What kind of job do you do? – I’m QA lead in the IT company. – ‘QA’ what? Have you just made that out?

Professional IT world is full of job positions that may confuse people who are not that good at this sphere. This article will be of use not only for them but also for employees who hold lower positions and work to become a QA team lead.

Who is QA team lead? Main duties and responsibilities.

QA Lead – a person responsible for the quality of the project as a whole and the people who work under his leadership. What administrative stages should you pass to get this position?

Mentor is the experienced employee who is responsible for the successful adaptation of the colleague he supervises in the company.

Group Coordinator is a temporary position, which is provided during the test period (2-6 months) to determine candidates for the Team Lead position. The group coordinator is responsible for a team of 3+ employees in the company, who in turn can be of any professional level and work on various projects.

Team Lead is the leader of a team who possesses technical skills and ensures the professional and career growth of his employees. This definition is also relevant for team leads who work at the projects on quality assurance.

QA team lead heads the team of testers and is responsible for:

• the project’s realization within pre-estimated time and control of its compliance with technical requirements;
• planning in the process of working on a project;
• microclimate inside a team;
• performance of each individual team member;
• development and professional growth of each team member;
• the motivation of employees.

Participation in the sale process presupposes involvement in the communication between sales representatives and clients. QA lead evaluates the project, prepares resumes of candidates for a client, monitors tests execution and controls the run of pilot projects for a definite software.

QA team lead accomplishes tasks on project management as well. His key responsibilities in this sphere include:

– control of task performance within the specified time and with the proper level of quality;
– estimation of the time needed to complete the task, as well as planning the time and priorities for solving tasks and subtasks;
– monitoring the communication of team members with clients (regular reports, emails, and their content);
– regular meetings with testers on project status, issues and ways of risk minimization.

When we speak about project and technical documentation, another role of a QA team lead arises. It includes analysis of the daily reports of team members and control of the working hours spent on a project. Basing on this information, QA lead prepares a weekly report on the work of a team.

Meetings can be presented as a separate sphere of team lead’s responsibilities as they are pretty numerous and QATestLab defines their following categories:

• meetings on individual development plans;
• discussion of the end of a test period for team members;
• weekly team meetings;
• talk-ins with project managers;
• meetings with clients and business development managers.

The last point we will consider appears to be the most significant as team development is the basis for QA Team lead job role. Responsibilities on team management include participation in the development of employee competencies, control of the relevance of professional attestations, creation of webinars for team members, etc.

How to organize effective work of QA team?

To give a relevant answer to this question, we interviewed QATestLab team lead who shared his experience on the most pressing management issues and tips on how to improve the performance of a team. Nazar heads the team of six QA engineers of the game department.

– It’s interesting to speak to the person who knows way about team leading. What do you think are the main skills for QA lead?

– Though one may think testing games is pure fun, a team leader should always stay reserved and concentrated. Sense of responsibility is a must, not to mention the technical skills,– shares Nazar.

– Lifehack from you: what helps to organize effective work in the team?

– The thing I realized for myself: the more details there are in the set task, the better. The detailed structure of a task and clear steps of its execution benefit the project in the whole and me in particular.

– What do you do if you are not satisfied with the work of one of the team members? How do you help to overcome the difficulties?

– First, find out the cause of poor performance, and later, take actions basing on the very reason. Basically, I help to understand the task again or suggest how the employee can speed up the workflow. If there isn’t progress after all, I can give an easier task.

Final thoughts on being a QA lead

So, QA Lead is a semi-manager, semi-tester, and both components are equally important. The proportions of these responsibilities can and should vary depending on the project specifics. The position of a team lead requires specific skills and poses numerous duties. Of course, they can be delegated to some extent, but this doesn’t work with the responsibility which falls on QA lead. People who are not afraid to face these challenges and leave the comfort zone, break new ground for professional growth.

How quality assurance is implemented in big companies? Why successful game developers choose independent QA? How independent testing can enhance an in-house QA and what benefits it provides?

Today we are going to view game testing from different angles and find answers to frequently asked questions with the help of our experienced QA engineer.

Multicomponent nature of game development differs it from the development of other types of software. Complex logic, sophisticated graphics, and intricate design require individual approaches to QA and testing. That’s why most of the game developers hire in-house QA team, which has a solid understanding of own product.

Frequently, the project team faces challenges and scenarios, which require the engagement of additional resources. Let’s look at the most common of them and talk about the best ways to deal with them.

