Extract
Quality Assurance and Control (QA/QC) in the development of enterprise systems and applications is a comprehensive and continuous process that encompasses not only the verification of functionality, but also security, infrastructure management and business continuity throughout the application lifecycle, to ensure the delivery of reliable, secure and efficient products and services.
Contents
Importance of Quality Assurance and Control in Software Development
In the digital age, where companies increasingly depend on adoption and/or creation of computer systems and applications to manage their operations, guaranteeing the quality of these products is crucial for avoiding the materialization of risks such as financial losses, reputational damage and even legal problems.
From the automation of internal processes to customer relationship management and strategic decision making, business systems are the core of companies' competitiveness. However, with the increasing complexity of digital tools and their inherent criticality for businesses, ensuring the quality of systems has become an unavoidable priority for companies.
This is where quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) play a fundamental role to ensure that enterprise systems not only function as expected, but do so in a reliable, secure and scalable manner, minimizing risks and optimizing resources.
Quality Assurance is a Preventive Approach which covers all processes to ensure that the software meets the desired standards.
Quality Control is a Reactive Activity which focuses on the defect identification and resolution in the coded and/or implemented software.
Quality Throughout the Life Cycle of Computer Systems Development
The life cycle of computer systems development spans from initial planning to ongoing maintenance of the system once in operation, with a focus on early detection of problems and adaptation to new needs that may arise during the development process.
1. Planning and Definition of Requirements
A common mistake in computer developments is that they do not meet the expectations and needs of clients. That is why at this initial stage we must ensure that we identify customer needs and system objectives/requirements (functional and non-functional) who will guide the project. Some key techniques to achieve this are:
Analyze Requirements, and ensure that customer expectations for User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are well defined and documented.
Review the Current Process, and if applicable, carry out a process (re)engineering to ensure that it is systematized, optimized and ready to be automated.
Implement an Agile Approach, so as not to lose sight of the expected result and to be able adapt quickly to changes without compromising quality.
It is crucial that business and end-user needs are translated into precise technical specifications, and that these requirements are constantly reviewed throughout the project life cycle through review meetings with the end customer to ensure flexibility and adaptability of the project. development to the real needs of the business once they are detected.
2. Design and Architecture
When designing the architecture of the applications, it must clearly define the operation of the system and the integration with the technological architecture of the organization to ensure that the system is developed in a scalable, efficient and secure manner; avoiding future problems during implementation and operation. Some recommended practices to achieve this are:
Visually Map the Application Architecture, in order to identify interdependencies and real needs for scalability and security.
Apply Architecture Models, whether (1) Monolithic, (2) Microservices, (3) layered, (4) service-oriented (SOA), or (5) event-driven (Event-Driven Architecture).
Validate Designs Together with Future Users, to actively involve them in the development and commit them to the implementation.
Here it is essential to implement user-centered design (UCD) reviews to ensure that the system will be scalable, secure and efficient; At the same time, navigation is easy, there is clarity in the arrangement of elements and the complexity of the system as a whole is reduced for the user.
3. Coding and Development
Up to this point is when we put our hands on the keyboard and We begin to code what the application will be in a development and testing environment (controlled) following a series of agreed specifications and standards to build the required and mapped modules and functionalities. Some effective practices to achieve this are:
Implement Cybersecurity Controls From the Start, such as password encryption, user management policies, and access locks.
Analyze and Review Code Peer to Peer, with the use of static analysis tools to detect errors, bugs and other problems from early development.
Perform Stepped Testing, of unitary type (of a module), of integration (between different modules) and of system (of all modules).
In this phase, QA and QC practices should focus on ensuring that the code meets established standards and that any issues are detected early through automated testing and code reviews that can be performed using SonarQube for analysis. code and Selenium for UI testing automation.
4. Deployment and Implementation
Once the system has been coded and tested in the development and testing environment, The application is tested in a production environment (uncontrolled) for the user to perform actions in the system to measure its level of acceptance and detect any case that has not been considered before the complete jump. Some recommended practices to achieve this are:
Ensure System Separation, where the production environment (start-up) is not affected by the development and testing environment.
