Outsourcing Quality Assurance Helps In-House QA
There are three things you can get from outsourcing quality assurance, even if you already have an in-house QA function.
I know, the thought of outsourcing may not have crossed your mind lately if release cycles are running smoothly and customers are loving your software, apps, or website.
But, for how long? You know that with each release the testing gets a little more complex; a little more time-consuming.
The Impact of Regression Testing Debt
Every time new features are added, the quality assurance cycle get’s a little longer…and longer…and longer.
Why is that? It’s called regression testing debt and it occurs because the amount of things that need to be tested increases each time new features are added.
Yes, the new features need to be tested, but the old features need to be tested as well to make sure the new features didn’t bungle them up and break them.
Kicking the Can Down the Road
Of course you’re thinking there’s probably no real budget to add additional quality assurance staff – the internal team is just going to have to do the best they can.
This approach might work for a little while but it won’t be sustainable unless you find some *leverage* to make your quality assurance team more efficient.
Outsourcing quality assurance – even for a project or two – can bring your in-house QA team a ton of learning, new techniques and better strategies to overcome the increasing workload that comes with regression testing debt.
The leverage and ROI on this approach is very high – and not just in terms of dollars or time.
Three Benefits When Outsourcing Quality Assurance Resource for Your Internal QA Team
Here’s how your in-house QA team can benefit from working on a couple software testing projects with an outsourced quality assurance team.
- New software testing techniques – the art and science of software testing and quality assurance advances significantly every year. A well qualified outsourced quality assurance partner keeps their team well trained on new and effective testing techniques. They can easily teach your in-house QA team some of the best techniques for your unique situation.
- New software testing strategies – software, websites and applications are growing in size and volume every year. The old strategies for making sure your software has adequate quality assurance coverage may not work anymore and may even lead you in the wrong direction. New quality assurance strategies are being built, tested and used to great advantage – wouldn’t your in-house quality assurance team benefit from learning some new strategies?
- New quality assurance tools – last but not least, the tools! All the tools! Almost too many to chose from – and how would you chose anyway? Choosing and implementing the most effective software testing tools can be daunting if you try to figure it out yourself. Adding to the confusion – those sales guys selling the tools! Give yourself (and your QA Team) a break and let the experts tell you (and even show you) which tools work best in which situation. This alone can save you weeks of time!
The Cost of QA Leverage
It should cost you less than $10K to engage with a well qualified and respected quality assurance partner for a project that runs a week or two.
In return, you should expect that your immediate testing needs are well covered and your in-house QA Team should get a range of the following benefits in addition to the software testing.
- New software testing techniques with guide sheets and personal instruction on how best to use them.
- New software testing strategies with coaching on the costs and benefits of the selected approach.
- Introduction to software testing tools you haven’t used but might benefit from – along with demos and examples of how they can work for you and what the true costs of implementation are.
Where else are you going to get that kind of ROI and leverage? Keep your internal QA team sharp. Keep your customers (and your boss) happy. It’s all possible you choose an outsourcing quality assurance strategy for raising the level of performance in your internal QA team.
