How to Mitigate the Risks of QA Outsourcing?

Overview Of QA Outsourcing

It’s no secret that more and more businesses, both IT and non-IT, are choosing to outsource or out staff for the development of their software solutions. As a response to the local talent gap, a lack of knowledge, and the growing expenses of software engineers and programmers. The trend of using remote workers to assist in completing critical tasks within software development projects is more urgent than ever before. Businesses need to speed up the time it takes to hire tech talent and the time it takes for their products to hit the market. As a result, they start looking outside of national borders to source high-caliber pre-vetted specialists.

While some businesses are wary about outsourcing the development portion of their technology projects. They rarely hesitate to do so for QA and testing. QA is seen to be the greatest area for outsourcing for the following reasons:

• Employing external/offshore QA consultants is akin to engaging a seasoned third party to examine and conduct due diligence on internal teamwork (it’s like viewing the project with new eyes and a fresh viewpoint)
• QA outsourcing is far less expensive than core software development.
• Access to QA with a higher degree of specialization, which cuts down on project time
• Higher quality and quicker outcomes.

This article seeks to offer a thorough analysis of the best practices for QA outsourcing. Also, discuss strategies for lowering or eliminating any risks associated with such an endeavor.

What is QA Outsourcing?

The practice of outsourcing your complete software QA and testing function to an offshore supplier. It might be either a general bespoke software development firm or a QA-specialized software house, which is known as quality assurance (QA) outsourcing. Therefore, what is expected of you (client) is precise technical requirements specification or a well-defined QA task scope. Don’t worry if you can’t specify your QA project on your own; today, almost every outsourcing service can assist you.

For instance, at 9Yards Technology, we provide a thorough discovery session where we sit down with the client’s Product Owner to determine the scope of test coverage. We focus on building an action plan, and a resource plan, describing milestones and objectives, etc. This discovery session results in a rapid start to your QA outsourcing project. And the elimination of costs was incurred later on due to a flawed software release.

The vendor assigns resources (usually from an internal pool of expertise) after receiving your QA requirements spec. The vendor then completely handles your outsourced testing procedures and is responsible for all milestones and the final delivery.

There are numerous pricing models available for QA outsourcing, including fixed-price, time and materials (T&M), and hybrid.

Benefits of QA Outsourcing

The benefits of outsourcing software QA are, in general, as follows:

• Smart distribution of QA workload

Corporate QA frequently indicates a floating need. Or when a team or department waits around for one week every month before starting a difficult three-week search for faults and flaws in the product. Also, reporting them back to the developer for correction.

Outsourcing or managing QA projects are excellent options for properly allocating QA burden. Involving offshore testers during peak periods makes sense to ensure that the product is completely ready for the final release.

• Budget increase for software development by lowering internal QA costs

When you recruit employees internally, you must make investments in IT infrastructure, workstation setup, tool and equipment provision, etc. When you outsource QA and testing, the provider will include all indirect expenses in your invoice. This allows you to effortlessly leverage the current capabilities without having to make any further expenditures.

• Include every available test in your coverage

You probably won’t be able to cover every testing strategy, methodology, and type available today in-house. Professional outsourcing firms with a focus on quality assurance often have access to extensive tools and gadgets for application testing.

There are more than 150 different suitable devices to test your Android app on if you’re making one. You won’t likely have access to these many gadgets and equipment on the inside. Future reputational and monetary costs might result from not testing an app on all relevant devices.

• Get an opinion on your project from outside

No matter how knowledgeable your developers are, they are still people and may be affected by the human aspect. An outside perspective on your project is always beneficial since external auditors are more likely to find business-critical mistakes. Also, it provides inconsistencies than your best engineer on the project for a long period to have “blurred eyes.”

• Develop documentation-driven projects

Things might become complicated when you construct your digital solution in-house if you aren’t primarily a tech firm. Some instances of what might go wrong on projects include poor communication or poor working relationships across teams and departments. Moreover, a hidden agenda, and worker turnover in your project management department can lead to poor performance.

Inadequately documented procedures can have negative effects on team productivity, product quality, post-release costs, buildup of technical debt, etc. Any corporation might pay a hefty price to remediate the repercussions.

The majority of the test cases will be defined by remote workers as a consequence of structured communication between the client’s in-house development team and an offshore QA team. Also, it is a great method to promote documentation-driven development on your project when using offshore QA teams.

Read Also- Benefits of Outsourcing Software Testing Services

Challenges in QA Outsourcing

• Loss of Control

Leaving quality control to a third party might result in a number of project problems. Contracting out a QA and testing to a third-party organization, that organization gains management and authority over some business areas. Making choices on QA and testing jobs If you don’t specify your objectives, expectations, and level of engagement before signing the contract, go to an outsourcing vendor.

• Additional Expenses

At times your QA Testing partner comes up with additional costs later which you were unaware of at the start of the project. Hence, it’s crucial to take into account a variety of cost-related aspects when choosing a QA vendor, including the project’s scale, complexity, location, and the expertise of the QA engineers themselves. You should also consider elements like after-hours services, employee training, and troubleshooting that frequently contribute to the extra expenses associated with testing services.