Perform Functional Load, Stress and Safety Tests, to guarantee the operability of the system and that it can be worked with uninterruptedly.
Perform Non-Functional Testing of UAT (User Acceptance Testing), to ensure the usability of the system and that it meets business requirements and is easy to use.
Ensure Disaster Recovery, launching the creation of backups and preparing contingency plans.
5. Maintenance and Continuous Improvement
Once the system is deployed, it is monitored to identify errors and areas for improvement, and is periodically updated to maintain the operability and usability of the system. Some key practices to achieve this are:
Monitor Performance, to guarantee the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information; and protect critical infrastructure.
Collect Feedback of the End User, and have clear procedures for change management, software installation and capacity management.
Patch the System, ensuring that all updates go through a development and testing cycle before being deployed to production.
Enterprise systems require continuous monitoring, updates and adjustments to maintain their performance and adapt to new business needs that arise over time. That is why to respond quickly to market demands and changes in customer requirements without compromising quality, continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) processes have been adopted to release frequent and automatic updates without compromising the system stability.
Administration and Quality Measurement in the Development of Computer Systems
To produce a software that meets the defined quality standards, it is required to implement a Results-Based Management that allows objectively evaluating whether the efforts throughout the development process are giving results.
Key Indicators (KPIs) for the Development and Testing Environment
During the phases prior to system deployment and implementation we evaluate development efficiency, code quality, and testing extent, ensuring that the product meets standards before being deployed.
Delivery Speed (Lead Time for Changes): Measures the time it takes for a new feature, change, or fix from when it is requested to when it is deployed in production.
Code Complexity Index: Evaluates the complexity of the code using metrics such as cyclomatic complexity or the number of dependencies between modules.
Test Coverage: Reflects the percentage of the code that has been subjected to tests, whether unit, integration or functional.
Security Coverage: Measures the number of security tests applied in relation to the total areas of the system that require protection, such as authentication, encryption, and data access.
Test Success Rate (Pass Rate): Reflects the percentage of tests that were completed successfully in relation to the total tests performed.
Defect Rate (Defect Density): Measures the number of defects per line of code or per module.
Test Automation Percentage: Measures the percentage of tests that have been automated compared to the total tests required.
Key Indicators (KPIs) for the Production Environment
During system deployment and maintenance system stability and operational performance are measured to ensure that the product meets service levels and usage expectations.
Average Application Response Time: Measures the time it takes for an application to respond to user requests.
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): Measures the average time that passes between failures of a system in production.
Average Defect Resolution Time (Mean Time To Repair - MTTR): Measures the time it takes to identify and correct a failure in the system.
Release Frequency: Evaluates how frequently new versions or updates of software are released in a production environment.
Fault-Free Update Frequency: The number of successful updates or releases without service interruptions.
Reopened Defects Rate: Indicates the percentage of defects that, after being resolved, are reopened because they were not adequately corrected or because they reappeared.
User Abandonment Rate: Measures the percentage of users who abandon the application or stop using it due to performance issues, errors, or poor user experience.
Conclusion: Quality as a Pillar of Business Success
Quality assurance and control in the development of business systems and applications It is a comprehensive and continuous process that involves developers and users to ensure the delivery of reliable, safe and efficient products.
Through efficient quality management with the implementation of solid QA and QC practices at every step of technological development, companies can mitigate risks, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction, increasing their competitiveness in the market and ensuring a sustained long-term success.
Do you want to know more? Visit our Blog: https://www.consultoriatacs.com/en/blog
Ready to transform your company? Write us at: contacto@consultoriatacs.com
Contact us today and find out how we can grow your business together!
About Pablo Tellaeche (Author):
Owner and main consultant of TACs Consultores, Lecturer and University Professor; seeks to bring a true and positive Culture Lean and Digital Transformation to any company with which you have the pleasure of collaborating.
Comments