When specialists develop or test any software, such processes as planning, projecting, analysis, as well as quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) plays an essential role.
QA and QC are very similar concepts. In some situations, they can be even interchangeable. However, there are some differences between these terms despite a certain similarity.
Correlation between QA, QC, and testing
QA – Quality Assurance of Software
At the beginning of software development, a QA engineer has to prepare basic requirements and specifications for the quality of a product. The process of quality assurance can include the creation, modification, and release of the software with minimum system bugs and defects for end users. QA has to provide methods and technologies to all the participants of software development. As a result, there will be a web product of high quality.
Main tasks of QA are based on:
- Analysis of technical peculiarities and requirements to a program;
- Risk assessment;
- Task scheduling to improve software quality;
- Creation of a document base, test environment, and information;
- Tests;
- Analysis of test results and additional report documentation.
Main advantage of QA is the structuredness of software development and testing. That is to say, initially, there are a particular plan and task that need to be done by every participant of the software validation process. For example, a tester knows at what stage to start testing and what plan to follow.
QC – Quality Control of Software
This process includes analysis of test results, detection, and fixation of bugs. Software quality control allows analyzing the current state of software and assessing the overall progress of the work completed.
Main tasks of QC are:
- Review of software readiness to further release;
- Analysis of current correspondence of developed project quality to initial requirements.
If the QA department finds a lot of defects, it is necessary to reconsider a software development plan and fix detected bugs. In other words, quality control is a final stage of any software development and testing.
In the context of testing, it cannot provide a full guarantee of the high-quality web product. Its main function is to control and assure that developed software has all available security standards and functional effectiveness.
Said another way, the testing process is focused on software and is in the quality control field.
From all the above it follows that testing and quality control are main components of the whole process of web product quality assurance.
Comparative Table of QA and QC
| QA | QC |
|---|---|
| Focused on reaching the needed quality of the product | Focused on completing the required level of software quality |
| A special technique of quality management | Special methods of quality testing |
| Doesn’t include the program flow | Has the program flow under all conditions |
| Always focused on the process | Always focused on the product |
| Its main goal is before-the-fact prevention of bugs | It is aimed to detect and fix bugs |
| Is responsible for the whole software development lifecycle | Is responsible for software testing lifecycle |
| Can define standards and methodologies to meet client’s requirements | Verifies that all the standards are met during software development |
| Involves all the members of the testing and development teams | Only test team participates in the process |
| It is performed before QC | It is performed only after QA |
The concepts of QA and QC are in close interaction and can complement each other. Their main differences are in the realization of such parameters as:
- QA is performed before software release when the process is connected with analytics only;
- QC is developed and analyzed at the stage when some part of the software is ready.
QC and QA engineers have to test how each software component is functioning separately, analyze their comprehensive interaction when all parts are together in one testing method.
Short Conclusion
The development of qualitative software as well as the process of supporting its quality are the main elements in the lifecycle of any web product.
It means that you have to follow developed standards to fully meet the client’s or ordinary user’s requirements for software functionality.
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