Main Difficulties in QA for Games. Ways to Overcome Them

Pre-release overloads. When it comes to release, there is always much work to do. Even if all separate units had been thoroughly tested, when all the components come together into one integral product, there are a lot of issues that appear on the surface.

“We are ready to join the project anytime in the product development lifecycle. Usually, it happens after product release. Still, 30% of our projects include testing activities before release as well,” – explains Michael, QATestLab specialist on quality assurance. “Our QA engineers can be engaged on a part-time or full-time basis depending on the workload. Often we work overtime and night shifts to fulfill urgent or critical tasks.”

Lack of time for testing. The priority of the QA department is always lower compared to the Development or Support team. Often, due to delay in development, the timeframe for quality assurance shortens but the deadline of the project stays the same. To finish work on time, the company can opt to expand the QA team by hiring new staff. This requires additional resources and time. The better choice is to outsource testing to a qualified testing provider. Having required experience, scalable team and wide infrastructure, independent QA provider engages in the project in extremely effective terms.

“Our QA engineers join the project easy and fast. It takes from only one week till one month to get fully engaged in the project. Generally, we have one or two technical meetings before the start of the project. We discuss the project structure and clarify the questions that appeared during the functionality preview. We can set an offline meeting with the client so that he can come and conduct training for our QA engineers,” – says Michael, game QA engineer.

Limited Budget. Outsourcing is considered a cost-effective method. Supporting the in-house team with a specific set of skills is more expensive than maintaining a contract with a testing provider. That’s why when you need to manage long term projects you should consider to outsource most of the testing activities. Still, it is better to have several in-house QA specialists to coordinate the work and not to lose control over the project and business processes.

“We provide clear and regular communications and reporting between our engineers and in-house testing team. We adjust to set processes if required. You are free to contact every team member. The communication can be implemented via Slack, Skype for Business, Discord or any other system suitable for the client. Mornings usually start from standup meetings with the client, and at the end of every working day, we provide a detailed report about the work done (on demand)”, – comments Michael.

Lack of testing infrastructure. To succeed, you need to implement the latest technology, tools, and devices for your project. All that comes at a big price. When you outsource testing, you don’t have to think about testing infrastructure as it is included in the service package you choose.

Lack of resources. When you delegate a particular scope of work to a third party, you can focus on the development process and other core business matters. Consequently, the workload of your team decreases and there is more space for creativity and great ideas needed in the game development process.

“We can take full control over the testing process. Our project manager is usually responsible for the quality of the project at the top level. Every project has assigned QA Lead, who manages all testing activities, sets tasks, and controls the working load of QA engineers. QA Lead is a point of contact between the in-house testing team and our QA engineers. He takes part in every meeting and standups, and provide all the information about the work done. As an alternative, it is also possible that every test engineer has its manager among the in-house team. It depends on the client’s requirements and is discussed individually,” – explains Michael.

Not regular scope of QA tasks. You have to accomplish not regular testing tasks of a project that requires special skills your in-house team lacks. In this case, you can decide to train your staff, but that is time-consuming and requires extra costs. The alternative is to choose an outsourcing team which has the required experience and devices.

The need for user feedback and independent evaluation. When you work on the project for a long time, it is not easy to take a fresh look at it. Like writer’s work needs to be checked by an editor, your game should be reviewed by someone who’s not related to the process of its creation. The best choice is an independent testing company, which, due to its experience, can spot issues, that your staff could overlook. Moreover, QA provider will give you valuable feedback and suggestions on improvement.

“During our testing activities, we often apply the “Think aloud” technique. Moving through the user interface testers continuously share their thoughts and impressions on the game. That provides valuable insight for the client on the game perception by its end users,” – comments Michael.

Final Thoughts on QA for Gaming Software

Independent testing can become armor for your business, though it will not be a magic wand that fixes bugs in a game. This escalator will take you up, but you should watch your steps. Choose a reliable partner who does believe in games as much as you do and concentrate your efforts on the exciting process of game creation.

About QATestLab Game Testing Department: QATestLab game testing team unites 35+ professional QA engineers who are also passionate game players. We have successfully accomplished 500+ projects and accumulated competencies in the testing of different kinds of mobile games, PC, browser, and VR games. Every day we test games on 200+ mobile devices and PC with various capacities +HTC VIVE. And guess what we do after work? We are playing games!

