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CircleCI Vs Travis CI: Which is the Best CI/CD Tool?

In this post, we will introduce CI/CD by taking reference to two of the most popular tools used in software development today: GitLab vs Jenkins. With their benefits to methods of working, we will explore more of CI/CD and why it is an integral part of SDLC today.



A brief introduction to <a href="https://testsigma.com/continuous-integration#Continuous_Integration:~:text=too%20many%20conflicts.-,Continuous%20Integration%20Vs%20Continuous%20Deployment%20Vs%20Continuous%20Delivery,-Continuous%20Integration%2C%20Continuous" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery</a>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_d44f7e683445451a189eb6e9d83d02eb_2000.png" alt="GitLab vs Jenkins - introduction to CI/CD" width="600" height="200" /></figure></div>



When these concepts are attached to one another to work in automation on a project, we call this a pipeline. A “pipeline” because it is serial like a pipe and no state can be jumped or skipped. You cannot achieve continuous delivery when continuous integration is not achieved. However, for this post, we can limit ourselves to just this brief introduction of CI/CD pipelines. Although, with the detailed analysis of GitLab vs Jenkins, we will touch on the concepts at various places.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#GitLab_vs_Jenkins_Point-by-Point_Comparison">1 GitLab vs Jenkins – Point-by-Point Comparison</a></li><li><a href="#Icebreaker_Between_GitLab_CICD_vs_Jenkins">2 Icebreaker Between GitLab CI/CD vs Jenkins</a></li><li><a href="#Alternatives_to_GitLab_CICD_and_Jenkins">3 Alternatives to GitLab CI/CD and Jenkins</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">4 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">5 Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#Does_GitLab_use_Jenkins">5.1 Does GitLab use Jenkins?</a></li><li><a href="#Can_GitHub_Actions_replace_Jenkins">5.2 Can GitHub Actions replace Jenkins?</a></li><li><a href="#Is_GitLab_good_for_CI-CD">5.3 Is GitLab good for CI-CD?</a></li><li><a href="#How_does_Jenkins_connect_to_GitLab">5.4 How does Jenkins connect to GitLab?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="gitlab-vs-jenkins-point-by-point-comparison">GitLab vs Jenkins – Point-by-Point Comparison</h2>



For a quick reference for testers and developers, we have created the following table that highlights GitLab vs Jenkins comparison,



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Parameter</td><td>GitLab</td><td>Jenkins</td></tr><tr><td>Integrated Platform</td><td>Majorly a CI/CD platform. But lacks code review, version control, and other DevOps features.</td><td>A comprehensive DevOps platform with proper version control, code review, bug tracking, <a href="https://about.gitlab.com/topics/ci-cd/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CI/CD,</a> and more.</td></tr><tr><td>Development method</td><td>Open-source</td><td>Open-source</td></tr><tr><td>Price</td><td>Free version + Paid Version</td><td>Free</td></tr><tr><td>Language</td><td>Ruby</td><td>Java</td></tr><tr><td>Working Architecture</td><td>GitLab CI and GitLab Runner</td><td>Master-Slave</td></tr><tr><td>Plugins</td><td>Limited plugins</td><td>1700+ Plugins to choose from</td></tr><tr><td>Community Size</td><td>Comparatively Smaller</td><td>Large Community</td></tr><tr><td>Platform Support</td><td>Supports only Unix-based OS such as Debian, Red Hat Linux, Ubuntu, Scientific Linux, CentOS, Oracle Linux, etc. It does not support Windows or macOS.</td><td>Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like OS</td></tr><tr><td>Support</td><td>Provides 24&#215;5 support for paid users, and community support is available for free users</td><td>Offers community support and documentation</td></tr><tr><td>Ease of use</td><td>Modern and easy-to-use, user-friendly interface</td><td>Older interface, so can be complex to use</td></tr><tr><td>CI/CD integration</td><td>Provides native CI/CD capabilities</td><td>Focuses on CI/CD automation</td></tr><tr><td>Containerization</td><td>Provides built-in support for Docker containers and Kubernetes orchestration</td><td>Provides support via plugins, but does not offer extensive native integration</td></tr><tr><td>Setup </td><td>Intuitive configuration and navigation</td><td>Configuration can be complex for new users</td></tr><tr><td>Release frequency</td><td>Provides updates and feature releases on a regular basis</td><td>Provides frequent updates and feature releases</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="h-icebreaker-between-gitlab-ci-cd-vs-jenkins">Icebreaker Between GitLab CI/CD vs Jenkins</h2>



While GitLab CI/CD and Jenkins both are exceptionally good software that currently rules the market but there can be an ice-breaking point that can help you decide clearly which tool to choose.



