QA Role and Expectations

Owned by Milan Poláček
Last updated: Jan 16, 2024 by Mike Deskis
3 min read

The article discusses the role and expectations of a Quality Assurance (QA) analyst in a project team. The QA analyst is responsible for conducting functional and regression testing, documenting testing activities using a test management tool, and assisting the customer with testing tasks. The article also mentions additional tasks that can be fulfilled by the QA analyst, such as helping with User Acceptance Testing (UAT), test management, functional demos for customers, and optional tasks like performance testing and test automation.

QA Role description:

The QA role is a standard part of every project team and focuses on software testing. The main responsibility of the QA role is to conduct functional testing before the customer begins their testing. Additionally, the QA role involves assisting the customer with testing tasks during Feature Sprints and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

The main responsibility of the QA role is to conduct functional testing before the customer begins their testing. Additionally, the QA role involves assisting the customer with testing tasks during Feature Sprints and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Functional testing refers to the process of testing the software for compliance with the specified requirements and ensuring that it functions as expected. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the final phase of testing to ensure that the software meets the user's needs and is ready for release.

Key attributes of QA role:

  • QA is a standard project role and it should be definitely part of every project team

  • QA is an expert on software testing on the project

  • Main responsibility of QA role is to do functional testing before the customer is performing his testing

  • The other typical responsibility of QA role is helping the customer with testing tasks - during Feature Sprints and UAT

 NOTE: in case QA is not part of the project team, it is significantly increasing the project risks as all responsibility for testing is on customer and testing documentation is completely missing

Main QA tasks

Functional testing is based on user stories, while regression testing is based on a group of user stories. The documentation of testing is done using a Test management tool. In Pricefx, X-Ray is the standard tool for this purpose, but partners can choose their own system. It is recommended that partners use a test management tool, and an overview of test management tools can be found in the "Top 20 Best Test Management Tools (New 2024 Rankings)."

 

Other tasks can be fulfilled in case of project needs and sufficient QA allocation:

The QA analyst can assist less experienced customers with User Acceptance Testing (UAT), provide support with test management when the customer does not have their own test management tool, conduct functional demos for the customer during Feature Sprints, and optionally perform basic performance testing for large projects. Additionally, the QA analyst can provide support for test automation based on allocation and project needs.

These tasks include:

  • Assisting less experienced customers with User Acceptance Testing (UAT): This involves providing guidance and support to customers who may be new to the UAT process.

  • Assisting the customer with test management, especially when the customer does not have their own test management tool: This involves helping the customer organize and manage their testing activities, ensuring that testing is conducted effectively.

  • Conducting functional demos for the customer during Feature Sprints: This involves showcasing the functionality of the software to the customer during specific phases of development known as Feature Sprints.

  • Optionally performing basic performance testing, which is expected for large projects. Support from the Performance team may be needed for complex scenarios: This involves testing the performance of the software to ensure it meets performance requirements, particularly in the context of larger projects.

  • Optionally providing test automation support for development, based on allocation and project needs: This involves automating testing processes to support the development of the software, based on the specific needs and resources available for the project.