What is QAOps? (Quality Assurance Operations)
In recent weeks we have looked at some different software testing types and approaches. Today we ask the question: What is QAOps?
QAOps is another approach to software development. It integrates quality assurance (QA) practices into the development and deployment process. The concept originated from the DevOps movement and places similar emphasis on collaboration. The QA process is integrated into the software development lifecycle (SDLC) from the very beginning. QA teams and development / operations teams must then work together diligently to ensure that software is of the highest quality. They can achieve this using numerous processes and practices such as automated testing. Continuous integration and delivery, monitoring, plus feedback loops are then deployed also.
Why adopt QAOps?
QAOps is quickly becoming a crucial methodology in the delivery lifecycle. The benefits of adopting it include the following:
- Better quality (as QA is integrated into the delivery workflow, the final product is of higher quality. Extensive automation also means faster results)
- Higher productivity (more QA involvement means more frequent interactions between teams. This can lead to the QA team feeling more valued, thus often increasing their productivity)
- An increase in skill levels (this is achieved through deeper collaboration)
- A stronger customer experience (continuous testing typically ensures a higher level of product quality and reliability)
It is worth noting that whilst QAOps is a derivative of DevOps, it is currently less popular.
What is the difference between DevOps and QAOps?
Different roles for those involved:
- In DevOps, Developers and Operations personnel have primary roles. QA functions as a subset of development
- With QAOps, QA specialists take primary roles and work closely with Developers and people in Operations
A change in focus:
- DevOps aims to deploy software quickly
- QAOps aims to ensure high quality software
Different levels of quality:
- Software application is good in DevOps…
- And it is excellent in QAOps
For more on DevOps, read our article, “DevOps in software testing”.
Are you currently deploying either of these approaches? We would love to hear from you if so. We would also like to hear from you if you want to learn more about the wonderful world of software testing!