Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are two important aspects of software development and testing that are often used interchangeably. While both of these processes aim to ensure the quality of the final product, there are key differences between the two. In this article, we’ll explore the differences between QA and QC.
Quality Assurance
QA is a proactive process that focuses on preventing defects from occurring in the first place. This process involves establishing standards, processes, and procedures that will be followed throughout the development cycle to ensure that the final product meets the desired quality standards. QA involves continuous monitoring of the development process to identify any potential issues and take corrective actions before they become bigger problems.
The QA process includes activities such as requirement analysis, design review, code review, and testing. It also involves defining the test cases that will be used to evaluate the product’s functionality and performance. The QA team is responsible for verifying that the product meets the requirements, design specifications, and industry standards before it is released to the market.
Quality Control
QC, on the other hand, is a reactive process that focuses on identifying defects after they have occurred. The QC process involves testing the product to identify any defects, bugs, or errors that were not caught during the QA process. QC activities include manual and automated testing, debugging, and defect tracking. The goal of QC is to ensure that the final product is defect-free and meets the desired quality standards.
The QC team is responsible for executing the test cases defined during the QA process and identifying any defects that were not caught during the development cycle. The team also tracks and reports defects to the development team for fixing. The QC process ensures that the product is tested thoroughly before it is released to the market.
Differences between QA and QC
The main difference between QA and QC is that QA is a proactive process that focuses on preventing defects, while QC is a reactive process that focuses on identifying and fixing defects. QA is a continuous process that begins at the start of the development cycle and ends when the product is released, while QC is a testing process that occurs after the development cycle is complete.
QA focuses on establishing processes, standards, and procedures to ensure that the final product meets the desired quality standards, while QC focuses on testing and identifying defects to ensure that the final product is defect-free.
