Software Testing Outsource – FAQs Revealed

Since the outsource of software testing services is a multi-faceted process, it is natural for the questions to occur at any stage of cooperation with a software testing company. This is the reason why we`ve collected the most popular aspects you`re interested in when requesting our services. You ask – we answer 🙂

What types of cooperation models do you offer?

The type cooperation always depends on client needs. Usually we apply two models: Time & Material and Full time resource basis.

Time & material basis. Also known as “work by an estimate”. You may choose it in case you develop several projects to have them tested at times. Or if you`re pressed for time and need additional resources, this model is also for you. The total payment depends on the number of hours QA engineers spend, types of testing applied. You share product requirements with the provider, and their task is to prepare a detailed strategy: description of testing methods, the exact number of hours counted due to the project load, deadline, and scope of work to be done. The total cost is also included in such estimate document.

Full-time resource basis. This model enables cooperating with a dedicated QA team. The provider allocates QA engineers (1 or more) and your project is the only they work on. You may need a dedicated team for your long-term project, where the team reports directly to you. You may also change the number of QA engineers depending on project requirements and workload.

Can you outline the process in short?

The starting point is a prepared project estimate. Our task is to provide you with an in-depth report. It includes the analysis of your project, the list of necessary tests to run, total hours required for each task, and the overall cost for the software testing services. This is a report to rely on and decide whether your budget fits the price. The testing process begins upon your approval of the estimate, and you get ready to receive the first results from our QA team.

Ok, what info do you need from me?

Since the estimate is a project-oriented document, we request to share:

• a link to the project or build
• specifications and design files (if any)
• a list of devices you’d like us to use for the testing
• testing requirements

The dedicated model requires full access to the project system (e.g. JIRA) for a QA engineer to start.

How do I control the progress of testing?

A bug tracking system is one of the most effective ways for you to see the results of our work. This is the place where we share the bug reports after each testing session. Jira, TRELLO, Redmine, Gitlab are among our most frequently used systems. Yet we are not limited to anything particular, we might as well apply the tracker convenient for your in-house team.

Great, but we don`t use bug tracking systems at all.

In that case, we will create additional accounts for your team members in our bug tracker and share the required access to the project results. Or we may also send you bug reports using Google Sheets. And of course, we`re available for daily online meetings for more detailed discussions.

Do you prefer real devices or emulators for testing?

Testing the software on real devices is far more reliable for testing nowadays. The use of emulators is not the best way to encounter user interactions. Camera work (e.g. bar-code scanning feature), microphone functioning, the quality of mobile app signal cannot be tested within the environment emulators provide. Along with the user perspective, only real devices show a clear picture of the defects occurring after each testing scenario.

Which type of testing do you recommend?

There are several factors to consider, and a detailed estimate will come in handy when trying to answer this question. Since we always encounter project specifics and release deadline, a detailed report will analyze project status, outline the workload, total number of hours. This information helps us to apply the most efficient testing types to meet the requirements.

Who will be responsible for my project?

Our CTO takes responsibility for the technical processes. They will manage the team and control the decisions on the QA strategy chosen for your project. This is a person you might contact any time you require additional discussion on the project progress.

Are there any agreements we may sign with you for data protection purposes?

Sure. Our company works under NDA, MSA, and SOW (SLA). Moreover, we are compliant with the EU General Data Protection Policy (GDPR). It applies to the organizations that offer services and process private information. Per your request, we can sign any of the agreements to make sure project data is secure.

How do you guarantee timely service delivery?

Along with the confidentiality terms, MSA and SLA include in-depth information on project deliverables and the deadline for a QA vendor to follow.

Is your level of the English language enough to communicate daily?

Although our QA engineers are non-native speakers, they regularly attend English classes and work on their language command. Besides, some of them have got their second major in linguistics, so no need to worry about the language barrier.

Please, list the documentation types your team will provide me with.

We prepare a checklist during the testing process, include the scenarios we checked, and describe the results. We share it after the quality assurance process is finished for your development team to fix the detected errors.
Bug Reports contain detailed information about the defects found by the QA engineers. There is a detailed description of the bugs, the way they reproduce, along with screenshots and videos.
Test Scenario is ready before the testing. It is a detailed description of each functionality that undergoes testing.
Test Strategy – an in-depth description of our QA strategy.

Are you able to work per Scrum methodology?

Yes. One of the benefits of QA outsourcing is the ability of our team to integrate the testing strategy in the project model that works best for you.

I don’t have a QA department. How many testers should I hire from the start?

If you’re not sure with the cooperation model, you’d better off with 1 QA engineer. The approach will enable us to gradually enter the process, understand the scope of work required to proceed with the estimated tasks. As long as the workload raises, we will suggest adding more specialists to your project. Yet if 1 QA specialist handles the assigned tasks, we will not recommend hiring more. Thus, it might be a budget-oriented solution, since you’re not required to have the entire team on board right away.

Do you guarantee a 100% bug-free software with no issues after the release?

We do guarantee to conduct a high-standard software testing, analyze the results, and provide with the recommendations to improve the software.
Yet a bug-free software is a myth. Just because the number of scenarios is enormous, and software testing is not a remedy to cover their endless combination. It is crucial to properly outline the responsibilities of each team: while software testers find and prioritize the defects, it is a developer who decides which are to be fixed. Thus, the product quality reflects the quality of cooperation between QA engineers and programmers.