How to Streamline Quality Assurance: Real Case Improving Product Quality Through Baby Steps

Oleksandr Strukov

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Nov 6, 2023

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In a world of rapid technological advancements and growing product demands, ensuring quality can be quite a challenge. Today, I’m here to share a remarkable story about a company that faced unique challenges. As their product demand soared, their team expanded rapidly. However, the startup processes that they established long ago that once served them well were no longer sufficient to meet present-day demands. To overcome this, they expanded their horizons by bringing in team members from around the world to infuse fresh perspectives and maintain product quality. Unfortunately, the absence of proper test documentation and a narrow focus on testing individual features rather than the overall product led to bug-ridden releases that were driving customers away.

Addressing these challenges was no walk in the park for a new team member. Achieving a perfect process is a journey filled with trust-building and learning from setbacks. In this article, we’ll dive into a real-life case study to see how these issues were successfully addressed.

Project Review:

Before my role as a QA manager, the development process was primarily geared toward efficiently delivering new features to users. It was a speedy process but not scalable. We encountered several critical problems:

• Inconsistent Delivery Planning: There was a lack of consistency in how tasks were planned and delivered.
• Uncertainty in QA: Our QA team often found themselves uncertain about upcoming releases, leading to inefficiencies.
• Missing Documentation: The absence of clear documentation and requirements made it challenging for the project manager and the team to have a reference point.
• Task Planning and Timelines: Task planning and estimating delivery times were virtually non-existent, making it difficult to manage projects.
• High-Level Regression Testing: Our QA cycles were wasted on high-level regression testing that didn’t cover all functionalities.
• Poorly Structured Tasks: Many tasks were poorly defined and not updated during development.
• No Ownership for Processes or Tasks: There was a lack of responsibility for specific processes or tasks.

To address these challenges, we recognized the need for an additional QA team member. The existing team was struggling to effectively manage the planning and testing demands. My role was extended to QA manager, taking on the responsibility of improving these processes and steering the ship toward smoother waters.

When it comes to Quality Assurance, understanding the existing process is like having a treasure map. But there’s a catch — it’s not just about finding the treasure, but also ensuring that your treasure map matches what your manager envisions. In projects without clear documentation, this verification process can take some time. So, as a QA, the first step is to outline the existing process and get that golden “thumbs up” from your manager, making sure you’re on the same page.

Then I initiated the creation of test documentation. It’s like crafting the building blocks for a robust structure. To do this, I needed to sit down with management and make sure my vision aligned with theirs. After all, they hold the master plan.

The improvements I initially proposed were pretty straightforward:

1. Early testing
2. Early Quality Assurance (QA) involvement
3. Participation in design reviews
4. Proactive documentation creation
5. Defined sprints and timelines
6. Automation of regression test suites

So, here’s the game plan:

1. Outline the current process and get management’s stamp of approval.
2. Start with project documentation and build it up into a comprehensive coverage (think of it as having a complete manual).
3. Kick off early testing to catch issues before they grow into big problems.
4. Fine-tune the sprints and set estimated times for each task. It’s like giving everyone a roadmap.

Now, here’s the twist. For a QA who’s just getting started on a project, making all these changes can feel like scaling a mountain, especially if the clients don’t fully understand the QA role. It’s a bit like teaching someone to read a treasure map while searching for the treasure.

To truly understand the approach I took, let’s dive deeper into the details:

My Strategy

Step 1: Mapping Out the Current Process

Problem: The situation was a bit like herding cats — no one was on the same page, and the process was like a shape-shifter, constantly changing. This ever-changing landscape was a recipe for chaos, and we all know chaos isn’t our friend. As one brilliant Business Analyst once said, “Don’t live in a place of undefined expectations.”

Solution: Build out the diagram that outlines the process and agree that this vision is correct. Even though outlining the process did not feel like a good thing for management, they were thankful to understand where they stand.

Impact: Now that all teams know how they operate and that system is not changing each iteration it gave them a good foundation for better planning and expectations. Even though the current process does not look good, it is still a big step towards the next improvements.

