Why outsource quality assurance? Key points to consider

The Judge School of Business at the University of Cambridge estimated software errors cost the global economy almost $300 billion annually (source). That is why more and more businesses hire QA testing teams to save money, improve quality and reduce software errors. Considering tech talent shortage and high costs, many companies choose to outsource software testing services.

In this article, you will read about QA testing services — who is a QA tester, the benefits of hiring quality assurance experts, as well as where to outsource these services.

QA tester refers to quality assurance experts with a broad range of responsibilities and roles, including QA engineers, test analysts, test architects, test managers, and QA team leads.

A QA engineer is the expert who tests software for errors and bugs and ensures that the final product meets quality standards. They closely cooperate with software developers to make sure that all the errors are fixed.

A test architect is a testing expert who develops testing infrastructures and frameworks, has a broad knowledge of all features to optimize the testing process, and looks for useful testing solutions for projects.

A test analyst is a quality assurance expert who is responsible for project documentation, choosing the software that needs to be tested, and documenting the results of each testing phase to automate the testing process. Test analysts carry out system testing and ensure that the results are presented to the shareholders.

Test managers are directly responsible for the project’s success. The expert monitors test execution and defines tasks for other team members. 

A QA team lead is the expert who mostly deals with managerial tasks. Team leads are responsible for hiring new members to the team and conducting interviews. They may be involved in any of the processes other team members do, but usually just monitors the progress and manages the team.

There are two types of QA testing — manual and automated. 

• Manual testing is run by people, while no software is involved. 
• Automated testing is rather less time-consuming — special software and scripts are used for error search. However, a manual QA tester still needs to be involved to create testing scripts. 

In most cases, both types are used to get maximum out of software testing.

The belief that QA testers are not important when you have a strong team of developers is rather misleading. QA testing services ensure that the final product meets the client’s preferences as well as quality standards. 

Many businesses have already faced a significant tech talent shortage in their own country. However, if you choose to outsource your QA team, you will spend less money, since hiring an offshore team of QA engineers is far cheaper than doing so in your own country.  

The longer you wait, the more you will have to pay to fix all the accumulated errors and bugs.

If you want your final product to meet the customer’s demands, you have to hire an offshore QA team to run quality assurance reports and improve the product’s quality before the release date. 

When teams are rushing to meet the deadlines, they sometimes skip some fundamental stages, resulting in a lower quality product. By outsourcing a software testing team, you will be able to detect errors before the product’s launch date. An independent QA team will critically test your deliverables to make sure that you meet the client’s requirements with no delays. 

If you choose to hire an independent QA team in one location, you will benefit from exceptional expertise level and shorten time-to-market. Besides, you will also enable smooth communication between your software development team and software testers. Hiring all professionals at one place means that no misunderstandings and delays occur since all members are managed by one QA lead.

By outsourcing QA testers, you’ll get a fresh view on your project’s quality. Independent QA testers will assess the product’s potential risks and areas for improvement, as well as work on debugging so that your customer gets timely results. 

The number of QA testers can vary depending on your project scope. You can also choose the cooperation model — testers can either become a part of your in-house team, or work separately. Either way, you receive timely and effective execution of tasks. 

A team of QA experts will work on testing your software, while software developers will deal with their specific tasks and responsibilities. By delegating tasks to quality assurance experts rather than the development team, you will get the maximum benefit and save time. The right people will do the job.

QA testing is one of the critical software development life cycle stages. To build software applications efficiently, a company needs to ensure that analysis, design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance are implemented in its processes. If organizations stick to this plan, they will manage to cut costs and shorten production time.

Grid Dynamics

Grid Dynamics is a digital-native technology services provider with over 15 years of expertise in software innovation. Leveraging open source and cloud native technologies, we deliver solutions that drive competitive advantage for Fortune 1000 companies.

Our engagement models are structured around clients’ specific capabilities and project goals. Options include team extension, dedicated teams, pod teams, and remote development centers. Robust QA testing is woven throughout these cooperation models to validate architectural decisions and ensure reliability.

With offices across Americas, Europe, and India, Grid Dynamics can assemble the right skills for initiatives of any scale or complexity. The breadth of expertise allows us to become a strategic transformation partner for companies aiming to adapt and lead in the digital age.

Read Case Study: How Quality Assurance Service Helped StormSensor Reach Confidence in Deployment

Performance Lab

Performance Lab is a provider of premier load and performance testing services for enterprises in all industries (source). The company is located in the United States, and has more than 10 years of experience in software testing. 

Read when do companies need software testing: tips from a lead QA engineer. 

Itransition

Itransition is the company that offers fully customized testing service at the program or enterprise level. Founded in 1988, Itransition helps businesses to manage the lifecycle of software. It provides test automation and quality control outsourcing.

Orient

Orient is a software outsourcing company that provides custom application development and testing service to clients. It offers a faster and more efficient QA solution to fulfill your software assurance needs.

Learn about Grid Dynamics’ quality assurance solutions for your business.

• A dedicated team of software testing experts

A dedicated team cooperation model is suitable for you if you are looking to hire a team of software testers that will be integrated with your in-house team. Companies choose this model in case they have a fully operational software development team, but need to outsource QA services for their project’s success.

• Team augmentation

In case you have faced a lack of highly-experienced professionals, and you want to extend your team, an outsourcing company can provide you with tech experts that you manage directly. This model will work for you in case you do not need an entire team, just a few members.