Quality Assurance vs Quality Control vs Testing

Throughout my journey, I have frequently encountered the challenge that organizations (and individuals) face in distinguishing between QA (Quality Assurance), QC (Quality Control), and Testing. Many organizations take pride in having dedicated QA teams, but in practice, most of them only have Quality Control and Testing teams. The same issue arises in recruitment. I spent a lot of time in recruitment in recent months, and it's easier to hear from candidates that they work closely with development teams, creating test cases and testing, instead of hearing that they are working closely with a set of departments to create and define processes.

So, what is the real difference between QA, QC, and Testing?

QA, QC, and Testing are three distinct but connected aspects of software development (or product manufacturing process) where each one serves a purpose.

Quality Assurance is a broad term but can be defined as a comprehensive and proactive process oriented toward prevention. The principal goal is to improve and optimize processes to deliver high-quality products.

On the other hand, Quality Control can be seen as verification, ensuring that the product meets the specified requirements. It is the procedure by which a company seeks to guarantee the consistent or enhanced quality of its products while minimizing or eliminating manufacturing errors. It is focused on the product, oriented towards verification.

Testing, on the other hand, can be described as the fundamental task focused on identifying and resolving technical issues within the software source code, as well as evaluating the overall usability, performance, security, and compatibility of the product. Typically, it is an activity carried out by testers and developers during the development process, emphasizing detection.

Stating that a QA team is only responsible for detecting flaws and validating that the product meets expectations is a simplification of what Quality Assurance aims to achieve. QA is trendy, and nowadays, it is rare to find a software development company that does not have a Quality Control and Testing team, but few are prepared to effectively implement Quality Assurance as a whole. It's common to associate the scope of QA only with development processes. However, QA must be applied to various aspects of the entire lifecycle, such as design, support, and other related processes. A broad perspective of QA brings the entire organization to be committed to delivering high-quality products and services.

QA is not limited to just the development phase but can be integrated into various processes across the organization to promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement. Having only QC or Testing may be the answer for the short/medium term, but it certainly is not the solution for the long term. You need to involve QA in creating standards, conducting audits, helping in product design, supporting processes, training, and so on. If you truly want to have a QA team, it is necessary to open the minds of leadership and encourage interdepartmental dialogue. Software quality is not just an "appendage" of a software engineering team but rather a responsibility of everyone.