5 Reasons Why Independent Testing Benefits In-House QA Teams

June 16 08:49 2021 by Anastasia Kizilo Print This Article

Aren’t independent testing and in-house QA natural enemies as competitors? How can independent testing possibly benefit in-house QA teams? Read further to find out.

In this article, we provide 5 main reasons why independent QA can be of help to in-house testers.

1. Independent QA can help in-house teams to deal with tight deadlines

Tight deadlines are a widespread challenge in software development and testing. Releases of new products, their upgrades, updates, and bug fixes are often required as soon as possible. For the in-house teams involved in QA, such situations can mean extreme workload, possibilities of working overtime, and struggling to meet the deadlines. Which, in turn, can lead to stress, exhaustion, and overall negative effect on employees’ wellbeing. And there is still a possibility that all the tasks will not be completed in time.

Independent QA can help by taking on a part of testing responsibilities and expanding the in-house team with the required number of extra QA engineers. As a result, the deadlines will be met without taking a toll on the in-house team. The workload and schedule will stay normal and acceptable.

2. Independent testing can allow non-QA professionals performing QA to focus on their key competencies

In many companies, QA responsibilities are assigned to experts who do not specialize in software testing. Oftentimes, this role falls to developers. In some cases, other employees can also get involved in QA. Performing testing in addition to their main responsibilities leaves them less time to focus on what they do best.

Independent QA can take on all the testing responsibilities or a part of them so that the non-QA professionals from an in-house team can dedicate all or most of their time to performing their main job duties. This way, these employees’ skills and expertise will be used in the most optimal way. Their job satisfaction should also grow because they will be able to do what they specialize in and prefer doing as a job.

3. Independent QA can help in-house testers with time-consuming tasks

Sometimes, additional high-priority tasks or important new projects unexpectedly appear and start demanding most of the in-house testers’ attention. When that happens, keeping up with the other, occasionally less urgent, time-consuming testing tasks as well can be a burden.

In such situations, delegating the numerous time-consuming testing tasks to independent QA can significantly decrease the load on in-house teams and allow them to fully focus on the job assignments that matter the most. At the same time, no product quality in any area or project will be compromised.

4. Independent QA can offer in-house teams a fresh look at the product

The in-house QA team’s deep knowledge of and familiarity with the product under test can be both an advantage and a disadvantage in QA. On the one hand, it is a good thing because the in-house team knows exactly how the solution is supposed to work and how it’s achieved.

But on the other hand, this very reason may prevent the in-house QA from being able to predict the possible unexpected scenarios of users’ behavior or the end-user reaction to certain aspects of the product. Some bugs may also go unnoticed just because the required concentration, perceptiveness, and curiosity can be lost when people are looking at something for too long or checking something over and over again for an extended period of time.

This is why independent QA can be useful to in-house teams to assure the product quality in the most efficient way. Independent testers can offer a fresh look at the solution and spot some issues the in-house team may not have noticed. In a way, independent QA engineers have the perspective that is closest to the end-users who see the product for the first time, but with the advantage of extensive expertise and experience in QA.

Together, the in-house QA with their deep knowledge of the solution and independent testers with their fresh look at it can achieve the best results in quality assurance.

5. Independent QA can quickly bring additional competencies to in-house teams

Sometimes, a software product’s functionality can significantly expand or a company can start developing completely new types of solutions. When that happens, the in-house QA may need to acquire new competencies and expertise very fast. While professional growth in itself is good, the requirement to achieve it really quickly can put a lot of pressure on the in-house testers.

In such situations, independent QA can be of help. Independent testers with the required expertise can temporarily take on the tasks of checking the new functionality or the new type of product. In the meantime, the in-house team members can develop new competencies at a normal pace.

Conclusion

While it may seem that independent QA and in-house testers are inherently competitors, it really doesn’t have to be like this. In fact, there are many ways independent testers can help in-house QA teams and make their lives easier and better. From reducing the workload and freeing up time to offering a fresh look at software, independent QA can bring a lot of benefits to in-house testers. And in many situations, these two parties working together will achieve the best results.

So, if you are a part of the in-house QA team, you shouldn’t shy away from the assistance of independent testing when you need it. And if you are an independent QA engineer, you should try to be as helpful as possible to the in-house testers. As for the QATestLab team, we are always here for you if you have any questions or require any QA help.

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