Jul 19, 2017
What BA/QA Integration Can Do
BA/QA integration identifies defects early in the process, when they can be remediated much more inexpensively. The merging of these roles creates more contextual knowledge among the team members, and they are able to propose ideas for improvement related to functionality, compliance and quality. Eliminating the silos between the two groups promotes a deeper understanding of the effects of changes on other teams and the overall quality of the products.
How to Unite the Two Roles
A report from Forrester Research highlights the benefit of BA/QA integration in streamlining development and improving a company’s Agile development practices. “If there is a wall between your BA and QA organizations,” write Forrester analysts Mary Gerush and Margo Visitacion, “it’s time to unite them in the pursuit of improved software quality.” But how? Here are three steps to leverage BA-QA alignment, according to the report:
Step 1: Educate BA and QA teams in end-to-end software delivery process:
- Teach both BA and QA pros the SDLC and project management basics
- Pair BA and QA pros with designers and developers
- Expose both BA and QA pros to maintenance and support processes
Step 2: Embed QA professionals earlier in the software development life cycle, and keep BAs involved to the end:
- Give QA leads a significant role during requirements definition
- Keep BA and QA pros actively involved during development
- Leverage BAs during testing
- Give the whole team visibility into the entire project schedule
Step 3: Bring BA and QA teams together physically to promote partnership:
- Considering combining BA and QA teams under a common app development leader
- Establish a collaborative community of practice
- Active promote the social aspects of team bonding
Learn more about how BA/QA integration can benefit your organization in our white paper.