Firstly, GitLab’s main strength comes from being cloud-based and having good monitoring features. Be it branch monitoring or performance monitoring, GitLab has a really good UI and great metric system that help analyze things clearly at any point in software development. This is not true with Jenkins or maybe with any other CI tool currently available. However, it all comes at a price as GitLab comes in free and premium packages. The main point of this section is to let you know that if monitoring and metrics are your priority, your bucks will be well spent on GitLab.



On the other hand, Jenkins is completely free to use and is a popular choice just for this part. As free software, it gives you a lot of things that the majority of paid CI tools do not give. The main strength of Jenkins comes from its plugins, which are thousands in number. As a tester, whatever you may need can be found in a plugin which gives a lot more flexibility. 



Another good thing about having an open-source plugin-based system is that you can build your own if feasible. It has a good UI (which is rare in CI-based systems) and is continuously updated by developers. Jenkins should be your first choice when the team is satisfied with the available plugins, and there are no major requirements that Jenkins can’t suffice. It is also extremely easy to learn and use for a beginner.



<h2 id="h-alternatives-to-gitlab-ci-cd-and-jenkins">Alternatives to GitLab CI/CD and Jenkins</h2>



For people who wish to explore a few more tools other than GitLab and Jenkins for CI capabilities can refer to the following list of five most preferred:



<ul><li>Circle CI</li><li>Bamboo</li><li>Teamcity</li><li>Travis CI</li><li>Codeship</li></ul>



Let us know in the comment section if you are a user of one of these tools and how it compares with GitLab vs Jenkins.



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



The concept of continuous integration and continuous development has seeped too deep into SDLC that even smaller companies of just a few developers also find it relevant. It helps merge code smoothly and run various tests upgrading the application&#8217;s quality and minimizing the chances of errors at the user’s end. 



In this post about Gitlab vs Jenkins, we took two of the most popular tools that help us achieve just that. GitLab CI/CD and Jenkins are equally efficient with uniquely different features that help us make a clear choice between them. 



Starting with why to choose each of them to how to set them up on your machine, I hope this post will help you start your journey with the best <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/ci-cd-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CI/CD tools</a> in the market. For any clarifications and suggestions, do let us know in the comment section. Thank you for giving this post your valuable time.



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



<h3 id="h-does-gitlab-use-jenkins">Does GitLab use Jenkins?</h3>



No. GitLab and Jenkins are two popular tools used for continuous integration and continuous development/deployment features. They both offer their own set of pros and cons which are discussed in this post. None of the tools takes the help of another; they work independently.



<h3 id="h-can-github-actions-replace-jenkins">Can GitHub Actions replace Jenkins?</h3>



GitHub actions and Jenkins both provide great workflow features to build, test, release, and deploy your code. For a developer, they both are equally popular and equally powerful. In the end, the question comes down to which one you should choose between Jenkins and GitHub actions rather than which one will replace what.



<h3 id="h-is-gitlab-good-for-ci-cd">Is GitLab good for CI-CD?</h3>



Yes, GitLab is a very powerful CI/CD tool with tons of features crafted just for developers and testers. It has excellent UI and monitoring capabilities.



<h3 id="h-how-does-jenkins-connect-to-gitlab">How does Jenkins connect to GitLab?</h3>



GitLab is available as a plugin system for Jenkins. To add GitLab to Jenkins, visit the plugin section and install GitLab and Git plugins to enjoy Jenkins along with GitLab.

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TDD vs BDD vs ATDD: Key Differences

Automating an application can be performed in various ways with various tools. Selenium WebDriver is most used among those because of being an open source and ease of use. Selenium WebDriver gives users a lot of flexibility to write their test in different programming language and allow the user to execute their test on different browser like Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari, etc. It can also be integrated with other 3rd party tools like TestNG, Junit, etc.&nbsp;



The login feature is a critical component of many websites. The login page is the most crucial component when developing a website. The login page also plays a vital role from a security point of view. This blog will show how easy it is to automate Login to an application using Selenium WebDriver.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Prerequisites_for_Automated_Login_using_Selenium_WebDriver">1 Prerequisites for Automated Login using Selenium WebDriver</a></li><li><a href="#Selenium_and_Selenium_WebDriver">2 Selenium and Selenium WebDriver</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">3 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#FAQs">4 FAQs</a><ul><li><a href="#How_do_you_automate_login_in_Python">4.1 How do you automate login in Python?</a></li><li><a href="#How_to_automate_login_with_OTP_in_Selenium">4.2 How to automate login with OTP in Selenium</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-prerequisites-for-automated-login-using-selenium-webdriver">Prerequisites for Automated Login using Selenium WebDriver</h2>



To get started with <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-based-automated-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium</a> automation login, the following components are necessary.



