Current trends in Quality Assurance

A recently published report suggests the priorities of quality assurance are shifting. In this article, we look at the key skills QA professionals need both now, and in the future.

When Capgemini and Sogeti released the 10th edition of their World Quality Report recently, they observed that, for the first time, IT professionals ranked customer experience as the number one priority of their quality assurance activities.

The report highlights the convergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics, and their use in enabling smart automation as the biggest disruptive force transforming quality assurance and testing.

For IT professionals, the findings are interesting as they indicate the skills that are likely to become more important in future. At Eolas Recruitment, trends that we are currently seeing also include heightened focus on security, the Internet of Things and blockchain.

Difference between quality assurance and quality control

When enquiring about quality assurance roles, candidates are sometimes confused about the difference between quality assurance and quality control/testing.

The main difference is that assurance focuses on the entire development process whereas quality control and testing are usually product-focused and are therefore just a subset of quality assurance.

What skills are needed to work in quality assurance?

A good QA team includes individuals with different strengths who target various steps in the quality assurance process.

The technical skills and knowledge these teams require include up-to-date programming, analytical and problem-solving skills, an ability to focus and good attention to detail.

Communication skills are also very important because of the collaborative and team nature of work in many organisations today.

Automating quality assurance

The goal of QA teams is to improve the overall development process. Typically, they use a variety of tools to assist in this task—from checklists and audits to automated testing. However, the speed of product development in today’s digital economy can create bottlenecks, so the ability to automate repetitive processes is becoming very important — hence it is interesting to see the convergence of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics highlighted in the Cap Gemini/Sogeti World Quality Report.

As Brad Little, (Executive Vice President, Global Head of Application Services at Capgemini) puts it, “IT teams need to be rapidly up-skilling and embracing new technologies in the near future to keep up with the AI and automation-led transformation environment.”

Applying for quality assurance roles

When applying for quality assurance roles, it is important to demonstrate good communication skills as well as sound judgement and decision-making, problem-solving and analytical skills. Roles that involve product testing, or overseeing testers, often require experience of both manual and automated testing tools along with an ability to write test plans, scripts and scenarios.

The best way to find current opportunities is to register with a specialist IT recruiter. At Eolas Recruitment, we understand that discretion is important when you are researching roles as you may not want your existing employer to know that you are contemplating a move. Check out our online reviews and contact us to find out more about our services and how we can help you find the best opportunities to advance your career in QA.