What Jira is and why is it so important for QA testing process?
To survive as a QA engineer you need to understand the necessity of using Jira tool (or any tool) in QA testing procedure. For that, we have to take a few steps back to see when and why QA software testing itself became so important (yes, it’s obvious, since the beginning of software development, but…).
The Basics
Worldwide, the Agile project management methodology is most commonly used approach for delivering custom software applications nowadays. Why? Because of possibility to rapidly deliver a working software. The values of Agile methodology are best explained and proclaimed in The Manifesto for Agile Software Development:
Individuals and Interactions over processes and tools
Working Software over comprehensive documentation
Customer Collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to Change over following a plan
The highlights of Agile project management methodology are continuous planning, team-working, integration and deployment along with software testing. This kind of process used for creating and delivering software applications is fast, agile and flexible. This means only one thing — continuous testing is necessary in order to provide a stable and secure product (software).
What is the true value of QA?
The main goal of software development process is to create a stable, high-quality product. But let’s be honest, QA engineers do not create anything, except their own test scenarios and, well, code for automation testing. Providing a stable product is the responsibility of a whole team and one person (QA) is the bridge between product purpose, development team, client, and users. QA engineer is like an annoying mom who actually ensures that everybody’s happy.
Ability to think critically, to be creative and to explore are the skills that make a good QA.
The true value of QA (Quality Assurance) testing process lays it continuous systematic testing in order to provide information about current product status.
Jira — Concept of Yin and Yang for QA testing
Last, but not least, is the necessity of using tools for software testing. They make it a lot easier, everything is in one place, from planning, development, demo, testing, and all the things that are done in software development process. Jira software testing tool makes the perfect example to provide such process.
As a QA, you’ll be able to provide a planning feedback for a new user story, task or a feature. You can anticipate bugs that are about to happen and warn your development team on time, avoid possible negligence or make it easier for yourself to write test scenarios for manual or automation testing.
The greatest benefit brought by QA is that defects can be prevented before they are implemented. ( “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, right?!)
With testing tools, you’re directly involved with the whole process (and you should be!) so you don’t have to ask or beg for something every time you need to do your thing.
Developers are from Mars, QA engineers are from Venus and Jira… their galaxy where they all get along (at least coexist), united for the same goal.
Because of a stereotype (or a truth?!) that developers and QA engineers don’t quite get along, that’s why Jira is like a Yin and Yang Concept for software development process and we are not talking about which one are the good guys and which one are the villains, because both developers and QA engineers are the heroes and a must for a software development.
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