<ol><li>Download and Install JDK</li><li>Download and Install IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like Eclipse, and IntelliJ</li><li>Selenium Client Configuration</li><li>Integrate TestNG with IDE</li><li>Browser drivers for Firefox, Chrome, IE, etc.&nbsp;</li></ol>



<h2 id="selenium-and-selenium-webdriver">Selenium and Selenium WebDriver</h2>



<a href="https://www.selenium.dev/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium</a> is a free, open-source automated testing framework that tests web applications across different browsers and platforms. Testing was done using Selenium, usually referred to as Selenium testing. Being an open source in nature, the Selenium framework can be integrated with other 3rd party tools.&nbsp;



Since Selenium is an open-source tool, there is no licensing cost involved, which is one of the greatest advantages over any other testing tool.



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-based-automated-testing/#Selenium_WebDriver" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium WebDriver</a> API provides a communication channel between languages and browsers. Selenium WebDriver is a framework that permits you to execute a cross-browser test.&nbsp;



Selenium WebDriver is an upgrade of Selenium RC. Selenium WebDriver is a bridge between the Selenium test and your browser.



Steps for Automate Login functionality



<ol><li>Instantiate the Selenium WebDriver</li><li>Maximize the browser</li><li>Navigate to URL</li><li>Synchronization using implicit wait</li><li>Identify the web element by using locating technique of Selenium</li><li>Verification and Validation</li></ol>



Now let&#8217;s go through each step in detail:



1. Instantiate the Selenium WebDriver



Launching any web browser requires setting the driver&#8217;s path and instantiating the required browser. To instantiate the object of the browser driver, you can simply create the object with the help of the below command



For Chrome:



System.setProperty(&#8220;webdriver.chrome.driver&#8221;, &#8220;path of driver&#8221;); WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();&nbsp;



For Firefox:



 System.setProperty(&#8220;webdriver.gecko.driver&#8221;, &#8220;path of driver&#8221;); WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();



For Edge:



System.setProperty(&#8220;webdriver.edge.driver&#8221;, &#8220;path of driver&#8221;); WebDriver driver = new EdgeDriver();



Read here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/setproperty-in-selenium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Setproperty in Selenium</a>



Maximize the Browser



Selenium does not launch the browser in maximize mode, so we need to call maximize() Selenium method to maximize the browser so that test scripts can execute without any errors.



So below code snippet would help to open the browser in Maximize mode.



driver.manage().window().maximize();



3. Navigate to URL



Once the browser opens in maximize mode, we must navigate to the required website. This can achieve by using the get() Selenium method. It accepts a string as a parameter, usually a URL of the application under test, and returns void.&nbsp;



driver.get(&#8220;URL of the application/Website&#8221;);



4. Synchronization using Implicit wait



Synchronization plays a very vital role in test automation. We&#8217;ve seen instances where applications take longer to load, and our test script fails. To handle this dynamic, Selenium introduces <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-wait-for-page-to-load/#How_to_Apply_Waits_in_Selenium_for_Page_Load" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implicit waiting</a>.



With Implicit wait, we specify a maximum time we would want to wait for an element to be present. In the below snippets, it will wait a maximum of 30 seconds for each element.



driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);



5. Identify the web element by using locating technique of Selenium.



There are different ways by which users can identify the elements of an application.



<ul><li>ID</li><li>className</li><li>Name</li><li>XPath</li><li>tagName</li><li>CssSelector</li><li>linkText</li><li>partialLinkText</li></ul>



To learn more about Xpath in detail, please refer to the link: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/xpath-in-selenium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xpath selector</a>



6. Verification and Validation



Assertions are used to compare your actual and expected result. If your actual value and expected match, the test case passes. If not, then the test case fails.&nbsp;



Assert.assertEquals(expectedValue, actualValue);



Code Implementation: 



We will automate login functionality for the Testsigma application.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/BaldgaS7Oq1z9QxRo9l-KW7wxfqJO9o_QrLk7xrRdI1pur2pBCBekrtMeYSBInBYx2z1qTDTopJPiOMP9U7wkbcnhvrft18Ixz7SR-cxrZq9dFjPoKeRDAW2o55mTZiE6Z11K-RTxF2LBtspK8I1a7mxyKkhaezHaZZhCZd3Hf-o_ciuh69Q7y9fUmkviMjbise-R63MyQ" alt="Code Implementation" width="600" height="400" /></figure></div>



Let&#8217;s see the code snippet for login automation.



