QA is Evolving

From Virtual Reality to Artificial Intelligence, 2024 aims to be a technology-oriented year. Smart glasses, Smart rings, and even smart health devices are becoming part of our day-to-day life. We need to get on board the Smart-Technology boat. As everything evolves and utilizes technology, including artificial intelligence, to enhance functionality, an easy conclusion appears… QA must evolve as well.

Since 1950, QA has been a staple in the Software Development Lifecycle. There was a big change adaptation when Agile Methodologies appeared in 2001. Now, more than 20 years after one of the biggest changes, QA is adapting to the world trends. We, the tech soldiers, are looking at the next big change, the Shift Left Testing is emerging once again.

QA for most people is Quality Assurance, but for us it's Quality Analysis. Quality Analysis is more than Testing, the team becomes a partner with a shared goal. QA Teams aims for the success of the system and Shift Left Testing is a game changer in this partnership. Quality needs and should be part of the complete Development Process.  QA should start from early stages, and with this trend, this is a best practice behavior.

Shift Left Testing emphasizes moving the testing process earlier in the SDLC. In traditional and agile methodologies, testing is often performed after the development phase. With this approach, the activities should start with the requirements and design phases. This proactive strategy aims to detect and address defects and issues fast.  Fixes in the early stages reduce the cost and effort required for the project.

This line of action understands that the cost of fixing a defect increases phase by phase. The cheapest phase for fixing a defect is the requirements phase, let's consider it 1x. Addressing them in later stages, such as development or testing, can cost more (5x to 10x). If a defect reaches production, the cost escalates from 30x to 100x. This cost doesn’t include impact on users and reputational risks.

AgileThought has strategically developed a robust Center of Excellence framework. We align and embrace this Shift Left core ideology. Our team of seasoned experts collaborates with clients and gets a deep comprehension of the business needs. This pivotal step serves as a cornerstone, empowering us to tailor and put in place a Quality Analysis process. This recipe has been successful ensuring optimal alignments with business needs and objectives.

Shift Left Testing came back and helped the IT world to craft an important improvement in QA. It's crucial to acknowledge that it's not the final frontier. The evolving environment of technology and QA practices implies that more innovations are on the horizon. As we navigate the trends of software development, continuous improvement remains constant. Anticipating and adapting to these emerging trends will be key for more efficient QA strategies.  Shift Left is a steppingstone in this evolutionary journey, and the future promises even more interesting approaches to enhance the software testing landscape.