The ABCloudz Quality Assurance strategy

Software development is about transforming basic visualization concepts into an actual product with relevant functionality and excellent UI/UX design. ABCloudz software development specialists utilize 7 application development stages that allow us to turn your most ambitious ideas into reality.

Each stage of development is essential to the success of your product. In this post, we will focus on the frequently underestimated stage of quality assurance. It is an essential part of active development efforts that protects you from unpleasant post-release surprises. We will share the fundamentals of the quality assurance strategy employed by ABCloudz technology experts.

Even if you deliver a very simple solution or feel secure the approach taken by its developer was flawless, you still should test it before demonstrating the app to anyone. Even a minor issue can make the entire product work contrary to what you’ve planned.

It is essential that you detect and eliminate your code’s weak points as quickly as possible. And that’s where quality assurance specialists spring into action. They will validate the solution in terms of its compliance with business logic and technical requirements.

They will also use a rigorous approach, attention to detail, a high degree of accountability, and clear technical understanding. These are the skills and methodologies used by QA specialists to foresee all possible market scenarios, user behavior, and potential challenges pertaining to the apps they observe.

Key test parameters

Traditionally, quality assurance is applied before each micro release. Once a new feature has been implemented in your application, you should familiarize yourself with how it works under different conditions. You should also determine whether this feature properly integrates with the app’s fundamental code and whether it can work properly under growing data loads. Focus on the following things to test:

• Your app’s look and user interface on different devices;
• Convenient user experience and user-friendly performance;
• Stable behavior under growing loads;
• Availability of all features;
• Adequate behavior in offline mode or during issues with the Internet.

It is valuable to understand these essentials in QA testing. However, this knowledge means nothing without a properly structured and comprehensive testing strategy. At ABCloudz, we focus on a step-by-step approach that includes numerous test stages supported with the corresponding documentation. This approach enables us to deliver products that comply with most accepted international standards like HIPAA and GDPR.

Stages of software testing

Specific features of your solution determine the scope of your testing strategy. If your app has only a few basic features and is aimed at a limited number of undemanding users, you may be able to skip some testing stages. In these cases, focus only on vital stages, such as basic functionality testing, code review, unit testing, and performance testing. But never forget about load testing, as it allows you to ensure proper app performance even in the most unfavorable conditions.

Complex mobile solutions serving the healthcare industry, or apps involving machine learning and IoT elements, require a more comprehensive approach. Let’s look at a full list of testing phases that ensure the top-notch quality of your software.

Testing and development phases codependence

Here are the basic software testing stages that are codependent with active robust software development:

• Unit testing: At this stage of software testing, you determine whether each unit of your application performs as designed.
• API testing: QA specialists review programming interfaces (APIs) to understand whether they fit all functionality, reliability, security, and performance requirements.
• GUI testing: This testing stage involves reviewing the functionality of the app’s graphical user interface (GUI).
• Functional testing: This is a type of manual testing in which you analyze whether the entire system meets its functional requirements.
• Regression testing: QA specialists test your system after code or program changes to ensure that such changes do not disrupt your app’s existing functionality.
• User acceptance testing (UAT): This stage allows you to determine whether your app handles the required tasks in real-world scenarios.
• Load testing: QA testing professionals review the system’s behavior under normal and peak conditions.
• Performance testing: This stage is about analyzing potential performance issues and ensuring that the app operates properly under its expected workload.
• Security testing: Security testing determines the app’s vulnerabilities and analyze whether its resources and data are protected from possible intruders.
• Penetration testing: This is type of security testing involves a simulated cyberattack on the application aimed at testing its safety under pressure.
• Post-release testing: This testing stage involves applying a specific suite of test cases to the system that have already been deployed.

Also, check out the image below to see how we integrate QA phases into active app development sprints.

Creating documentation that helps

To make your testing strategy more comprehensive, make sure to support it with a collection of relevant documents. These documents should describe every aspect of your software testing according to diverse performance, functionality, and other variables. The best solution is to align your test documentation activities with business analysis. Here you can look at your solution strategically. After analyzing your app’s business logic, you can define the most valuable use cases and scenarios and fix them in the testing documentation.

Test documents

Based on our extensive experience, we define the numerous types of documents that are especially valuable for your software testing and bug fixing.

• Test strategy is a general document describing your overall testing approach at the initial stage of the project.
• Device scope enumerates the list of devices that involved in your digital system that should be reviewed.
• Test plan is a more detailed document defining test coverage, priorities, and objectives. It should be updated after each testing stage or product release.
• Test suite is a set of test cases appropriated to specific testing goals.
• Test cases are elements of test scenarios that include pre-conditions, expected results, test data, post-conditions, and actual results. See the schedule for automated test cases on the image below.

