The advancement of smart gadgets and mobile applications has rendered traditional quality assurance testing methodologies to be obsolete. While waterfall techniques are a tried and tested methodology for many quality assurance teams, they are still increasingly looking to employ agile testing methodologies to speed up the process while keeping quality at the forefront of their minds.
The fundamental distinctions between waterfall and agile mindsets have frequently been cited as major obstacles that organizations would face when switching. However, by knowing these traits, teams may better plan to support their members and effectively navigate the transition to agile operations. Let’s look at six ways QA may make the shift from waterfall to agile easier.
1. Train the employees
Introducing new ideas and practices to employees is a recipe for trouble. Many experts are likely acclimated to one method of working, and moving to agile principles without instruction is likely to fail. According to 110 Consulting, engaging an expert in the agile technique you chose will be essential to train employees properly. These workshops will assist team members in understanding their roles in the system and ensuring that their expectations are consistent with agile values. Organizations might also explore institutions that help teams adopt agile and utilize books, blogs, and seminars on the subject. Decision-makers have a variety of options for improving their team’s capabilities and providing the best agile training available.
2. Leverage automation
Agile and automation go hand in hand, especially when stakeholders reduce the project timelines while maintaining high expectations for outputs. A Scrum Alliance contributor once proposed investing in automated processes and tools to aid minimize time to market. These solutions also ensure that each project receives its attention and is thoroughly tested before deployment. Automation promotes uniform workflows and removes the majority of duplicate efforts. Furthermore, automation increases visibility into the production realm, bringing together business and production interests in a collaborative effort.
3. Emphasize change of thinking
Holding on to older methods can be fatal to agile changes. While firms can use traditional examples to help employees understand their new practices, their old methods of completing tasks should eventually be abandoned for fully agile operations. Some procedures can be adjusted to align with agile values, while others may have to be abandoned entirely. While this huge change will be difficult for teams, remaining focused on the benefits of agile will make it much simpler to stay committed and ensure a seamless transition.
People over process is one of the Agile Manifesto’s declarations. Excessive procedure is a major issue while shifting to Agile, and it can stymie the Agile process. Even teams with extensive Agile expertise can become entangled in this web. Developers and engineers transitioning to Agile must learn to be more comfortable initiating and experiencing collaboration than strictly executed processes. You may object to this Agile approach because the developer and QA engineer training emphasize the process. Detail and recurring procedures make a significant contribution to product design, software testing, and coding. How is emphasizing procedure a problem? Agile argues that ideal software development occurs when the thoughts of individuals focused on a single purpose, producing an excellent application, are freely synchronized.
4. Communicate regularly
When transitioning to agile, the necessity for regular communication remains a crucial component of development and testing processes. Bringing everyone together in one place to report on progress will enable the employees to see where challenges are growing and will also build an environment that produces the greatest solutions to these types of problems. In this context, it is also critical to be prepared to respond rapidly to any prospective developments. A lack of communication can hinder these endeavors and result in a product that does not completely meet the project scope. People will be capable of keeping pace with changes and assisting in project completion if a clear channel of information sharing is established.
5. Foster collaboration
Alongside enhanced communication, people must become accustomed to collaborating with groups from whom they may have previously been isolated. Testers should be involved in production to obtain a better grasp of the agile process and identify the proper degrees of testing. Businesses might also consider involving clients in testing to make sure that objectives and functionalities are met. While integrating this form of work may take time, supporting it sooner rather than later may assist simplify the shift to Agile.
Agile teams collaborate to incorporate ideas to create the most effective method of achieving the development goal. Molding ideas via collaborative integration promotes teammates’ ideas to ingeniously join in unison, resulting in relevant, high-quality software developed through increasingly easy deployment. As a result, Agile teams add value to enterprises.
6. Integrate tools
Only with the correct tools can QA teams be able to successfully shift to agile. Agile workplaces will benefit from test management software, for example, because multiple users can work on tasks at the same time and see changes being made in real-time. This allows teams to effortlessly cooperate and stay on the same page. These kinds of solutions also enable QA to embrace agile methodologies while abandoning conventional waterfall testing methodology.
7. Stay flexible
In agile projects, flexibility is essential. Excessive emphasis on protocol stifles creative outlets. While downplaying, the importance of procedure is ineffective in creating a solid foundation. The objective is to establish a platform that allows both innovation and performance. Quality assurance teams collaborate under constant project management, and the methods that foster creative innovation and high-quality functionality emerge through team interactions. Begin with the least amount of process control you perceive as necessary, then gradually increase as events and circumstances suggest. The most spectacular results will be obtained by strategically balancing procedure and innovation to efficiently manage outcomes through shifting situations and settings.
8. Concentrate on the end product
We’ve all been distracted by recurring deliverables like addressing in-house ticket requests. While new commitments must be met, the method of meeting them should be designed to prevent delays in the testing processes. Ticketed issues may not necessitate detailed processes. Alternatively, tickets may be completed during the designated downtime, such as when a QA test is running or a stakeholder is analyzing a build. When the workflow is momentarily ‘in uncertainty,’ it is possible to smoothly combine the two processes with few clashes with deployment dates. Agile workflows’ gradual nature helps with such adaptability.
Whilst Agile methodology is more specifically intuitive than process-focused, tending to respond to change over existing processes, planning is a critical component in the overall coordination of Agile practices. Agile teams manage current work tasks or sprints. Roadmaps are also used by teams to efficiently connect with business stakeholders on the direction and progress, which assists with decision-making and minimizes risk. However, Agile emphasizes that contributing ideas is more significant than the process plan itself. As more information is discovered, changes are implemented which ultimately alters the direction of development and then testing. Agile employs effective communication to maximize the probability of successful deployment by assimilating new knowledge and experience.
Agile development processes are more likely to thrive than waterfall. However, it is not always evident where companies and quality assurance testing teams should spend their efforts in order to integrate Agile as the most effective method. The transformation necessitates systematic discipline. Entrusting decisions to the team and allowing team members to make decisions needs confidence and a focus on critical concerns, goals, and predicted outcomes.
Still, unsure which method to choose for QA? Let us assist you in figuring it out. With over 17 years of experience in software development and quality assurance, our team has taken on innumerable projects of varying sizes and scopes. At Intagleo, we assess your workflows, timeframes, and deliverables and help you decide which method is ideal for you! Contact us now!
