Why is Quality Assurance Important?

Throughout the process of working with a prospective client, our Web Consultants put in a lot of time to gain clarity around a project and its requirements. Feature lists are drawn up, budgets are decided upon and expectations are set. Our Quality Assurance (QA) process is in place to keep all three of these things intact throughout the life of a project.

Our typical project (a website design and build) will consist of three milestones:

1. Information Architecture (IA)
2. Design
3. Build

Each of these milestones will culminate with an internal QA where everyone involved in the project (Web Consultant, Project Manager, Information Architect, Designer, Digital Marketer and Developer) will review the work produced and comment based on their role. Additionally we are all checking against the same basic principals:

1. Does the project accurately represent the client’s requirements?
2. Does the project match the standard of quality that we work to?
3. Can the project be delivered within the available budget?

For example, I am a Front-End Developer so I will review the IA and design work to check that the requirements of the project are met in terms of functionality and that I am able to build the IA and design within the given budget.

Upon reviewing the completed work I will ask questions about anything that is not clear or point out where I think something should be amended. Once all of my points have been addressed I will then sign the work off.

Once everyone has completed their review and given their sign-off, the work is deemed to meet the requirements of our internal QA and is ready to be presented to the client. We know that presenting our work, be it in person or over the phone, is the best way for our clients to understand what we are delivering.

Once we have received sign off from the client the whole process starts over again with the next stage of the project.

The benefits of this process are clear:

1. Time is saved over the life of a project
2. Scope creep is avoided and any additions to the project are dealt with correctly
3. Quality of work is maintained
4. Our Client receives a product that meets their requirements and expectations