You can’t outsource QA effectively without a good, streamlined communication strategy in place. It’s an official yet unwritten rule (until now). Sending your project to a QA partner lacking the right team hierarchy or communication structure is always a gamble, and one with bad odds. What if an emergency arises near the end of a project deadline? What if a crippling bug comes to the surface post-release?
Without a proper escalation structure and smooth communication structure in place, things can get messy fast. So, what’s the solution here? Finding a partner that utilizes a model with proven success.
What does a successful model look like?
An effective model in use by leading QA providers places emphasis on onsite and offshore leadership. Typically, there is a US-based team lead that serves as liaison between the client and the offshore QA lead. Together, these two leads help define project goals, timelines and deliverables.
The offshore QA lead also tracks project logistics and attends all project meetings to keep his team and the US-based team lead in the loop. They’re also tasked with getting their hands dirty, creating testing plans, writing test cases and performing other engineer duties as needed.
Offshore QA teams strive to be an extension of the onsite team, so they use the tools and processes defined by the client. But it doesn’t stop there -- QA teams are added to dev team communications, included in scrum meetings and engaged as if they were onsite.
A local account manager keeps a handle on the status of the client’s project and will communicate any major issues that arise. They are responsible for seeing to the client’s success with the QA provider.
The biggest strength of the onsite offshore model is its adaptability. It can be customized to fit any project or onsite working style, with the end result remaining the same: informed, confident teams that know who to call in the event of an issue, whether big or small.
What does a successful model look like?
An effective model in use by leading QA providers places emphasis on onsite and offshore leadership. Typically, there is a US-based team lead that serves as liaison between the client and the offshore QA lead. Together, these two leads help define project goals, timelines and deliverables.
The offshore QA lead also tracks project logistics and attends all project meetings to keep his team and the US-based team lead in the loop. They’re also tasked with getting their hands dirty, creating testing plans, writing test cases and performing other engineer duties as needed.
Offshore QA teams strive to be an extension of the onsite team, so they use the tools and processes defined by the client. But it doesn’t stop there -- QA teams are added to dev team communications, included in scrum meetings and engaged as if they were onsite.
A local account manager keeps a handle on the status of the client’s project and will communicate any major issues that arise. They are responsible for seeing to the client’s success with the QA provider.
The biggest strength of the onsite offshore model is its adaptability. It can be customized to fit any project or onsite working style, with the end result remaining the same: informed, confident teams that know who to call in the event of an issue, whether big or small.