In a nutshell: A QA process structures the way a team ensures software quality, from defining objectives through acceptance testing and exploratory testing. When done right, it detects errors before they reach users, protects revenue, and boosts productivity. This guide details the key steps for implementing an effective QA process, even when starting from scratch.
Software quality is the unseen cornerstone of your business performance. In a highly competitive market, a well-structured QA (Quality Assurance) is no longer a technical luxury, but a business necessity. It allows you to identify and correct errors before they reach your customers, thereby protecting your revenue and your brand image.
This guide explores the key steps for building an effective QA strategy that can adapt to your company's productivity requirements.
What is the QA process?
The QA process, or quality assurance, is a systematic approach designed to ensure that a product meets defined quality standards.
It involves planning, monitoring, and executing tests throughout the development cycle to validate the results at each stage.
It goes beyond simply detecting anomalies; it encompasses the continuous improvement of the product by preventing defects before they affect users.
Essentially, the main goal is to ensure that the software is reliable, high-performing, and meets customer expectations.
Why is the QA process essential?
QA plays a crucial role in any IT project. By identifying errors early on, it helps reduce maintenance costs and avoid post-production fixes, which can be costly and time-consuming.
According to a study by IBM's Institute for Systems Science, the cost of fixing a bug discovered after deployment is four to five times higher than that of an error detected during the design phase, and up to 100 times higher than if the error had been identified during the maintenance phase.
Rigorous QA management also allows development teams to work more efficiently without having to go back multiple times to fix critical errors.
Finally, effective QA governance facilitates compliance with quality standards and industry regulations, particularly with regard toaccessibility requirements and GDPR compliance.
Implementing a QA Process – Key Steps
1. Identify the main objectives
From the very beginning of the development cycle, QA testers must have a thorough understanding of the software's functional and non-functional requirements in order to define clear objectives.
These objectives may include improving overall product quality, reducing bugs, and optimizing performance.
Once these objectives have been established, it becomes much easier to define the scope of the tests as well as the types of tests to be implemented, whether they are functional tests, performance tests, or other approaches tailored to the project’s requirements.
2. Assemble the QA team
It is essential to carefully consider the type of staff to include in the QA team, whether they arefull-time employees, part-time contractors, or interns with a variety of technical skills.
Depending on needs and available resources, it may also be advisableto outsource certain parts of the QA process. This approach not only helps control costs in the long term but also ensures an optimized process overseen by experienced experts.
For example, at Mr Suricate, we offer a support service with a dedicated account manager who provides 100% personalized assistance to optimize the QA process.
3. Define a testing strategy
An effective testing strategy encompasses various types of tests, including functional, performance, and security tests, and prioritizes areas with the highest risk based on potential impact, probability of occurrence, and usage of the features.
4. Choose a testing methodology
Choosing the right methodology depends on several factors, such as the complexity of the project, the size of the team, and time constraints.
The main testing methodologies:
Waterfall (V-model or cascade): This traditional approach follows a linear progression in which each phase of the project (analysis, design, development, testing, deployment) must be completed before moving on to the next. It is suitable for well-defined projects where requirements do not change frequently. However, it offers little flexibility.
Scrum: an Agile methodology that divides development into well-defined sprints with daily meetings to track project progress. Scrum is ideal for teams that work autonomously and iteratively.
Kanban: another Agile framework that emphasizes the visual management of work in progress using a task board. It is particularly useful for optimizing workflow and improving the productivity of QA and development teams.
DevOps: an approach that aims to combine software development and IT operations to automate the delivery and deployment cycle. Continuous testing plays a key role in ensuring fast and reliable updates.
XP (Extreme Programming): Designed to improve code quality and responsiveness to changes, XP emphasizes automated testing, iterative development, and close collaboration between developers and testers.
5. Create a test plan
A test plan is a detailed document that describes the objectives, scope, approach, and resources required to perform software testing. It serves as a roadmap by clearly defining what needs to be tested, how the tests will be conducted, and what the success criteria are.
A well-written test plan ensures that all stakeholders involved in the software development process are aligned on the test objectives, deadlines, and required effort.
This plan must include:
The types of testing required: functional testing, usability testing, security testing, performance testing, etc.
Test objectives: to ensure comprehensive test coverage.
Test criteria: defining the requirements the software must meet to be considered successful.
