What quality assurance mistakes should you avoid?

2 Poor communication

Another common QA mistake is to have poor communication among the testing team, as well as with other project members, such as developers, analysts, managers, and clients. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, delays, and errors, as well as reduced quality and satisfaction. To avoid this mistake, you should establish clear and frequent communication channels, such as meetings, reports, feedback sessions, and documentation. You should also use common terminology, standards, and formats, and ensure that everyone is on the same page and has the same vision and goals.

3 Insufficient testing

A third QA mistake is to perform insufficient testing, either in terms of quantity or quality. Insufficient testing can result in undetected bugs, defects, or vulnerabilities, as well as low performance, reliability, or usability. To avoid this mistake, you should conduct adequate testing at different levels, such as unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing. You should also use various testing techniques, such as functional, non-functional, manual, automated, exploratory, and regression testing. You should also ensure that your testing covers all the relevant aspects, such as functionality, compatibility, security, accessibility, and user experience.

4 Ignoring feedback

A fourth QA mistake is to ignore or disregard the feedback from the users, clients, or other stakeholders. Ignoring feedback can lead to dissatisfaction, frustration, or loss of trust, as well as missed opportunities for improvement or innovation. To avoid this mistake, you should solicit and collect feedback from different sources, such as surveys, reviews, ratings, comments, or complaints. You should also analyze and prioritize the feedback, and implement the necessary changes or enhancements. You should also acknowledge and appreciate the feedback, and inform the users, clients, or stakeholders about the actions taken or planned.

5 Skipping reviews

A fifth QA mistake is to skip or neglect the reviews of the testing process, results, or outcomes. Skipping reviews can lead to inaccurate or incomplete data, reports, or documentation, as well as missed or unresolved issues or risks. To avoid this mistake, you should conduct regular and thorough reviews of the testing activities, deliverables, and metrics, and verify that they meet the quality standards and expectations. You should also identify and document the lessons learned, best practices, and recommendations for future testing projects.

6 Resisting change

A sixth QA mistake is to resist or reject the changes that occur during the system development lifecycle, such as changes in the requirements, specifications, design, or technology. Resisting change can lead to outdated or irrelevant testing, as well as conflicts, delays, or failures. To avoid this mistake, you should embrace and adapt to the changes, and update your testing plan, methods, tools, and criteria accordingly. You should also communicate and collaborate with the other project members, and ensure that the changes are properly implemented and tested.