Reasons to Hire an Independent Software Testing Company
Despite the many examples of failure that include some truly spectacular startup disasters, a vast number of small- and-middle-sized product-driven startups and smaller full-fledged software development outfits embark on the perilous journey of setting up Quality Assurance teams of their own.
While many succeed and their products make it to the market in time and with no additional costs to their owners, others wind up saddled with bug-ridden products and overextended times-to-market. Some of them also wind up with potential time bombs in the form of high-severity defects planted under them.
Setting up a full-blown QA process takes skills and time. Many smaller IT companies find putting together an in-house QA team too much of a challenge because of a dearth of resources in their location. For others it is just not expedient because of the short timeframes of their projects.
Some of the well-established software vendors, which have made an investment in an in-house QA team, find their product's quality disappointing. Typically, they are at sea about whether to funnel more funds into something they seem to be unable to tangibly improve.
When companies of both types start looking for alternatives, they don't find them to be too many.
In actuality, there is usually just one single alternative, - outsourcing one's Quality Assurance needs to an independent QA & testing company. How viable is this alternative? When should you consider this one? Is there anything to be gained by relinquishing the QA-related hassle and letting others handle it?
Also read: 6 Benefits of Behavior-Driven Testing with Cucumber
When It Makes Sense and How You Can Gain
First of all, both those who are faced with outsourcing Quality Assurance as their only available option and those, poised for choice, should be aware that bringing an external QA contractor into play is by no means a compromise on their goals and quality standards. In fact, in most instances, an external provider is more of a boon (provided you make the right choice of them) from the viewpoint of quality and time-to-market.
From our extensive experience in providing QA and testing services, there are several typical situations that may signal that a startup or full-fledged software vendor needs the assistance of/could benefit from cooperation with a proficient QA and testing provider.
Your Company's Internal Business Processes Affect the Product Quality
Sometimes, the interactions of a company's in-house QA experts with its developers are affected by deadlines and other delivery-related needs. On-the-fly stopgaps are then used as substitutes for full-value bug-fixing solutions. The involvement of an independent QA & testing agency would eliminate this scenario without compromise on the time-to-market due to an increased number of QA experts, working on your project.
Your In-House Team Has Difficulty in Setting the Right Testing Priorities
It is always important for a QA team to focus on a product's core functionality (the quality of which can affect the product's time-to-market) and the functionality that makes your product stand out from the pack. Lesser experienced QA teams often fail to do so.
As a rule, a seasoned provider of software testing services employs several experienced QA engineers, who have dealt with both extremely complex (and, possibly, similar, who knows?) products and tight deadlines. These QA experts know how to prioritize their efforts. Their involvement would both improve the product quality and enable a more-expeditious time-to-market.
Also read: Top 5 Reasons to Hire Ukrainian Software Developers
Insufficient QA Expertise That May Affect the Product's Time-to-Market
It is often difficult for small- and mid-sized companies and startups to find locally and maintain a specific kind of QA expertise that may be required for the proper testing of their products. Their in-house QA departments may tend to test their products less comprehensively than an external QA contractor (for example, a provider of nearshore testing services) would.
Approaching such an external QA contractor for assistance would allow you to hire testing engineers who will use not only their experience, but also a broader and more appropriate range of tools and techniques to improve the quality of your product.
Company Executives' Excessive Involvement in the QA Process
As a company Executive or startup founder, you have a lot of other things to tend to. Consequently, you need an end-to-end solution that can ensure the good quality of your product and in a hassle-free and less time-consuming fashion.
Buying more office space, finding and hiring more QA specialists, training, continually motivating, and supervising them may not be the best option. Your investment will take up even more of your time, effort, and money.
With a well-chosen software QA outsourcing company, you can forget about your software quality concerns and simply start taking the good quality of your product for granted. Just check out their previous experience and make sure they are the right pick otherwise.
Too High QA Costs: No Longer a Problem If You Cooperate with an Independent Nearshore or Offshore Software Testing Company
If you are based in the West, Down Under, or most of the Middle East, the QA and testing of your product may be at a premium. As you are probably aware, this would no longer be the case if you hire a remote Quality Assurance outsourcing provider, based in a more cost-effective location.
Talking of examples, an Eastern-European nearshore QA and testing team, such as ours, could well reduce your expenses by a factor of 2.
The Absence of a Reliable Guarantee for Your QA Investment
Regardless of whether you are a startup or an established vendor, your QA investment can basically guarantee you nothing. Why?
What if, after all the recruitment efforts, trainings, team-building sessions and all that jazz they just fail, as it happens in a considerable number of instances? Will anyone offset your losses then?
This may come as a surprise, but in some cases an outsourcing QA and testing agency can not only be a more dependable option, but they may also be able to offer you a contractually stipulated monetary guarantee to the effect that the quality of your product will be in sync with your expectations.
The Need for Some Additional Leverage In Your Vendor Relationships
If your relationship with your software development contractor is far from the ideal, the opinion of a qualified independent software QA company could potentially sway things in your favor. They could both help you avoid more than one round of recriminations and help you improve your relationships with your counterparts.
