Since the world has become more informed than ever in terms of digital familiarity, people need rapid access to technology.
From the introduction of automation to the integration of artificial intelligence, businesses have become incredibly dependent and inclined towards business-specific and user-dedicated applications.
Besides, the growing demand for technology has even fostered the need for quality assurance. Be it meeting the productivity requirements or creating high-performing and efficient solutions, quality assurance creates space for more dynamic output.
As the ever-growing business landscape needs to nurture quality assurance in order to align with the digital transformation goals, we at BugRaptors always keep on extending our network within the community to gain a unique vision on changing QA perspective.
This time, our in-house expert, Kanika Vatsyayan, interacted with Sachin Sharma, Senior Manager QA, Adidas. With hands-on experience of more than a decade, Sachin holds CSM®, SAFe® 4.5 and ISTQB testing certifications (CTFL - Foundation, Agile Ext and ISTQB Advance - Test Manager).
Sachin is flexible and always open to feedback with an intrinsic skill to self-coach. He is motivated and extremely results-driven professional who holds a dynamic perspective on Quality assurance and Process management.
With all that detail about Sachin’s background and experience as a QA, let us quickly dive into the conversation to understand his vision of QA challenges, QA modernization, Agile, DevOps, and more.
Kanika: According to you, what is the biggest challenge the QA industry is facing today?
Sachin: In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges the Quality Assurance (QA) industry is facing today is keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies and software development methodologies. The QA industry plays a critical role in ensuring the quality and reliability of software products, but the increasing complexity and diversity of software systems present significant challenges.
Here are a few specific challenges:
Addressing these challenges requires QA professionals to stay updated with the latest industry trends, acquire new skills, and embrace innovative testing approaches and tools.
Kanika: QA Modernization - What are your thoughts on it?
Sachin: Adhering to my recent experiences, QA modernization is crucial for staying competitive and ensuring the delivery of high-quality software products. Here are some thoughts on QA modernization:
Overall, QA modernization is crucial to keep pace with the evolving software landscape, improve efficiency, and deliver high-quality software products. It involves embracing automation, shifting left, integrating with agile and DevOps, improving test environment and data management, focusing on performance engineering, and exploring AI/ML in testing.
Kanika: What does leadership look like in the age of Agile and DevOps?
Sachin: Leadership in the age of Agile and DevOps takes on several key characteristics that align with the principles and practices of these methodologies. Here are some aspects of leadership that are particularly relevant in this context:
In summary, leadership in the age of Agile and DevOps revolves around empowering teams, serving as facilitators, fostering collaboration and communication, embracing the agile mindset, promoting continuous learning and growth, focusing on outcomes, embracing risk and failure, and aligning with business goals. These leadership qualities enable organizations to effectively navigate the dynamic and fast-paced nature of Agile and DevOps environments.
Kanika: 3 major metrics through which we can uplift the QA teams?
Sachin: Uplifting QA teams involves measuring their performance and progress in meaningful ways. Here are three major metrics that can be used to assess and uplift QA teams:
1. Defect Detection and Prevention Metrics:
These metrics focus on the effectiveness of the QA team in detecting and preventing defects throughout the software development lifecycle. They provide insights into the quality of the software being tested and the team's ability to identify and address issues. Some relevant metrics include:
2. Test Efficiency and Effectiveness Metrics:
These metrics focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of the QA team's testing efforts. They provide insights into the team's productivity and the impact of their testing activities. Some relevant metrics include:
3. Customer Satisfaction Metrics:
These metrics focus on the satisfaction of the end users or customers with the quality of the software. They provide insights into the impact of the QA team's efforts on the overall user experience and customer satisfaction. Some relevant metrics include:
It's important to note that these metrics should be used in conjunction with qualitative assessments, such as team feedback, individual growth, and collaboration, to provide a comprehensive view of the QA team's performance and to guide efforts in uplifting the team effectively.
Kanika: What are the benefits of implementing Model-based testing?
Sachin: Implementing model-based testing (MBT) can bring several benefits to the software testing process. Here are some key advantages:
It's worth noting that implementing MBT requires upfront investment in creating models and setting up the necessary tools and infrastructure. Additionally, the effectiveness of MBT depends on the quality of the models and their alignment with the system under test. However, when implemented properly, MBT can significantly enhance test coverage, early defect detection, efficiency, maintainability, and documentation in the software testing process.
Kanika: People have multiple myths about low code automation testing, what do you think about it?
Sachin: Low code automation testing is a relatively new approach to software testing that has gained popularity in recent years. It involves using graphical user interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality to create automated test cases, instead of traditional coding-based approaches. Low code automation testing tools aim to simplify and accelerate the automation process by providing an intuitive and user-friendly interface, reducing the need for technical expertise and coding skills.
Low code automation testing has its benefits and limitations, and it is important to approach it with realistic expectations. While it can streamline the automation process and improve efficiency, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution and should be integrated as part of a comprehensive testing strategy that includes both manual and automated testing approaches.
Additionally, low code automation testing should not be seen as a replacement for manual testing entirely. While it can automate certain repetitive and time-consuming tasks, manual testing is still essential for activities that require human judgment, exploratory testing, and usability testing.
In summary, low code automation testing can be a valuable addition to a testing toolkit, but it should not be viewed as a silver bullet. Testers and organizations should assess their needs, capabilities, and objectives when considering low code automation testing and determine how it can best complement their existing testing practices.
Kanika: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
Sachin: As an avid user of LinkedIn, I invite you to connect with me and explore a deeper understanding of my thoughts, beliefs, and professional endeavors. Additionally, I am proud to serve as a co-founder of The Test Chat community.
By joining our community on YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Telegram, you will gain access to valuable insights and stay updated on the latest happenings in the testing industry. It's a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge and engage with like-minded individuals passionate about the subject matter.
When it comes to digital success, quality assurance opens all the ways to advanced development. Besides, getting timely access to advanced practices like Agile, DevOps, and Automation complements more streamlined development.
From bringing together the community to exploring changing dynamics of testing, we at BugRaptors never miss out on anything that is vital to generate value to the world.
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In case, you need any expert advice, suggestions, or professional testing assistance, feel free to share your queries at info@bugraptors.com
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BugRaptors is one of the best software testing companies headquartered in India and the US, which is committed to catering to the diverse QA needs of any business. We are one of the fastest-growing QA companies; striving to deliver technology-oriented QA services, worldwide. BugRaptors is a team of 200+ ISTQB-certified testers, along with ISO 9001:2018 and ISO 27001 certifications.
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