Code:



import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;

import org.openqa.selenium.By;

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import org.testng.Assert;

import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class Sample {

@Test

public void TestSigmaLogin() {

System.setProperty(“webdriver.chrome.driver”, “path of driver”);

WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(); // instantiate the browser

driver.manage().window().maximize(); // maximize the browser

driver.get(“https://app.testsigma.com/ui”); // opening the application

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);

driver.findElement(By.id(“loginUsername”)).sendKeys(“xxxxxx@abc.com”); driver.findElement(By.name(“password”)).sendKeys(“xxxxxxx”); 

driver.findElement(By.xpath(“//button[text()=’SIGN IN’]”)).click();

String actualURL = “https://app.testsigma.com/home”;

String expectedURL = driver.getCurrentUrl(); // It will fetch the current URL

Assert.assertEquals(expectedURL, actualURL); // It will verify both the URL are equal 

driver.close(); // It will close the current browser.

}

}



<div class="cta-banner-v2">
<div class="title-with-description ">
Automate login and other scenarios, 10x faster, with Testsigma
</div>
<a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" class="cta-btn-v1" rel="noopener">Try for free</a>
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<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



The login feature has always been an essential feature of any website. Testing login functionality is simple and easy with Selenium WebDriver. You may test all boundary value conditions, negative situations, and optimistic scenarios with automation. The above articles demonstrate how you can automate the Testsigma login page with the help of Selenium. We have also given you a sample code to log in to the Testsigma application.&nbsp;



The above articles help you to implement login functionality using Selenium WebDriver. Feel free to provide your feedback in the comment section. Happy testing 😊



<h2 id="faqs">FAQs</h2>



<h3 id="how-do-you-automate-login-in-python">How do you automate login in Python?</h3>



<ul><li>Download and install python on your system</li><li>Install python related libraries into your project</li><li>Download and install PyCharm</li><li>Write your test script in python related syntax</li><li>Run and validate your test results.&nbsp;</li></ul>



Note – Syntax in Selenium with Python is a little different from Selenium with Java.



<h3 id="how-to-automate-login-with-otp-in-selenium">How to automate login with OTP in Selenium</h3>



<ul><li>Download and install Appium</li><li>Integrate it with your Selenium framework</li><li>Connect your device with your system for OTP</li><li>Write a method to read OTP</li></ul>



Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/otp-test-cases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OTP Test Cases</a>

How To Automate Login Functionality Using Selenium WebDriver

As a software developer or project manager, you know that ensuring the quality and reliability of your software is crucial to its success. But how do you create a solid Software Quality Assurance plan to help you achieve these goals?, this blog post will explore the critical elements of a successful SQA plan and provide tips and techniques for implementing it in your project. 



We&#8217;ll cover topics such as setting clear objectives, defining your target audience, and choosing the right testing tools and techniques. Whether you&#8217;re just starting with SQA or looking to improve your existing processes, this post has something for you. So let&#8217;s get started!



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_Is_a_Quality_Assurance_Plan">1 What Is a Quality Assurance Plan?</a></li><li><a href="#Objectives_And_Goals_of_Quality_Assurance_Plan">2 Objectives And Goals of Quality Assurance Plan</a></li><li><a href="#Develop_Quality_Assurance_Plan">3 Develop Quality Assurance Plan </a><ul><li><a href="#Identify_the_role_and_responsibilities_of_the_SQA_team">3.1 Identify the role and responsibilities of the SQA team-</a></li><li><a href="#List_of_the_work_products_the_SQA_auditor_will_review_and_audit-nbsp">3.2 List of the work products the SQA auditor will review and audit-&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#Create_the_schedule_to_perform_the_SQA_tasks">3.3 Create the schedule to perform the SQA tasks-</a></li><li><a href="#Define_the_standardsmethodology">3.4 Define the standards/methodology: </a></li><li><a href="#Review_the_process">3.5 Review the process</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Things_To_Remember_While_Creating_A_Quality_Assurance_Plan_Best_Practices">4 Things To Remember While Creating A Quality Assurance Plan (Best Practices)</a></li><li><a href="#Why_Is_a_Quality_Assurance_Plan_Important_for_Software_Companies">5 Why Is a Quality Assurance Plan Important for Software Companies?</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">6 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">7 Frequently Asked Questions:</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_the_quality_assurance_plan_process">7.1 What is the quality assurance plan process?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_components_of_a_quality_assurance_plan">7.2 What are the components of a quality assurance plan?</a></li><li><a href="#Where_is_SQA_used">7.3 Where is SQA used?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_SQA_software_testing">7.4 What is SQA software testing?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-a-quality-assurance-plan">What Is a Quality Assurance Plan?</h2>



