How can you include software quality assurance team members in Agile and DevOps practices?

1 Align SQA goals with agile and DevOps principles

One of the first steps to include SQA team members in agile and DevOps practices is to align their goals with the principles of these approaches. Agile and DevOps emphasize delivering value to customers, responding to change, collaborating across teams, and automating processes. SQA team members should share these values and understand how their role contributes to them. For example, they should focus on testing the features that matter most to the users, adapt to changing requirements, communicate with developers and operations staff, and use tools that support continuous testing and feedback.

2 Involve SQA team members from the start

Another way to include SQA team members in agile and DevOps practices is to involve them from the start of the project. SQA team members should not be seen as a separate or final phase of the software development lifecycle, but as an integral part of the whole process. They should participate in planning, designing, developing, deploying, and monitoring the software, and provide their input and feedback at every stage. This way, they can help identify and prevent defects early, reduce rework, and ensure quality throughout the project.

3 Adopt a shift-left and shift-right testing approach

A shift-left and shift-right testing approach is a strategy that involves testing the software as early and as often as possible, as well as after deployment. This approach can help SQA team members to include testing activities in agile and DevOps practices, and to ensure quality across the entire software development lifecycle. Shift-left testing means testing the software during the development stage, using techniques such as unit testing, integration testing, and code reviews. Shift-right testing means testing the software after deployment, using techniques such as performance testing, security testing, and user feedback. By adopting this approach, SQA team members can ensure that the software meets the quality standards and expectations of the customers and stakeholders.

4 Use test automation and test-driven development

Test automation and test-driven development are two practices that can help SQA team members to include testing activities in agile and DevOps practices, and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of testing. Test automation means using tools and scripts to perform testing tasks that are repetitive, time-consuming, or complex, such as regression testing, load testing, or functional testing. Test automation can help SQA team members to save time, reduce errors, and increase coverage. Test-driven development means writing tests before writing code, and using them to guide and verify the code development. Test-driven development can help SQA team members to ensure that the code meets the requirements, design, and quality criteria.

5 Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders

Collaboration is a key aspect of agile and DevOps practices, and it is also essential for SQA team members to include testing activities in these practices. SQA team members should collaborate with other team members and stakeholders, such as developers, operations staff, product owners, and customers, to ensure that the software meets the quality standards and expectations of everyone involved. Collaboration can help SQA team members to share information, feedback, and best practices, to resolve issues, and to deliver value to the customers. Collaboration can be facilitated by using tools and platforms that enable communication, coordination, and visibility, such as chat apps, project management tools, and dashboards.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?