quality assurance

Improving Product Quality throughout the Software Development LifecycleGood, efficient communication is an important asset to the team. With focused, pure, and structured data on product quality, including all of the self-documenting steps of a given check, it’s clearly known what’s working and what the verifications are. Matt Griscom shows how you can get this level of clarity.
Jelly Beans and Defect Classification: Different Strategies for SuccessWhen there’s a bowl of jelly beans, some people grab a few at random, but most of us have favorites. If you're crafty and have flexible standards, you can maximize consumption by adjusting your criteria as colors dwindle. Classifying defects should not be like choosing jelly beans; you need firm standards.
Handling a Check Failure in Test AutomationWhat happens on your team when a check (what some call “automated test”) fails? Regression tests or checks that are effective toward managing quality risk must be capable of sending action items outside the test/QA team quickly. How do you provide fast, trustworthy quality communications from your team?
Integrating Exploratory Testing into Product DesignExploratory testing, or ET, is a good fit for agile processes, can be done by any member of the dev/test team, and helps develop applications that map to customers' needs. Kevin Dunne writes how with increased use of ET, testing becomes an intellectual pursuit driving product quality and agility.
Building an Effective Lean Testing Strategy

Lean testing strategies can help QA teams effectively mitigate wasted resources and ensure that they are giving each project the attention it deserves. Sanjay Zalavadia details some strategies QA teams should implement in order to create an effective lean testing practice for their operations.

Optimizing Testing: Moving Faster without Compromising QualityAt some point as a tester, you’ve probably been urged by management to reduce the amount of time required for testing without compromising product quality. How can you possibly do that? Weighing the added value and relative importance of each testing task can help you optimize your testing strategy.
Why Automation Will Never Replace Manual TestingManual testers are experts at the unexpected, while automation is all about predictability. Automation won’t replace manual testing, but neither will manual testing replace automation. Linda Hayes writes that once the difference between them is understood, the fear of automation dissolves.
Can Bug Bounty Programs Replace In-House Testing?

Large companies have long used bug bounty programs to find vulnerabilities in their software, but these initiatives are becoming increasingly common among individual developers, too. Should a small business use a bug bounty program? And could it even replace their in-house testing? Should it?