This post provides tips on how to improve your QA testing process for better testing and mistakes to avoid when performing your QA processes😢. We will also outline how these errors can impact your software and what you can do about it. The main message is that it is important to understand the implications of your decisions and not blindly go through processes without considering their impact on the final outcome.

How to improve Your QA Testing Process for better testing

1. ) Always define a clear and well-defined goal for the tests .

Failing to define a clear and well-defined goal can cause confusion, frustration and therefore has negative impacts on your team members’ morale. When you keep this in mind, you will have a better chance of ensuring that every action you take is consistent with the goals you are trying to achieve.
For example, if your goal is to create a new version of the application in QA testing by replacing all old modules with new ones and testing them, then this may lead to communication problems and may not result in a successful QA testing process. When you do not define what your goal is or how your process will be working, the chances of knowing whether the process worked or not are very low.

2.) Always document your testing processes.

When you fail to document your processes, it makes it easier to assume that everyone understands how everything works in your software QA testing process🤷‍♀️. This means everyone is following different procedures and they are all going to have different opinions on what they think should be done, which defeats the purpose of having a procedure in the first place. Documenting your processes also helps you communicate with your team members better and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

3.) Define and manage client or customer expectations properly.

This can be damaging and can limit the scope of your QA testing process. As QA, you should strive to fulfil all client expectations and specifications✅. However, if you fail to do so in the beginning, the client will start to add other requirements that you may not be able to fulfil, which can then cause mistakes in your testing process. If a client or a customer does this, this may lead to issues with the final outcome of the software.

4.) Always prioritize your testing tasks properly.

When prioritizing your tasks, it is important to make sure that you have an organized and efficient way of recording data and finding errors. This is why it is recommended to use a test management software or QA tool that helps you do this effectively.

5.) Consider the potential bugs caused by introducing a new feature into the software.

Even if your software is created using new technology or is using a new version of an old programming language, the chances are that you will still encounter bugs 🐛. Considering the impact of these possible bugs can help you have an idea of what to expect in production.

6.) Make sure that your software is tested for bugs on different types of platforms and devices.

Your software may seem to be working perfectly on your machine, but you will never know what impact it will have on other devices. This is why it is important to have someone test your software using their own machines or using a variety of devices.

7.) Always perform User Acceptance Testing for your software.

You should not assume that the client or the customer will accept whatever you give them. User acceptance testing is necessary to make sure your software is working as expected. It is also an important part of the process because it gives you an opportunity to find out more about the client or customer’s expectations.

8.) Perform stress testing for your software.

Stress testing can help you examine your software with regard to its performance under heavy load conditions. When you are stress testing, it allows you to see how well your software reacts when large volumes of data are being processed by it. You also get a good idea of how well the system recovers from such loads and what impact data surges have on the system performance.

9.) Collaborate effectively with other QA teams.

Collaboration allows you to learn from one another, creating a more efficient and effective QA testing process👏. When you work together with other teams, it helps you see where your software can be improved. Collaboration is a good way to find out what others know that you do not and vice versa.

10.) Have the right classification of defects/bugs

This can also cause issues with communication and client expectations. For example, If certain defects are classified as errors or bugs while they are actual features then it is likely that your clients may end up with an inaccurate picture of what they should expect from your software.

There are many other mistakes that can occur as well, including failing to use the right tools or wasting time in doing things that don’t help you achieve your goals. When you are looking to improve and expand your QA testing process, it is very important that you find out the potential problems and work out plans to avoid them.

11.) Always write clear test cases

When you start your software testing process, you need to write clear test cases. Clear and well-written test cases are important in order to achieve the goal of your testing process. When you do not write things clearly, it may lead to misunderstandings between the QA testers and project managers or even other members of your team. This means that they will not know what they are supposed to be doing and they may also end up trying to do things that are not in their scope of work.

12.) Have regression testing set up

The easiest way to ensure that new modules are working properly is through regression testing. This will ensure that all modules are working properly as if they were already in the software.🤓

What are the impacts of these mistakes?

Conclusion

When you find yourself having made a mistake in a QA testing process, it is important to try and fix it as soon as possible. Otherwise, having these mistakes build up could lead to losing public trust in your software and also will have negative impacts on the morale of your QA team members. If a mistake does occur during your QA testing process, then you will have to be able to manage these issues without disrupting the overall progress of development.👩‍💻

Read more on how to implement a test flow process in QA.