QA Roles

09 Feb

QA Roles: Business Analyst. What They do and How it Relates to QA

Quality assurance projects consist of many roles and responsibilities. Some of these roles seem similar in scope as they would relate to the testing practice firsthand. One role though that is essential and requires less technical skills is that of a Business Analyst (BA). Q-Pros offers and relies on multiple jobs and various professions to guarantee accurate results and suitable outcomes for distinct software products, from QA Engineers in both manual and automation experiences to Business Analysts, Quality Directors, Data Scientists, and much more. This article will take a deeper look at the role of the Business Analyst and how they fit into the entire scheme of quality assurance. Let us start by defining BAs and what their prime objectives are. What is a Business Analyst? A business analyst is a person in charge of providing analytical data and various documents to facilitate the work of IT experts in alliance with business requirements and market research. BAs are responsible for interpreting business processes to operational figures. The role is distinctive in the initial stages, where defining the business requirements is necessary for IT and testing experts to start strategizing based on gathered comprehensive data. What are the roles and responsibilities of QA Business Analysts? (What Business Analysts do) Business analysts do not need to have a strong technical background. However, in QA domains, BAs need to understand how the system or product at hand functions and what are its key aspects of service ability as expected. The roles of business analysts vary to cover multiple phases but shine most in the initial phases of launching a project and agreeing on methodology and service. Here are some of BA responsibilities and daily tasks: Engage with project stakeholders to gather product information. And cooperate with all primary business members and team members. Provide professionally written documents and clear reports to all involved team members and business owners to facilitate the working progress. Identify fundamental issues and investigate areas of improvement based on market standards and enhancements. Conduct presentations to all involved members (SDLC/STLC contributors) to help implement QA plans and testing methods. Identifying budgets, deadlines, and primary requirements for testing plans. Validate end results from executed plans and confirm fulfillment of requirements Supervise the implantation process to keep every involved member on the same page. How to become a QA Business Analyst: Acquiring a degree in business-related majors can be a way to get yourself a job as a BA. But to specifically get a job in QA, you would need to work your way up through QA jobs. QA engineers usually become business analysts as they get more experienced with the entire QA process through the years. Having an IT background mixed with technical experience is a plus. This path usually leads to upper-level jobs in QA as it scans every area of work. So, with some years of experience and proven effort, anyone can be a business analyst in QA, whether they have a degree in business or not, as most companies favor experience over specific academic certifications. One way to start is to obtain a software testing certificate from a recognized institution. This will aid you significantly in getting a QA job and boost your career scores. Learn more about software QA certifications that help you get a job in the field. The BA’s Role in Testing Business analysts must always be at the top of their game to answer questions and provide counseling for team members at every production phase. Here is how BAs relate to some testing activities: User Acceptance Testing (UAT) – business analysts are required to be present during UAT sessions to verify that the system has fully met requirements through end-users’ usage. Regression Testing – BAs can select regression test cases that confirm successful outcomes based on expectations. UX Testing – BAs have the responsibility to look for ways to improve user experience and expand the testing process based on that factor. Functional Testing – Since business analysts have all the information and specifications regarding functionality, they must remain available for advice and supervision during functional tests. In Conclusion Business analysts are inseparable from QA projects. They have the major responsibility to certify the success of the project and keep clients and business owners aligned with the working progress. They are the face of the project, and they make sure that everything is clear for all involved parties. Having tech experience is a major factor in becoming a business analyst. Most companies value individuals who have both business-related university degrees and dense experience. BAs work with testers and developers to keep the work on track, clear out any misconceptions and answer questions regularly. As a leading and pioneering testing service provider, we at Q-Pros make sure to utilize only skilled Individual's in the QA field from all aspects and domains. Our BAs employ modern methods and ensure a healthy flow of analyzed data and comprehensive information through the entire scheme of quality assurance. Request a service through our online form and learn more about us. ...