The proper start is already half of the result. However, any business process may turn out to be difficult if you need to start it with a complete zero. If you are a beginner in QA, or you deal with a project that requires specific skills, you need to find a solution and an agile team can become the way out.

When it comes to attracting software testing specialists, you start asking yourself: “How to do it properly when I have nothing? How to avoid mistakes?”. To answer these questions we consulted our QA specialists, and they shared their experience of cooperation with the owner of a successful startup.

What to consider in building a QA team: expert advice

Our QA specialist Mikhail Grechukha, Game Program Manager, together with our partner, CEO and founder of a successful startup, explained to us how to build a QA team from the very beginning.

Tips from the startup owner. “Define when the task is considered to be done”, shares Gev – Ucraft’s CEO. Identify the expected end result of the project. You have to know what the completed task should be. Show your team, what goal they have to reach. It will increase the effectiveness of each action. Compare the results with planned requirements and see the level task completion.

One more tip from Gev is to “assign sub-tasks” to each particular specialist. For example, to divide the duties between manual and automation testers regarding each test.

Another one is to “specify the acceptance criteria”. Define for the testing team what is expected from testing, how it should be performed and what result is going to be reached. Build the frameworks for testing.

Finally, Gev mentioned that the QA team should be involved as early as possible. Despite the usual projects, where you can involve the QA team between “useful product” and “usable product” stages, in startup you should use the QA team assistance at the very beginning of a project.

QA team in a startup should be cost-effective. “A newly founded company has a minimum budget and a maximum of ideas and enthusiasm. In general, startups don’t have big capital. Sales? They may be, but much in the minority of cases. Because of that, the price is the core aspect for startups and their main limitations”: states QATestLab specialist Mikhail Grechukha.

Tips for PMs on how to set up the effective work of a QA team:

• prioritize tasks accurately;
• regularly analyze your productivity and always optimize processes;
• do tasks only within your assignment, do nothing for future use;
• suggest an agile cooperation model if your partner is a startup.

QA team in a startup should be oriented to use-case. “The delivery of low-quality software is not the main reason for startup failure. But because they produce the product that nobody uses and nobody cares about,” – states QATestLab project manager.

“That does not mean that you should focus QA only on ‘what features to add to please the users’ and make them buy your software. Testing in its usual form is important too. You always should keep the balance,” – shares Mikhail. He also adds on the budget issue: “You have to use the project budget as your own money”.

During the first stages of cooperation with startups, QA provider should understand the purpose of the software, its main goals, and problems the software will solve. After getting the full understanding of software specifics, the QA team should always keep these points.

When covering software with test cases, the team should focus on use cases and not all possible unrealistic scenarios that exist.

Don’t spend much time on test documentation. A startup is like a pilot product, and after getting users’ feedback, the strategy and goals may change greatly. So you only waste time and money.

Steps to Build a QA Team

We have analyzed the above comments of our experts and designed them into a basic instruction on building a QA team.

Define your goals. Define the purpose or mission of services you provide. Consider the following factors: is it a launch of a new product? Does your project require careful time-management? Is it possible to manage cost, change timeframes or adjust the scope of the project?

Define the skills of each team member. To assign tasks clearly and get maximum effectiveness from the working process, you should be aware of the skills and competencies of your team members.

Set up a behavior. The chosen candidate may be a perfect combination of skills and experience, but it could be difficult for him to meet deadlines or communicate with the rest of a team. So, in addition to profiling the skills, you should specify an expected behavior.

Establish rules and expectations. This framework will define an order of communication, division of duties, support and solution of hardships and disagreements, coordination and analysis of completed work.

Name the members which suit your expectations. Form a team and monitor the course of work. Watch the reaching of defined goals and compare it with the expectation to ensure whether the newly formed team is successfully built.

Obstacles in creating a QA team from scratch

1. It is easier to adjust and modify an existing QA team than to create a new one, in case you already have some members.
2. Finding, reviewing and interviewing candidates takes a lot of time which could be saved for the project by working with already involved specialists.
3. Creating a new team requires the establishment of new communication and coordination among its members. The connection between the members of the existing team is more confident and stable, which accelerates project completion. Project Manager knows which approach to apply in the already formed team, unlike the new one.

Advantages of creation a QA team from scratch

1. You will not need to reconfigure the team’s coordination from one type of task to another since form a team for a specific type of activity.
2. You will be able to include as many specialists in the team as required by the terms of the project.
3. You can select people with the specific skills that are necessary for a certain type of service.
4. You can set a team to budget, time, the complexity of a particular project, the expectations of customers and adjust to these conditions already at the stage of team building, and not in the course of work.