• Miscommunication

It’s likely one of the biggest difficulties an outsourcing team encounter. Language difficulties and a lack of communication might create additional issues if your QA vendor’s testing team is based overseas. This can hinder quality and cause misconceptions among team members. In addition to distinct cultures and languages, distinguished work ethics and business culture policies can also lead to miscommunication.

• Security Issues

It might be risky to entrust QA to a third-party provider. You provide a group of outside experts access to internal projects when you hire outsourced experts. You may also grant your outsourcing partner access to the systems that store vital corporate data, including private information about staff members, suppliers, management committees, and clients. This sensitive information can be exposed by data breaches, insider threats, and similar situations if strong safety measures aren’t in place.

Read Also- An Introduction to Blockchain Technology and Its Potential Uses

Steps to Mitigate the Risks of QA Outsourcing

Despite several risks associated with QA outsourcing, the benefits of adopting QA outsourcing outweigh them. Fortunately, there are a few factors that can help you mitigate the risks of QA outsourcing. By keeping the following pointers in mind, you can have a safe QA outsourcing.

Follow a quality-over-price strategy

It doesn’t make sense to put a premium on getting software testing services at a cheap price. Instead, it can lead to having to deal with quality concerns, security issues, or both. It’s usually preferable to prioritize quality above price when selecting a QA vendor. To choose a reliable provider, you should:

• Make a list of qualified vendors for quality assurance.
• Examine their portfolios.
• With the supplier, go over projects that are similar to yours and get clarification on their approach to quality and accepted QA techniques.
• Examine the security procedures of applicants and contrast them with your security procedures and priorities.
• Identify QA concerns by asking the customer for input often.

Utilize Tools and Strategies for Effective Communication

You must establish collaboration and open communication between your business and your outsourced QA team in order to overcome the loss of visibility and control when working with a QA vendor. You must also ensure that your internal product owners can successfully communicate an ideal vision of the finished product to the outsourced team.

Discuss all facets of your collaboration beforehand, including the tech stack used, strategies, and measures for risk reduction. To stay in contact with your staff and foster better working connections, arrange frequent meetings with them.

Remember that outsourcing companies are frequently situated in different nations and time zones. You should schedule frequent video sessions with the offshore team members to stay on schedule for a project. This helps to assess their development, investigate the difficulties they encounter, and provide practical answers. (Make sure to establish a communication channel that supports safe data transfer and utilizes encrypted connections.

Another crucial aspect to take into account when selecting an outsourced company is language compatibility. You may wish to start by doing research to select a firm with an appropriate degree of language abilities in order to reduce dangers and stress.

In order to always get and make available access to an overview of tasks and their prioritization, roles, resources, deadlines, etc., you should attempt to use project-management software. Establish recurring reporting or status-update procedures so that you may monitor the project’s development, stay informed of new issues, and stay up to current on future plans.

Establishing Complete Security Measures

Three necessary precautions will enable you to have a secure collaboration with a QA vendor:

1. Evaluate the Security Measures of Vendors: Before selecting an outsourcing provider, ascertain whether they have prior experience working with sensitive client data and inquire about their data protection practices. Additionally, you might request that they adhere to the security guidelines that your business uses (such as those that were developed in accordance with ISO 27001).
2. Sign a Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA): By signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), both parties agree not to disclose any of the private information they have in common to a third party.
3. Regular Cybersecurity Testing: Test your outsourcing environment with the help of your cybersecurity teams and service providers. For instance, vulnerability scanning aids in finding security gaps in the network that hackers might take advantage of.
   Penetration testers and ethical hackers often simulate assaults on the system. Any security flaws may be found and fixed by QA professionals after the test to prevent hackers from reusing them in future attacks. The QA professionals may also study the variables that contribute to security flaws and provide solutions for how to fix them successfully.
4. Choose a Reliable QA Vendor: Choosing a QA-testing provider that combines IT competence with great job quality and best security procedures is vital in this context and throughout. Get in touch with the previous clients of your QA vendor to get a clear picture of the kind of work they provide to their clients. Check their client testimonials and reviews on the internet. 

Wrapping Up!

The practice of outsourcing is now fundamental to modern business. According to the most recent data, over 77% of software development organizations now outsource their solutions and want to keep doing so, and approximately 44% anticipate increasing the number of jobs to be outsourced to attract outsourcing providers.

Utilizing value-based QA outsourcing enables modern organizations to produce high-quality and error-free solutions that connect with target audiences and stand out in the marketplace while also enjoying considerable cost savings.

However, before beginning a QA outsourcing journey, it’s crucial to understand what it takes to bring your QA function overseas, assess all potential hazards, and verify the potential outsourcing partner’s action plan to mitigate those risks. This is true for new ventures as well. You won’t ever regret choosing to outsource Quality Assurance and testing if it appears acceptable and reasonable.