Agile has become the gold standard for software development. This is mainly because teams have to deliver software applications and their updates more frequently. They have to respond quickly to the growing customer needs and market shifts.
However, between this speed and flexibility, an issue usually arises. That is quality. After all, no matter how quickly you’re delivering features, if they don’t meet customer expectations or if they introduce defects, your Agile process falls short.
This is where Software Quality Assurance (SQA) comes in to save the day. It’s unlike traditional models, where testing is an optional process at the end. QA in Agile is integrated throughout the development cycle.
The approach requires careful planning, collaboration, and most importantly, the right set of tools. This article explores the said approach deeply. We’ll also talk about what techniques teams should follow and which tools they should use.
Why Exactly Should You Align QA with Agile?
When you align QA with Agile, it sort of redefines the whole testing process. Testing is performed at every stage of the development cycle. Defects are caught early, and feedback loops become tighter. This is also known as “Shift Left” testing.
The benefits of doing this are:
- Faster delivery of high-quality and complex software applications
- Reduced risk and technical issues
- Better collaboration between developers, testers, and product managers
- Increased adaptability to changing requirements
Tips & Techniques to Align QA with Agile
The right way to align QA with Agile requires more than just changing timelines. It involves a new mindset, workflows, and practices. The following are some techniques that experts use.
1. Encourage Collaboration and Communication
Clear communication is the backbone of Agile. QA must be a part of this dialogue from the start to the end.
Testers should participate in daily stand-ups. They should be present in feedback meetings and planning conversations. This keeps everyone aligned on priorities, progress, and potential hurdles that can occur.
Involving QA helps ensure that the test scenarios are in sync with the evolving user requirements. It also helps testers raise red flags if requirements are ambiguous or incomplete.
2. Embrace Test Automation
Pretty much everybody knows that manual testing is slow. It can’t keep up with Agile’s quick feedback requirements. Hence, automation is necessary for maintaining speed and consistency.
Teams should try to automate repetitive tasks. These tasks can be regression, integration, and performance testing, among others. This will validate sprint deliverables quickly and more reliably.
Also, automated test cases, when added with CI/CD pipelines, decrease the chances of new code breaking existing functions. In turn, time is saved and human error is reduced. On top of that, developers become more confident when making changes.
3. Apply Risk-Based Testing
When it comes to Agile, time and resources are usually limited. It’s not feasible to test every part of the system extensively. Enter risk-based testing. It helps prioritize the most important features. Ones that are used more by customers and are security-sensitive.
So, by focusing on high-risk areas, QA teams can maximize coverage. Especially where it matters most. They can also assign lower coverage in less important areas so the overall quality isn’t compromised. Everything remains functional this way.
4. Implement Continuous Feedback Loops
As previously mentioned, Agile massively depends on fast feedback. If bugs are found late, they can be costly and disruptive. Thus, QA teams have to detect and report issues as early as possible.
Tools that offer real-time reporting, notifications, and defect tracking are encouraged to use. We’ll tell you which ones later on in this post.
That said, continuous feedback also allows developers to fix issues while the context is fresh. There’s less chance of them mixing things up. This reduces the chances of a rework.
5. Push Exploratory Testing
It is important to note that while automation covers predictable test cases, human creativity cannot be replaced. When it comes to finding unexpected issues, a manual is the way to go.
Exploratory testing enables QA professionals to scan software applications from an end-user’s POV. Doing so reveals usability problems, missing features, and things that automated test cases might miss.
Tools that Support Agile QA
Agile QA cannot succeed without the right tools, even with the aforementioned techniques. Tools that support collaboration, automation, traceability, and integration are a must. The following are some of them.
1. Kualitee: All-in-One Agile Test Management Tool
The standout name on our list is Kualitee. It is a flexible AI test management solution. Not just that, it fits seamlessly into Agile workflows. Some of its key capabilities are:
- Test Case Management: You can easily create, organize, and reuse test cases across the entire software development cycle. Test cases can also be linked to specific user requirements. Traceability improves massively this way.
- Defect Management: Kualitee has a comprehensive defect module. It allows bugs to be reported directly from failed test cases. All the necessary details and severity levels are included here. Communication between QA and development teams becomes clearer with this feature.
- Customizable Dashboards: Visual, real-time dashboards are provided by Kualitee. These dashboards show test progress, defect status, and coverage metrics to every relevant person. Managers can make informed decisions quickly with just the information being displayed on their respective dashboards.
- Automation Integration: The best thing is that Kualitee easily integrates with popular automation frameworks. The test results feed directly into the supported platforms for tracking and reporting.
These features make Kualitee a good choice for Agile teams. Especially for those teams who want comprehensive, easy-to-use QA capabilities without much complexity.
2. Integrations for Easy Workflows
No tool can work alone in an Agile environment. Hence, Kualitee offers built-in integration with Jira.
Jira is the most widely used project management platform in Agile teams, so this is a huge plus point. Thanks to this integration, testers and all the other authorities can stay perfectly aligned with each other. Test cases and defects can be linked with things across platforms.
Also, besides Jira, some other integrations that Kualitee offers include:
- Selenium: For automating functional and regression tests.
- Jenkins: To allow continuous processes and automated build validation.
- GitHub: Helps manage version control and track code changes. Teams can trace test results and defects back to specific code commits.
3. Other Tools Worth Considering
Besides Kualitee, some other tools that can be used for specific aspects of Agile QA are as follows.
- Postman: Ideal for API testing, which is an important area in microservices-based applications.
- BrowserStack: A platform that facilitates cross-browser and cross-device testing to ensure a consistent user experience.
- TestNG: A testing framework for advanced unit testing and integration testing needs.
Using the mentioned tools for their respective purpose can help ensure that every layer of your software application is verified through Agile cycles. From the backend services to the frontend usability.
Summing Up
To deliver high-quality software applications, aligning software quality assurance with Agile has become important. Doing so helps meet customer expectations and adapt to market needs.
The best practices to do it are to encourage collaboration and communication, embrace test automation, and apply risk-based testing. Furthermore, implementing continuous feedback loops along with pushing exploratory testing can also be considered.
These tips help maximize testing efficiency and minimize technical issues. You are also recommended to use tools like Kualitee for test management and integrations with other platforms.