Final Word on Building a QA Team

Each coin has two sides and it is up to you to decide whether to build a QA team on your project or the quality assurance of the product can wait. We do not assert that it is easier to create a new team, but you will feel the benefits of QA work very soon, in case you start from the very beginning. The main thing is that you already know how to set up this process.

Have you ever thought how to choose a test management tool? There are hundreds of such programs and, at first sight, it seems there is no problem to choose the one which suits you best. But here the problem comes: what is that “only one”? Tons of comments and feedbacks, but nothing definite. QATestLab successfully applies test management tools and ready to help you find the right answer.

Test Management Tools in 2019

The management in software testing covers every action of testers. It includes all the efforts of testers and acts at each stage of product examination. Test management is focused on the handling of tasks and needs specific instruments to successfully accomplish these tasks. They vary from support of test execution to bug detection and each task can be simplified with the assistance of special test management programs which are called tools.

The development of test tools became more user-oriented. These complicated programs are transforming into simple assisting tools and getting more and more closely to full accessibility for users not professional in QA. Today test management tools allow to compare several test cases and offer informative reporting regarding each test. Testing “helping hands” assist in detecting issues due to the integration with defect tracking tools and operate to remove the drawbacks. The variety is more than wide, so it requires an understanding of the market with its trends.

Top Test Management Tools

Management tools form their own market with its trends and tops. Let’s review and analyze some of the top test management tools which are used by QATestLab specialists and proved to be reliable assistants. Our blog shares the list of peculiarities of each tool.

ZEPHYR

It provides analytics and management of advanced quality. Zephyr offers flexible and efficient solutions for test management to contribute to the successful product release, as it is among the most widespread tools on the market.
You can rely on Zephyr, because it meets testing needs with various options and easily integrates with other tools.

Features:Limitations:

• problematic importing of test cases from excel;
• no option to import test results;
• no option of export the test cases/results in one file;
• the standard format of a Test Case without options to change (only 3 fixed columns);
• reporting is possible only in a particular iteration cycle;
• there is no integration with Selenium Web Driver.

TESTRAIL

TestRail helps to prevent extra testing efforts by applying reports and metrics which allow QA teams to provide the feedback quickly and increase the productivity of testing.

QATestLab uses this tool to monitor the condition of each particular test. The tool offers an informative reporting of activity to track the test progress. Testrail monitors the workload of testers and helps to divide the duties more effectively. You can compare results through different test runs with various configurations to choose the most suitable scenario.

Features:Limitations:

• a tool may become complicated depending on the way of its setup;
• there is a probability of data loss;
• changing of status of a test case may be difficult;
• UI is not always intuitive.

TESTLINK

This tool can be applied in combination with widely used bug detectors. It offers the specification of requirements and plan, execution and reporting. QATestLab uses this tool due to its additional functions represented by charts and reports for tracking the testing progress. There are such elements as events log, keywords, and specifying requirements.

Features:Limitations:

1. No option to integrate with Automated Suite.
2. Linking of defects with failed cases is complicated due to the problematic integration with Defect Tracking Tools.

TARANTULA

This program is applicable for Usability, Reporting and Agile Testing. It is suitable for involvement in different fields, such as Agile Testing, Testing management, Reporting, Usability.

It offers a quick status view to your report. It is focused on Test Object so you can choose a certain “object/release/version” for review and comparison. The tool displays different indicators, like testing progress, failed cases, requirement, and testing completion, etc.

Features:Limitations:
There is a division of tests, which can be performed only manually or with automation. It limits the range of program’s appliance because particular tests can be performed only manually.

TESTPAD

Testpad is probably the most simple management tool that avoids formalities and offers intuitive using. This tool serves to perform the manual aspect of Agile, syntax highlighted BDD, TCM, and exploratory testing. It does not manage each separate case but uses test plans in checklists. That makes a Testpad usable even for non-testers.

Features:

Limitations:
Due to its simple use and checklist-based work it may become difficult to adjust the existing requirements and specification and reorganize in dynamic circumstances.

Summary on Test Management Tools

The reaching of the expected result is impossible without proper specification of requirements in quality assurance. The completion of each testing task, from planning to bug detection and progress tracking, has its perfect tool. Choose a suitable assistant for effective test management due to the described criteria of the top-used instruments in QATestLab practice. Feel free in your choice with our expert tips.