How do you apply quality assurance principles and standards throughout the software development lifecycle?

While ISO 9001 serves as a general QA standard, it does not comprehensively cover all aspects and may not be applicable to software products. Therefore, specific standards exist for software products: - ISO/IEC 29119: Software definition / Test processes / Test Documentation / Testing techniques and strategies / Keyword-based software testing - ISO/IEC 9126 | ISO/IEC 25010: Software quality characteristics - IEEE 730: Product Quality Assurance - IEEE 829: Test Documents formatting - IEEE 830: Requirements specifications - IEEE 1008: Unit testing - IEEE 1028: Software inspections - IEEE 1044: Software anomalies - IEEE 1059/ IEEE 1012: Verification/Validation - IEEE 1061: Establish SQA metrics - IEEE 12207: Software/Data life cycle

During the planning stage of the software development lifecycle, quality assurance (QA) principles are established to ensure a solid foundation for the project, define and document all software requirements clearly, involving stakeholders to ensure completeness and consistency. Establish specific quality goals aligned with business objectives, and conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential quality risks and mitigation strategies. Develop a comprehensive test plan outlining the scope, approach, resources, and schedule of testing activities. Define QA processes, methodologies, and standards to be followed, and select the necessary tools and technologies for quality assurance.

As a QA engineer, I have learned the importance of applying quality assurance principles throughout the software development lifecycle. One memorable experience was during the planning stage of a project. Despite having clear objectives and requirements, we encountered challenges aligning stakeholder expectations with technical feasibility. By actively engaging with end-users and stakeholders, we were able to bridge this gap and establish a shared understanding of project goals. This experience reaffirmed the value of customer focus in delivering successful software projects.

The planning stage is particularly crucial for integrating quality assurance (QA) principles and standards into the software development lifecycle (SDLC).

QA should leverage static testing in the SDLC planning stage. This involves a thorough examination of the requirements document through internal reviews. During these reviews, the team meticulously checks for clarity, completeness, and consistency. This ensures the requirements are easy to understand, cover all necessary functionalities, and avoid contradictions. Additionally, the team assesses the feasibility of the requirements with available resources. Stakeholder input sessions are another crucial step for QA. These sessions gather feedback from key users and domain experts to confirm the requirements accurately reflect their needs, address usability concerns, and prioritize functionalities based on importance and business value.

The design is a critical stage for any quality plan..I would think that atleast 60% of success lies in design, when done well It's important to understand that any ongoing implementations should not rely on templates of prior implementation Each system replacement is unique, and has its own complexity, integrations and down stream needs So it is important to bring all the right Tech and business stakeholders in, and get a detailed understanding of the system and business flows before getting started

This is vital for a "shift-left" approach. QA must participate in initial requirement analysis meetings, with their input being essential. SRS, also known as BRD (Business Requirement Documentation), outlines the overarching business objectives and goals essential to align a product with the broader business strategy. When drafting the requirements,the SRS breaks down and evolves into the PRD (Product Requirement Documentation), detailing the precise features and functionality necessary to satisfy customer requirements and expectations. It should encompass: - Success metrics - Personas - User scenarios / stories - Acceptance Criteria - Designs - Prerequisite - Technical information and dependencies - Marketing strategies - Q&A / Discussions

- In my experience during the design review having the Quality architect / Quality lead helps to iron out all the testing needs, listing out the dependencies, and provide a quality static review as well. - Also this stage quality lead can able to bring the Non functional requirements and provide the insight to the team -Quality team can act as a domain consultant and represent the end user - correcting / identifying any issues saves lot of effort and cost

One of my favourite ones is the Pesticide paradox. To prevent my test cases from this, I just do not add exact test data (of course in cases when this approach is possible) but add the type of data to use during testing. How it helps: during each and every test run testers will use different test data (but follow the type of data) depending on their fantasy, moods, preferences etc, so each time new test data is used. For automation use randomizers :)

Along with the software engineer's high-level design, a QA architect or QA lead shall create a test strategy & plan document in this phase. This document will describe major user scenarios, predictable corner cases, constraints, testing approaches (auto/manual), test data preparation plan, and testing environment setup/configuration.

On the topic of IEEE 829, I agree that following a standardized format for test documentation is essential. It ensures that all necessary information is captured and organized systematically. However, I'd like to emphasize the importance of tailoring these documentation standards to the specific needs of the project. Sometimes, overly rigid adherence to standards can lead to inefficiencies. Customizing IEEE 829 templates to fit the project's unique requirements can strike a better balance between documentation rigor and practicality.

Ensure clear, complete and testable requirements Collaborate with stakeholders and conduct risk analysis Code reviews and unit testing Make test plans Test in staging Establish a process for fixing issues Follow RTM

During the implementation and testing stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), QA (Quality Assurance) activities take center stage.

Before a deployment, the QA lead must sign off on the deployment. Any delayed defects, if any, must be approved by the QA lead. After a deployment, QA's sign-off is also required. QA should be involved in resolving a production defect, not only to assist the software developer in fixing the issue but also to understand the root cause and revise the test cases accordingly.

During the deployment and maintenance stages of the software development lifecycle, applying quality assurance principles and standards is crucial for ensuring the continued reliability and performance of the software. This involves rigorous testing, monitoring, and feedback mechanisms to identify and rectify any issues that may arise post-deployment. Regular updates and patches are released to address vulnerabilities and enhance functionality, aligning with industry best practices and standards. This iterative process helps maintain a high level of quality, responsiveness to user feedback, and adherence to established standards, ultimately contributing to a robust and reliable software system throughout its lifecycle.

The deployment and maintenance stage of the SDLC is where QA (Quality Assurance) efforts shift towards ensuring a smooth launch and ongoing quality of the software