5 Reasons to Hire a Quality Assurance Outsourcing Firm

What Is Quality Assurance?

Quality assurance (QA) is a critical part of the software development process. When it’s done well, it can prevent big problems at the end of a project and save time, money, and aggravation for any company.

QA is necessary for all types of production, including software development. Its focus is preventing bugs in all stages of the process to ensure a high-quality product. Bugs that are left alone can cause issues for end-users, with everything that comes associated with a poor experience.

Such a scenario leaves you at risk of displeasing your clients or customers, having to spend money to redo the project, or incurring damage to your company’s reputation. That’s why QA is so critical to every software development project.

Functional & Performance Testing

There are two types of software QA testing. The first is functional testing, in which testers check to ensure all systems are working as expected and that each component of the user interface operates as intended. The second is performance testing, in which testers examine how the application performs in different situations.

QA testing can also be performed on websites, to ensure they work on all the browsers and devices they’re meant to operate on. This type of testing also includes validation of links, online forms, and email notifications, as well as checking for visual consistency between browsers.

Testers can also perform penetration testing, in which they try to hack into your online systems, so you can shore up any vulnerabilities before deploying your product.

Quality Assurance Benefits

The QA process offers many benefits to businesses, including:

Lower development costs. When you test for bugs in the initial development stages, you reduce the possibility of ending up with problematic code that requires a costly redo.
Faster time-to-market. It may seem counterintuitive to say that the extra step of QA can actually reduce your production time, but it’s true. When you use a continuous testing strategy, you catch small problems before they become big problems that require a lot of extra time to address.
Stronger customer loyalty. Whether your users are customers or employees within your business, there’s no doubt that a faulty program, app, or website will affect the opinion they have on you. On the other hand, tools that operate perfectly add to your company’s positive reputation.

Do You Need to Outsource QA?

The answer to the above question is an emphatic yes! Here are the reasons why.

Skills
You may have an excellent or even a superb IT development team in-house. But testing is a different skill and it’s critical that the people performing it are trained in the specific methods and strategies.
Objectivity
To ensure the best possible results, it’s better to have someone performing the testing who isn’t taking part of the development, ideally someone who doesn’t work side-by-side with the developers.
Workload
Even if you were to have in-house staff perform QA, it would likely be on top of many other duties they have on their plate. If they already feel overwhelmed, giving them this task would likely lower their job satisfaction and may result in a rushed (and therefore lower quality) process.
Cost
Outsourcing skilled testers for a limited duration is less expensive than hiring a new employee for this task. When you outsource, you avoid the costs associated with hiring, onboarding, and benefits in addition to a base salary.
Flexibility
Outsourced vendors can be hired and let go as your needs expand and contract. Have a big project or want to add four more? No problem, your outsourced vendor can provide the QA assistance you need. And when the projects end, so does the outsourcing arrangement.

How to Find the Best Vendor

Now that you understand why you need QA and why you need to outsource this service, here are a few tips for getting the best provider:

Before researching vendors, think about exactly what you need. Is your project a short-term, one-time situation, or might you need QA testers for ongoing work?
Think about your budget for the project and look for providers whose fees fall within your price range.
What are your highest priorities, speed, cost, or quality? You should always look for a vendor that can provide all three but know which you might be willing to negotiate on when it comes to finalizing your arrangement.
Also consider “soft” factors such as language and cultural compatibility, as well as working hours. And, because you’ll be working closely together, find out if your working styles and personalities are a good fit.
Be sure to ask about previous projects. Each vendor you consider should be able to point to past work that’s similar to what you need to be done, ideally within your industry.

Consider a Nearshore Provider

When you look for an outsourced QA firm, consider using one that’s outside the U.S. to get the best rates, but close enough to get a staff that works on the same schedule as you. This arrangement — working with a provider outside the country but close by — is known as nearshoring.

BairesDev, located in Latin America, regularly provides services to companies in the U.S. on this basis. We offer top-notch QA services provided by fully trained and trusted QA engineers. Through thorough performance and functional testing with the aid of automation tools, our QA services and testing teams can eradicate bugs and defects. With our complete services, we ensure your projects not only meet but exceed your business requirements.

Our services reflect all the characteristics of a great QA process:

Integrated. We integrate our services with the team’s workflow throughout project development.
Personalized. We customize our process to each client and project.
Automated. We determine which processes should be automated to get the best results.
Cross-functional. We encourage input from every team and department in the company, producing better results.
Anticipative. Our process anticipates growth, scalability, and flexibility.
Measured. We collect insights and metrics that you can use to make informed decisions about the product, team, and process.

In addition to their technical skills, our QA testers are professional, efficient, and highly proficient in English. Because of similar time zones between the U.S. and Latin America, they’re always available when you need them.