall value automatically places your company in a dominant position provoking other clients to get in touch with you.
As a matter of fact, CODIONIX serves as another great option that offers similar software services to clients looking for their custom android and ios app testing, where you would only have to provide them with the brief of what and how you want, and voila your product will be ready!
We have now reached the end of SQA’s article, which altogether must have cooperated well and you have gained enough motivation to enter this field.
Good Luck!