Resource planning: involving the identification, allocation, and management of human resources, testing tools, and equipment.
Deliverables: including test cases, defect reports, test plans, and summary reports.
6. Acceptance Testing Phase
Before any system goes live, it is essentialto conduct a rigorous validation phase involving the QA teams, developers, Product Owners, and business managers.
This step ensures that the product meets functional requirements, identifies any regressions, and verifies that it meets end-users' expectations.
Tests should be scheduled based on business priorities, focusing first on critical features and the most frequently used customer journeys.
Collaboration among the various stakeholders is essential to ensuring optimal test coverage. QA teams ensure that automated and manual test scenarios are executed, developers quickly fix any identified issues, and business users verify that the use cases align with actual expectations in the field.
A final validation in a pre-production environment allows us to simulate real-world conditions before deployment. This methodical process reduces the risk of bugs in production and improves user satisfaction.
7. Exploratory Test
Exploratory testing is a complementary approach to formalized testing that helpsidentify defects not covered by standard test scenarios.
Unlike scripted tests, they do not follow a predefined plan but rely on the testers’ intuition, experience, and analysis. This method is particularly effective for detecting unexpected behavior, UX inconsistencies, or flaws in complex user flows.
The involvement of QA testers, as well as Product Owners and business experts, is essential in this phase. Their knowledge of the product and real-world use cases makes it possible to test scenarios that closely resemble those encountered by end users.
These tests are often conducted in the final phase, before the product goes live, or after major updates, to verify the product’s robustness under real-world conditions. By promoting a proactive approach and targeted exploration, they significantly improve the quality and reliability of applications.
8. Implement the test automation framework
Select an automated testing tool and make sure your framework can be integrated into your CI/CD pipeline so that tests run automatically during build and deployment cycles.
Once your team is familiar with the tools and the chosen framework, begin the process by automating a small but strategic set of test cases.
9. Track key test metrics
Tracking metrics is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of the QA process and identifying areas for improvement.
Key indicators such as the test pass rate, the number of defects detected by test type, the automated test coverage rate, and the average time to resolve defects can be usedto analyze the product’s stability and quality.
QA teams, in collaboration with developers and Product Owners, should regularly review these metrics to adjust testing strategies, optimize automation efforts, and ensure continuous process improvement.
10. Update the QA documentation
QA documentation must be updated regularly to provide a history of testing activities and to reflect the latest changes to the application.
By scheduling feedback sessions after key project milestones, you can ensure that the current documentation is useful, well-organized, and accessible.
11. Continuous Improvement and Optimization of the QA Process
The constant evolution of technologies and development methods requires continuous improvement in testing practices.
It is therefore essentialto conduct regular reviews to assess the effectiveness of the tests and identify areas for improvement.
The involvement of the entire project team in ensuring software quality is a key factor for success. Smooth communication between testers, developers, and project managers helps optimize the detection and correction of defects as the project progresses.
12. And finally, some best practices and mistakes to avoid
Examples of best practices:
✅ Involve QA from the design phase onward
✅ Foster a QA culture within development teams
✅ Prioritize automation while retaining manual testing for critical cases
✅ Test in an environment as close as possible to production
Mistakes to Avoid:
❌ Relying solely on manual testing and neglecting automation
❌ Failing to test under real-world conditions (device types, operating systems, network latency)
❌ Ignoring security testing (penetration testing, GDPR, etc.)
Streamline your QA process with Mr Suricate, France's leading provider of no-code automated testing!
The no-code SaaS solution Mr Suricate covers a wide range of automated tests, allowing you to take control of your acceptance testing and provide your users with an optimal experience.
Take control of your applications and detect bugs in real time on your websites, apps, and APIs by automatically replicating your user journeys at regular intervals.
FAQ
What is a QA process?
It is the structured set of practices that ensure the quality of software throughout its lifecycle: objectives, team, testing strategy and methodology, test plan, acceptance testing, and exploratory testing. A preventive approach, not just a final check.
How do you set up a QA process?
By following these key steps: defining objectives, assembling the QA team, establishing a testing strategy and methodology, drafting a test plan, and then organizing acceptance testing and exploratory testing. Automation further strengthens the entire process.
Why is a QA process essential for business?
Because it corrects errors before they reach customers. Reliable software protects revenue, brand reputation, and productivity: quality becomes a driver of performance, not a cost.