Step 2: Creating Test Documentation

Problem: The absence of test documentation had repercussions that were not only serious but also caused some eye-rolls. So it was the best second step to take and build upon it:

1. Confusion for Project Managers and Developers: It was like trying to assemble a puzzle in the dark, for both project managers and developers. Not the fun kind of puzzle.
2. Buggy Releases: Imagine our releases were like Swiss cheese, full of holes (bugs), but without the delicious cheese. More holes, less deliciousness.
3. Daily Time Wasted: Our daily routines felt like watching reruns of a show you’ve seen a hundred times — monotonous and utterly unexciting.

Solution:

As a QA manager, I suggested: Let’s start with creating comprehensive test documentation. Think of it as giving everyone a bright flashlight in the puzzle room, filling in the holes in our “Swiss cheese,” and introducing some exciting new episodes in our daily routine.

Impact: Laying the Groundwork

Test documentation played a crucial role; it was like the sturdy foundation of a house. Imagine trying to build the house without that foundation — our subsequent steps would have been like trying to construct a house in a tornado. Test documentation made everything smoother and more structured, helping us to steer clear of a storm of challenges. So that was a great second step.

Step 3: Getting Ahead with Early Testing

After crafting the test documentation, it was clear to me that the next step was like reading the user manual before playing a new game. This step allowed us to fully grasp the new features before the developers even started building them. It’s like knowing the game rules before you start playing, so you don’t have to keep pausing to figure things out.

If this step is implemented properly:

• Tasks in the backlog are like well-written cheat codes for a video game — they have accurate descriptions.
• All tasks come with a clear set of instructions, just like the rules of a game.
• The team doesn’t waste time scratching their heads trying to understand how things work, and the game (or in our case, the project) runs much smoother.

Impact: The changes I suggested had a ripple effect:

• Time was saved for the development, QA, and project management teams, giving us more time to focus on what really matters.
• Clear and concise task descriptions reduced defects, making our work smoother and less error-prone.
• The quality of our product releases took a significant leap.
• All new tasks entering the backlog were like well-marked paths in a treasure hunt, accurately described and easy to follow.
• Every task came with test documentation and clear requirements — ensuring that we didn’t get lost along the way.
• The overall product quality was like a shining star, lighting up the night sky in our journey towards excellence.

Step 4: Defined Sprints and Enhanced QA

Despite the presence of test documentation, regression testing persisted as an issue. To address this, the development team defined sprint schedules and their contents.

Impact:

1. Enhanced QA Efficiency: The redefined process eliminated time wastage in post-sprint QA efforts.
2. Elevated Product Quality at Release: Product quality experienced a substantial boost during releases.
3. Streamlined Deployment Management: The new approach provided better control over deployment processes.
4. Transparent Delivery Estimates: Clear and accurate delivery timelines with no last-minute tasks contributed to smoother project management.
5. QA-Guided Production Deployment: Production deployments only proceeded after obtaining QA approval, ensuring higher reliability.
6. Resilient Hotfix Strategy: A well-structured hotfix plan was established to promptly address production bugs, enhancing overall reliability.

Problems during Implementation:

1. Stakeholder Resistance to Sprint Guidelines: Early challenges involved stakeholders frequently insisting on adding tasks as “must-haves” within sprints. This impeded the effective enforcement of sprint processes. However, this issue was eventually resolved by educating stakeholders about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and the ramifications of introducing hot tasks.
2. Initial Developer Resistance to QA Participation: Initially, developers were skeptical about the necessity of QA’s involvement in the process. However, as they grasped the advantages of streamlined processes, such as reviewing documentation instead of lengthy discussions with QA or project management, these doubts were swiftly resolved.

Conclusions:

In summary, this case study underscores the significance of adaptability and continual improvement in the ever-evolving realm of technology. It emphasizes the transformative potential of well-structured processes and comprehensive documentation in significantly enhancing product quality and operational efficiency. The pizza should be whole and not in holes. The key takeaways from this case study include:

1. Effective Process Enhancements in Development: Implementing improvements within the development process yielded considerable benefits.
2. Robust Test Documentation Creation: The creation of comprehensive test documentation contributed to a more efficient workflow.
3. Savings in Workdays and Sprints: The optimization efforts resulted in saved time and resources for all team members.
4. Elevated Quality Standards: The establishment of quality standards played a pivotal role in mitigating production-related issues.

In conclusion, this case study underscores the vital role of adaptability and ongoing improvement in the dynamic technology landscape, baby steps are a good solution for projects where one has no trust. Highlighting the pivotal influence of well-structured processes and detailed documentation in elevating product quality and operational efficiency.