XBOSoft’s Quality Process Assessment (QPA) examines the entire organization from the standpoint of quality – how do its people, processes, and use of technology and tools support the organization’s quality goals? Using our QPA methodology and framework, we uncover the root causes of defects and provide a roadmap to application and process improvement.
QPA Roadmap | ||||
–> Influences the process after –> | ||||
Sales & Marketing (Product sponsor) | Product management | Development | Quality Assurance Product delivery | Customer Service Tech Support Product in Use |
<– Depends on the process before <– | ||||
^ User interactions –> | User perceived quality | <– User interactions ^ |
The term “defect” usually applies to issues encountered by users and when the product does not meet requirements or behaves unexpectedly. However, XBOSoft’s QPA expands this to include errors that can occur throughout the lifecycle, from poorly defined requirements and unclear test cases to issues reproducing defects and marketing materials that may be misleading about capabilities.
Additionally, many don’t realize the strong connection between support and the customer’s perception of quality. By closely examining help desk tickets, XBOSoft’s QPA determines pain points and provides actionable feedback with steps your organization should take earlier to prevent issues from being encountered in production.
After the review, our clients typical realize the following benefits:
The QPA begins with a pre-onsite data collection period where the client completes pre-assessment questionnaires and collects the appropriate documentation required to kick off the study. Prior to the data collection period, we also discuss and confirm the QPA objectives with the team lead(s) (typically the VP of Development, Development or Quality Assurance manager, and any other stakeholders). This phase utilizes a variety of data collection methods:
We then analyze all of the collected data to understand the different viewpoints on quality across the organization, the definition of quality, and the existing processes.
After our analysis of the data and questionnaires, we then go onsite to work with the stakeholders for a focused period of 3-5 days gathering and analyzing supplemental data via:
This additional information facilitates in-depth analysis of the following critical performance areas that affect Quality Assurance:
The QPA results in a comprehensive document that contains recommendations for immediate changes that will lead to improvements in operational procedures, workflows, technology uses, job designs, and measurements that support your quality objectives. This is followed by an executive workshop that presents the results and maps out a plan for improvement. The Assessment Report provides the following:
We’ve worked with organizations of all shapes and sizes to examine their processes and offer guidance toward long-term, sustainable improvements. Along with professional QA consulting services, we offer augmentation and full-service software testing services.
We also share our knowledge with the software and business community through publishing topical White Papers, presenting at conferences, and holding workshops to help grow our collective skills and support the quality community.
We hold PMP, ISTQB, and ISO27001 certifications, reflecting our adherence to rigorous standards in project management, software testing, information security, and internal controls.