How is QA transforming to meet the demands of agile/DevOps life cycles

It is important to note that while agile and DevOps practices strive for faster software delivery, quality, and stability, security of applications is always the first priority in any business. Any failure of IT applications has a direct impact on the corporate image. The aim of a QA is to develop the internal capability to deliver software faster to support the needs of the business; however, the software must also satisfy the needs of the end user. This is achieved by developing an environment where an application can be tested early, optimally, and quickly. It is also equally important to be able to monitor quality continuously in production and test environments.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the QA function, organizations should ensure that the basic principles of agile (that is, to communicate, collaborate, and integrate) are practiced in a continuous and consistent manner. Additionally, QA teams should become an integral part of the technical team. This helps QA to actually become facilitators of quality.

Organizations also need to define the desired level of quality. Instead of reaching for perfection in software, the focus should instead be on a satisfying user experience within the given resources and the given time frame. Testers should choose metrics that bring to light software defects early in the life cycle. They should also adopt lean and agile principles to develop software in small increments. The focus should be on automated regression testing for high-risk areas, using risk-based testing. Automation should be leveraged to the maximum extent.

Behavior Driven Development (BDD) is fast gaining popularity as it is a customer-centric testing methodology that implements an acceptance-criteria-based test strategy. Zero touch test automation is the ultimate goal of a QA in order to meet time-to-market objectives while maintaining test coverage.