Consider a new “Buy Now” button on an online store. A developer’s job is to make it functional. SQA’s role is to ask the critical questions a typical user might encounter:

• Functionality: Does the button actually complete the purchase? 
• Security: Is the payment information encrypted and protected? 
• Compatibility: Does it work on all browsers and mobile devices? 
• Load Handling: Can 10,000 users click it at once during a sale without crashing the site? 
• Usability: Is it clearly visible and correctly labeled for a first-time visitor? 

Without SQA, the button might work perfectly for the developer but fail for half the customers during a major sale, leading to lost revenue, angry users, and a frantic emergency fix. SQA transforms code from “it works on my machine” to “it works for everyone, under real-world conditions.” It is the essential safeguard that turns a promising software idea into a trustworthy, successful product.

What is an SQA? 

Software quality Assurance (SQA) is a process of monitoring and assuring that all software-related processes adhere to the defined standards. It involves analyzing the software requirements for coding. Besides, it ensures that the software development process is efficient and effective according to QA standards.

Moreover, the SQA is a continuous process within SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle). It periodically checks the developed software to ensure its compliance with quality measures. SQA analysts test the quality of the product during phases of development until completion. Similarly, they ensure the software development process moves to the next phase only after the preceding phase meets the required standards.

SQA Standards

There are several well-recognized standards for SQA in the industry. Some of them include ISO 9000, ISO15504, and CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integrated), TMM (Testing Maturity Model).  

These models typically revolve around testing customer focus, process approach, and improvement. Besides, they also cover software quality valuation of execution and control. 

Software Quality Assurance Plan

The SQA plan incorporates techniques, procedures, and tools that determine a product meets the requirements as specified in SRS (Software Requirement Specification). The SQA plan determines the responsibilities and roles of the SQA team, SQA work products, and the components.

1. Essential Constituents

The following are the essential constituents of the SQA plan document. 

• Introduction (purpose, scope) 
• Reference (reference documents) 
• Software Configuration Management (organization, tasks, responsibilities) 
• Documentation (problems, corrective actions, tools, technologies, methodologies, code controls, and record maintenance 
• Standards and Metrics 
• Reviews and Audits  

2. Processes Involved

The SQA plan prevents reworking predefined processes or roles and enables your business to deliver a quality product. SQA execution involves processes, such as: 

• Establishing checkpoints at different stages of the project, wherein SQA analysts can validate the quality of the project. 
• Applying engineering techniques such as FAST (Functional Analysis System Technique), WBS (Work Breakdown Structure), SLOC (Source Line of Codes), and FP (Functional Point) estimation. 
• Performing multi-testing to test the product from all possible angles. 
• Evaluating the product to ensure it meets customers’ demands and monitoring the process against pre-documented activities.
• Validating the change requests, evaluating the nature of the change, and controlling its effect.
• Fixing reported defects and using metrics to observe activities and proposed changes.
• Performing the SQA audit and comparing it with the established process
• Maintaining records and sharing final reports with stakeholders.

Approaches to SQA

SQA involves the following approaches:

1. The Defect Management Approach

This approach works by counting and managing errors resulting from improper handling of data and bad code. Testers assign each defect a specific category depending on its severity, for the team to take action to address it.  

Besides, the defect management approach works best with control charts to gauge and improve the capabilities of the development process. Process capability is the indication of process adherence to specified standards.

2. The Quality Attributes Approach

This approach is all about quality characteristics such as suitability, functionality, and usability. Besides, it also involves reliability, maintainability, learnability, and portability. 

SQA Techniques

In addition to auditing whether a product meets standard processes, there are several other SQA techniques. Here are some of the most important ones: 

• Reviewing: It is a formal setting in which external and internal stakeholders examine a product to seek feedback and approval. 
• Simulation: It is a tool to model real situations and virtually examine the product under study 
• Static Analysis: It is an automated analysis done through metrics or reverse-engineering without having to execute the program 
• Code Inspection: It is a form of static testing to find bugs based on checklist, entry, and exit criteria 
• Design Inspection: It includes inspecting general requirements of the design, interface specifications, logic and structures, performance, recovery, etc. 
• Functional testing: It is a form of black box testing focusing on system specifications 
• Path Testing: It is a form of white box testing wherein every independent path is executed once at the minimum. 
• Stress Testing: It is a form of testing in which the system is subjected to heavy loads to check its ability to take stress outside normal conditions. 

Why SQA is Important?

SQA is a way to check if the product or service is fit for use. It is important not only from the customers’ perspective but also from the business perspective. Besides, the process helps companies maintain their competitive edge and meet clients’ expectations.  

Moreover, SQA allows the periodic review of processes and standards while establishing baseline expectations from the product. It ensures the delivery of high-quality products with low maintenance costs in terms of time and money.  

Similarly, the SQA helps in detecting potential bugs with serious consequences. Developers can timely correct these errors during the software development cycle. Eventually, it helps IT teams perform root cause analysis to identify the weakness of processes where a defect is located.

Final Words

Khired Networks provides smart and viable software maintenance and support services. We help clients fully focus on their valuable tasks while delegating software testing to us. Our team of highly qualified and dedicated software quality professionals is experienced in supporting and maintaining complex software applications.

Besides, we strive to provide you with support and maintenance at any level that could boost your organizational performance and enhance productivity.

Contact Khired Networks today!

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