What quality assurance trends do you follow?

This is a tricky part. QA is often perceived as anti-agile by nature; because they lag development and sometimes time consuming. However, that’s not necessarily true. It’s about how you structure the entire team and its development practices. That said, you need to build the entire team’s practices from the ground up into agility: 1) establish test driven development, 2) deliver iteratively but design and define first so that all can work in parallel, 3) create full CI/CD, 4) automate fast once automation is possible.

Don’t be afraid to poke into that direction thinking that it’s too fancy. Not true. AI is the most promising resolution to QA process inefficiencies because AI is best at repeatable problems and activities and the QA process is full of that. In fact, the application of AI to testing is far more easier that to development.

AI is around since 1950 but it became a buzzword since the release of ChatGPT in last November. Undoubtedly, this is a top trend for QA professionals. Quality management is one of the top processes that can benefit from Generative AI. e.g. With Generative AI based eQMS platform, a quality management team doesn’t waste time looking for answers to questions – the answers are presented to them within their existing workflows so they can act fast with precision and purpose. QA professional should allocate time to understand basic concepts and gradually increase their understanding especially in Generative AI.

User Experience Testing: Usability Testing: Evaluate how easily users can accomplish tasks in the system Navigation Testing: Ensure smooth navigation throughout the application Visual Consistency: Check for consistency in design elements, fonts, colors, etc Cross-Browser Compatibility: Verify that the UX is consistent across different browsers Responsive Design: Test how well the application adapts to various devices and screen sizes Performance Testing: Assess the system's responsiveness and loading times

Accessibility Testing: Screen Reader Compatibility: Ensure content is accessible via screen readers for visually impaired users Keyboard Navigation: Verify that all functionalities are accessible using keyboard shortcuts Color Contrast: Check if text and background colors have sufficient contrast for readability Alt Text for Images: Ensure images have descriptive alternative text for users who cannot see them Form Labels and ARIA Roles: Confirm proper labeling and ARIA roles for form fields and interactive elements Focus Indicators: Ensure there are visible indicators for focused elements, aiding navigation for keyboard users Content Structure: Confirm a logical and structured content flow for better comprehension

Testing for both UX and Accessibility ensures a product that is not only visually appealing but also inclusive and user-friendly for all.

Cloud and mobile can assist QA teams in improving the quality of their software by offering the tools and resources required to test their apps on a wide range of devices and in real-world settings. > Cloud-based test automation solutions can be used to automate the execution of tests across a wide range of devices and browsers. This can help to save time and increase the QA process's efficiency. > Mobile device farms are cloud-based services that allow access to a diverse selection of mobile devices. This allows QA teams to test their applications on a wide range of devices without having to buy and maintain their own hardware.

These are not novel ideas, but they should be considered: - Shift-Left testing: This can help detect and fix errors sooner, saving time and money in the long term. Continuous testing by enabling DevOps: The practice of incorporating testing into the DevOps pipeline is known as continuous testing. This can help to enhance software release quality and shorten the time it takes to release new software.