Is Software Quality Assurance the same as Software Testing?

It’s well understood that software development of any magnitude is a complex process involving numerous resources and mechanisms to ensure clients receive the product they’re looking for. At the same time, continued customer satisfaction is also a top priority and this is where software QA testing companies come into the picture. So while on paper, software quality assurance (QA) and software testing may seem similar – especially when the former is utilised in-house – there are fine differences that separate them from each other.

For starters, the two have completely different goals. They also differ in the methods of execution and the features they utilise. Software QA primarily focuses on a logical plan to try and provide an application that is relatively bug-free. This plan usually includes the Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document. It is also responsible for creating and implementing specific methods and procedures to improve the overall software development cycle. Software testing, on the other hand, focuses on the verification and validation of the software to locate and bugs and defects.

Software Quality Assurance is an approach that’s designed to make sure that the software meets the precise requirements each time. It’s a planning strategy for the testing process of an application aimed towards quality product yield. QA is all about preparing a correct plan or strategy followed by testers to execute various test cases and make the software bug-free. On the opposite hand, software testing is an activity to see whether a particular result matches the expected result or not. It also executes various test cases to verify the software. It identifies gaps, errors and missing requirements and tries to repair all of them. It can either be done by manual or automated testing.

There is often an overlap between quality assurance and testing in projects, especially when small0scale ones are discussed. Testing might provide important quality-related information about the software, but the standard assurance is what uses this information to enhance the quality-related processes. In some projects, an external software QA testing company could be engaged to conduct an audit of the quality-related processes.

Why exactly aren’t software quality assurance and software testing equal?

• Software QA primarily revolves around management staff. It prepares a carefully documented plan which is to be executed by the tester when testing an application or software.
• Its focus is on Quality Control and meeting preset requirements for the software. Software QA is more process-oriented as it reduces the chances of errors from occurring.
• The main goal of Software QA is to make sure the quality of the software is to be delivered at all times. 
• Software Testing, on the opposite hand, is simply the process of detecting bugs or defects in software using test cases.

• It’s a product-oriented approach, unlike the process-oriented QA that focuses on ensuring software is bug-free.
• Where the two come together is focusing on and ensuring the overall quality of the Software just like Software QA.

QA makes it easy for a tester to seek out bugs as he has got to follow a specific pattern. The most aim of Quality Assurance and Testing is to provide an error-free product that meets functional and nonfunctional requirements with improvised quality. Software development or product engineering is virtually incomplete without QA and Testing. It’s crucial to make sure that the final product is that of superior quality.

Kualitatem takes the stress of achieving bug-free products away from you. It’s a one-of-a-kind automation testing software that helps you attain the quality standards you and your clients demand. The software QA testing company aims to take your quality assurance requirements and transform them into the latest standards.