• Test checklist is a document that includes information on post-release testing scenarios.
• Test execution report is a document containing fixed results and a summary of test execution activities. The visuals below illustrate different parts of a test execution report that illustrate feature-case distribution and statistics on software defects, respectively.

These documents protect you from common software testing mistakes. They describe and fix each application testing stage so you will know that no QA testing step has been missed. They are essential for organizing the effort of your testing team. Finally, such documents confirm your credibility to the client and allows them to review and control quality assurance procedures.

Apply top tools to improve your product quality

Manual testing helps you uncover most of the issues with your software. However, complex solutions may also require automated testing. Specifically, automated test frameworks help you review your software after regular builds and code updates. Here are the most critical benefits of automation testing for complex solutions.

The tech stack applied for testing software may be broad as the market is loaded with diverse technologies that facilitate efficient application testing. Based on our industry experience, we provide a list of the most crucial testing tools. Here are the tools and apps recommended by ABCloudz to help you establish and conduct an excellent software testing process.

• Jira is a basic project management tool that helps us organize tasks and track diverse issues.
• Zephyr is a test management tool that helps us optimize the speed and the quality of software testing.
• Fabric is a flexible build, deliver, and crash reporting system.
• UI Automator and Espresso are useful frameworks that help us test automation for Android.
• KIF is a framework for automated iOS testing.
• Appium is a framework for automated testing of both iOS and Android products.
• Postman is a widely applied tool for API testing.
• JMeter is an application that precisely measures the app’s performance and tests its functional behavior.
• MobSF is a popular pen-testing framework that helps with static analysis, dynamic analysis, web API testing, and malware analysis.

Frequently asked questions on QA

At ABCloudz, we are focused on continuous interaction with our clients because it helps us understand all their needs and requirements. This focus gives us knowledge and insight on the most common QA testing considerations for our customers. Here are some of the most common client questions from our QA Engineers.

1. How can you be sure that everything had been tested properly?

Documentation is what guides our software testing strategy. We develop a comprehensive and detailed “Test Checklist” within the Project Specification to ensure that nothing is missed. We indicate the most valuable scenarios approved for the project, as well as their deviations. Usually, such scenarios are provided by the client or created by our specialists with further approval from the client. When it comes to the quality assurance stage, our specialists thoroughly compare the activities described in the document with those already implemented. Hence, we are secure that all QA testing aspects are properly covered.

2. How can you be sure that the app will work properly on different devices?

Before we start developing an app, we specify the list of devices and browsers where this solution should run with the client. This list is approved and described in detail in a statement of work. Later, this statement of work serves as a vital document when we organize the software testing process. We use a broad stock of devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to review the app’s performance. We also understand the value of real performance testing. Because of this, we do not use any emulators to review the performance of software features. If the project requires testing on a customer’s devices, we request the devices from the customer and use them for comprehensive QA testing.

3. Is it a feature or a bug?

We use the correspondent specification to understand the product and the way it should behave. Our QA specialists easily verify any aspect of its behavior to determine whether it is a feature or a bug. This means that it is impossible to confuse application features with bugs that should be eliminated. After all, clarity is a must in the software testing approach utilized by ABCloudz.

4. How can you be sure that a single bug will not appear twice?

Once we identify a bug, we fix it as quickly as possible. However, we continue monitoring the sensitive part of the app even after fixing such an issue. We track the feature closely over time to ensure the fixed bug will not pop up again.

5. Why are there so many stages in your quality assurance strategy?

The more complex the solution, the bigger the number of requirements it contains. Such an app should serve thousands of users and seamlessly operate on different devices. Therefore, we need to thoroughly examine the product from different angles to ensure that no quality issues have been missed.

6. Is it possible to estimate the time needed for testing my app?

Our experienced QA specialists can estimate each set of tests and every test case they apply. At ABCloudz, we always provide our clients with general estimates in advance. We also use a time-tracking system to determine the time spent testing your app. We may also include general estimates on diverse stages of QA testing in the corresponding documentation. Because of this you will know how much time we need for each test scenario. This process allows you to better plan your time and budget for the specific project.

Embrace our software QA testing expertise

Our dedicated technology experts have more than 10 years’ expertise in software development. We have cooperated with some of the world’s most prominent companies and are never afraid to take on a challenge. We are especially proud to be certified partners of such tech industry giants as Microsoft and Amazon.

To maintain our excellent reputation, we use an optimal quality assurance approach for the most complex mobile solutions. So, we’re ready to handle your tasks, regardless of their complexity. We offer you superior quality and excellent performance of the provided solutions so that you will not face unpleasant surprises after their release. Contact us to discuss your needs, and let’s start implementing your state-of-the-art application today.