You have an internal team of developers who work on your site. They implement new features and updates, support the site, and tackle bugs as they’re discovered. You don’t have a separate, dedicated quality assurance (QA) team because you feel you don’t need one. You trust your developers to merge high-quality code that just works.

The truth is, your development workflow needs a QA process. Minor code changes can result in unexpected bugs. And even if a developer’s code is flawless, there’s always the possibility that a regression will cause problems.

A QA team’s purpose is to assist developers in delivering the best possible product within a designated timeline. They find any issues that prevent the software or website from working successfully. Your QA team should be involved in the development process from the beginning so that they fully understand project requirements. With a thorough understanding of how the feature should work, the QA team can perform a series of tests to ensure it’s bug-free.

A stringent QA process has a number of benefits that will help you reach your goals.

QA Enables a Better End Result

The most obvious reason to implement a quality assurance process is to create a better product. A development ticket isn’t finished if the feature doesn’t work exactly the way it’s supposed to.

A QA team will work with other team members, like product owners or lead developers, to fully grasp the project’s requirements. When the ticket reaches the testing phase of the workflow, QA specialists create and run a series of tests to make sure the feature works for every use case. They’ll also test functionality that may have been affected by the new code.

The end result is a higher quality product that works exactly as it should. It’s never guaranteed that you won’t eventually discover a bug, but it’s far less likely.

A QA Team Helps You Meet User Demands

Your users are the most important aspect of your project. If they’re frustrated or unable to use your website or software, it’s unsuccessful.

Since QA specialists are involved in the software development process from the beginning, they’ll have a solid understanding of what users are trying to accomplish. As they perform tests, they’ll verify that each feature works the way your users expect it to. They may also find additional use cases that your development team hadn’t yet considered.

QA Builds User Trust & Credibility

Regardless of your organization’s overall goals, you want users to feel they can trust you, and that you’re a credible business. Websites or software tools that are full of bugs are not only frustrating to use, they also call other aspects of your business into question. If you’re asking users to submit personal information or a payment, they are much less likely to do so through a system that doesn’t work properly.

Software and websites that are simple and enjoyable to use promote user trust and make them more likely to return in the future.

Quality Assurance Saves Money

Bugs that go undetected are detrimental to your business. Catching them during the development process will save you time and money in the long run, especially if you’re launching a new product or feature; users may never return if it doesn’t work properly the first time. Preventing an issue is always better than having to fix it after the fact.

A Great QA Team is Invaluable

Even if your development team seems to be reliable and efficient, a quality assurance process will ensure that you’re delivering the best product possible. Your users will be happier, your organization will seem more trustworthy, and you’ll save money. Everybody wins.