06 Dec

QA Roles: What is a QA Engineer

by q-pros

in QA Roles

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Quality assurance involves a barrage of roles and job opportunities, and one of the most common career choices in the field of QA must be that of a QA engineer. In this article, we will talk about quality engineers, definition, objective, and daily duties. According to forbes list of happiest jobs, Quality assurance related jobs top the charts in term of happiness and growth, so we at Q-Pros would like to introduce some of the roles and career paths one can take to be involved in QA and software testing. QA Engineers: Definition A QA Engineer is a professional expert who oversees tracking and fixing bugs before releasing the product. QA engineers collaborate with developers to produce ways to fix problems. Quality Engineers are strategists, they align with product managers to produce ways to better enhance the production phase and assure a defect-free system that is in line with business requirements. Quality control engineers work ahead of time to make sure that efficient requirements are set and are clear to every stakeholder, and they would assure certain complexities are resolved before wasting any effort. Once everything is set in the initial phases and planning, QA engineers would cooperate with team members and leaders, guaranteeing everyone is equipped with proper resources and training. Daily Duties of QA Engineers QA Engineers have the most exciting daily duties. They work on multiple levels and partner with many stakeholders and developers. Here is a list of the daily expected duties of QA Engineers: Designing Tests - To begin with, QA Engineers would design tests, underlining potential issues, and work in accordance with requirements to produce scenarios to test the product. QA engineers could also highlight the causes of defects. Test Execution - The next step would be to conduct the designed tests and document the results. One important aspect here is to deliver the results to the stakeholders. Analyzing Tests - Moving forward, a QA engineer would oversee analyzing test results, making sure to document everything so unexpected outcomes would not occur in the future. This part seals the deal to guarantee that problems are resolved completely. Improve testing - One important task done by QA Engineers is enhancing tests and producing new innovative ways to modify the QA process. QA Engineer Qualifications The minimum academic qualification to become a QA Engineer is a bachelor’s degree in software development, computer science or any IT/QA-related field. QA engineers can start right away with no required extensive prior experience, although it is preferred to have some experience in QA or IT in general. Here are some of the most common expected skills for QA Engineers: Creativity: QA engineers are expected to be creative to produce innovative ways to enhance products and adjust to modern requirements and up the standards for QA. Efficiency: What makes a great QA engineer is their ability to efficiently implement both manual and automated processes. They would write the best practices and avoid repeating errors. They also understand where different issues can happen in the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and act only the correct ones. Attention to details: Like most QA roles, A QA engineer falls no different when it comes to being accurate and detail oriented. Being a QA Engineer can get you a chance to climb up the company hierarchy. Testing Engineers are heavily involved with so many aspects and gain experience in many fields. To consider becoming a QA Engineer, you will have to first strengthen your knowledge in QA practices and gain extensive knowledge in programming languages. Though there is no coding taking place, one must be able to understand how systems work to be able to design and execute automated tests, scan codes for errors, and communicate with developers to ensure a swift flow of information. Q-Pros is a leading Software testing provider with more than a decade of experience in the field. We take pride in our arsenal of experienced professionals, from QA engineers, test analysts and much more. Request a testing service from our online request form and guarantee top quality for your website, mobile apps, and software. ...

27 Oct

QA Roles: What is a QA Analyst

by q-pros

in QA Roles

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Quality Assurance (QA) involves several roles and career paths. One role that stands firmly in all QA projects is the position of QA Analyst or Test Analyst. In this article, we will look to define the responsibilities, mission, and objectives of QA analysts. As a leading testing services provider, Q-Pros relies on a diverse arsenal of professional experts. The QA roles series looks to supply insight into these professions and give a closer look at the grand scheme of the QA process. Definition: QA Analyst A quality analyst is a person responsible for implementing the principles and practices of quality assurance throughout the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) A QA analyst would look for flaws and weaknesses in programs and make certain that all requirements were fulfilled. They would implement plans to scan thousands of lines of code and inspect the system from several corners, such as functionality, interface, user-friendliness, and much more. The role of QA Analyst comes at the final stages of SDLC just before public release. They would also make sure that the software fits the targeted market and is fully compatible. A QA Analyst or Software Analyst would hold a professional certificate from a software testing certification board, such as the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB). The QA field in general requires a set of skills related to problem-solving and attention to detail, a skill set that is ever so emanant with QA analysts. As the job title describes, QA analysts must be analytical and exact to ensure bug-free/defect-free systems. QA Analyst Daily Roles Quality Analysts have many duties depending on the organization and project where they are stationed, but the role mainly centers around sealing the deal before releasing the product to customers/users. Here is a set of duties expected from QA analysts: Creating efficient test plans Implementing the test plans to ensure the three main aspects of quality: functionality, performance, and reliability Track and report bugs establishing a criterion to prevent future bugs and crashes in the system Ensuring layout correctness and assessing proper formatting for all aspects of interface and user experience Some roles might include conducting localization tests and compatibility checks Leading the testing team through a swift and clear path throughout the whole QA procedure. This task includes knowledge of project development methodologies such as Agile and Waterfall. Most QA jobs require a good knowledge of programming languages, that is because testing engineers need to be able to design plans that deal with code corrections and scans. It also helps the testing experts understand how systems work. QA analysts have the responsibility to be extensively experienced with multiple programming languages and dealing with various operating systems. How to Become a Quality Assurance Analyst? For starters, the minimum qualification for testing analysts is a bachelor’s degree in an IT-related field, and preferably a specific major related to software development and quality. QA analysts in many cases, even on a junior level, are required to have prior experience in QA and software testing in general. Most companies hold the QA analyst’s role with high regard in terms of accountability and proficiency, this is because the nature of the job is incredibly detailed oriented. Most QA analysts end up becoming quality managers and would hold senior positions in QA companies, this is because the nature of the job involves being present in and cooperating with multiple channels and sectors throughout the entire project duration. To become a QA analyst, here is a list of several characteristics and skills needed: Good programming knowledge Broad knowledge of a variety of software applications and hardware attention to details and the ability to think on a larger scope creativity and innovation in working methods communication skills the ability to utilize logical thinking in identifying the strong and weak points in any system Good knowledge of modern tools and constantly tracking the latest updates In Conclusion QA analysts are one of the most vital members of any QA team. They maintain structure and establish the foundation for other team members to work more efficiently. Being a QA analyst is a career path worth chasing if you want to get involved with more than one sector in the QA hierarchy. It guarantees experience and growth in the world of software testing. We at Q-Pros make certain that our QA projects are well equipped with professional test analysts who can inspire team members and assure perfect outcomes for our clients and end-users. Learn more about us and request a custom-made testing service via our online request form. ...