Top 5 Challenges of a QA Tester: Day #5

Be wiser than other people, if you can, but do not tell them so.
~Lord Chesterfield

Challenge #5:
Minuscule Margin for Error

The reason for this need for speed? Because your work needs to be flawless (or as close to it as possible) as soon as possible.

Why must your work be flawless? Because that is what is expected of a true Quality Assurance Professional. I have found the following to be true:

• When a developer makes a mistake, it is a bug
• When QA makes a mistake, it is a recall, a stock rebalance, a halt of the manufacturing line, etc. A QA mistake can cost tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars to correct

This means that the margin for error in QA is less that for many other teams. QA is the last line of defense.

QA ensures the quality of the work of other teams. There is no other department (during the development process) that exists to verify the work of QA. This is something that QA must do itself.

This is why it is imperative that you are attentive to every detail, why it is crucial to document all of your work. You must know that you are doing the right things and doing them in the right way.

Document all of it, review what you have documented, and measure your results. This is how you will ensure that the consumer will get the product that has been created for them and that it really will meet their needs.

You must be the consumer’s most ardent advocate, their most passionate protector, and you must know that the work you have done ensures they receive the best efforts of your project team! This you can do by planning your work, documenting the work you perform, reviewing your effort and results to ensure you are progressing as planned, and squawk as loudly as possible when the product is not meeting expectations. This is where you will shine as a true Quality Professional!

Knowing that you have so little margin for error can be intimidating. Alternatively, you can accept the challenge and strive for excellence! Working in ignorance, you would not be as effective. Knowing the challenges you will face allows you to plan your work most effectively.

Armed with the knowledge that you are the one to bear the Standard of Quality for the consumer, the one to champion the vibrancy of your company’s brand, and the one to always seek improvement in your process, you can challenge the level of excellence accepted in your company. You can be the one to lead the charge to help your company raise the level of quality of their products.

By documenting all the work that you do, you will have a measurable trail of what effort is necessary to complete a project. You will then be able to compare that measurement against the effort involved in fixing the product you have shipped. By showing the effort involved and forecasting what the effort would have been to complete the project the right way the first time, you will be able to help influence a change in project planning and execution.

And there they are…

Top 5 Challenges of a QA Tester

Now that you know what your biggest challenges will be, you can plan accordingly and begin to manage your own expectations. You will be able to begin (or continue) your career armed with the knowledge of what you will face on a daily basis and how to navigate those challenging waters.

If you find that you have the additional Challenge of a boss that doesn’t understand your issues or a company that doesn’t care about the quality of the products it ships, then you should consider moving on. There are employers that place a premium on quality. There are many bosses in the workforce that will help you create change for the better, mentor you so that you can improve, and teach you the things you want to learn.

Quality Assurance has many obstacles that can impede the ease with which it can be executed. But they are all effectible to a greater or lesser extent. It is up to you to create the necessary change!

You have been forewarned. But you have also been given the tools to thrive when confronted by the daily Challenges that will confront you.

If at first you don't succeed, you must be a programmer.
~Internet Humor