A Software Quality Assurance Plan is a managerial tool and a proactive measure to prevent defects and consumes less time. It is usually associated with two teams. It has auditing and reporting functions. It ensures that the software being developed meets the standard demand and works parallel to its development. Thus, it ensures that the result will meet the expectations of the customer/client or business. It is used for both small and big industry businesses. 



The first team includes the Software engineers assigned to develop the product. The second team consists of the SQA team responsible for performing quality assurance planning, oversight, record keeping, and reporting.  



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Read More on : <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/metrics-for-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Metrics for Testing</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="objectives-and-goals-of-quality-assurance-plan">Objectives And Goals of Quality Assurance Plan</h2>



Creating a fantastic quality assurance strategy is an exciting endeavor. But, before we get started, let&#8217;s define our objectives and aims to ensure we&#8217;re on the right track. Here are some critical considerations:



1. Customer requirements and expectations: Put yourself in the shoes of your customers and learn what they actually want from your products or services. This will direct you towards exceeding their expectations and providing complete fulfillment.



2. Company Objectives: Every company has its own set of goals and dreams. Determine your company&#8217;s goals and align your quality assurance approach accordingly. It&#8217;s like striking the proper balance between your goals and the path to accomplishment.



3. Industry Standards: Who wants to be left in the dust? Stay ahead of the competition by researching and comprehending industry standards. Knowing the benchmarks allows you to guarantee that your products or services meet or exceed the defined standards.



After we&#8217;ve completed our research, it&#8217;s time to set ship for the country of aims and goals. But keep in mind that we want to be SMART about it:



4. Specific: Identify the specific areas you wish to improve or concentrate on. Vague ideas will not suffice. Let&#8217;s go specific and focus on the target.



5. Measurable: Establish measurable criteria to track your progress. It&#8217;s similar to having a fitness tracker for your quality assurance strategy. Set milestones and metrics that will help you to measure your progress and celebrate your victories.



6. Achievable: Dreams are wonderful, but let us be practical, will we? Make certain that your aims and goals are attainable. It&#8217;s like attempting to climb a mountain that is difficult but not impossible. Remember that small steps lead to big leaps!



7. Relevant: Stick to the path that is consistent with your main purpose. Your objectives and goals should be pertinent to your company and the quality improvements you desire. It&#8217;s like selecting the best tool for the job—the ideal match that guarantees your efforts have meaning and impact.



8. Time-bound: Time does not wait for anybody, therefore let us set deadlines. Establish a timetable for achieving your objectives and ambitions. It&#8217;s like having a countdown clock that motivates you and keeps you on target.



Your quality assurance strategy will have a clear direction and a tactical roadmap if these objectives and goals are in sight.



<h2 id="h-develop-quality-assurance-plan">Develop Quality Assurance Plan </h2>



Just like a test requires a test plan; similarly, an SQA requires a Quality Assurance plan before its implementation. The primary aim of devising an SQA plan is to ensure that the best quality is delivered to the end user. 



The QA team should focus on the following aspects to prepare an SQA plan:



<h3 id="h-identify-the-role-and-responsibilities-of-the-sqa-team">Identify the role and responsibilities of the SQA team-</h3>



<ol><li>The&nbsp;SQA testing&nbsp;team plans the tests and works on possible scenarios, procedures, and scripts.&nbsp;</li><li>The team is responsible for setting benchmark standards, procedures, and methods for&nbsp;software quality assurance testing&nbsp;and maintaining product quality.</li><li>The team is assigned to report any defects in the&nbsp;software quality assurance activities&nbsp;using bug-tracking mechanisms.</li><li>The team also identifies and analyses problems encountered in program functioning or output.</li><li>It is also responsible for implementing audits and checks and works on follow-up.</li><li>The team also conducts Training for process implementors.</li></ol>



<h3 id="h-list-of-the-work-products-the-sqa-auditor-will-review-and-audit">List of the work products the SQA auditor will review and audit-&nbsp;</h3>



<ol><li>The SQA auditor documents the risk management activities.</li><li>An SQA auditor also prepares metrics reports and estimates the budget required.</li><li>An SQA auditor is involved in planning and preparing the documents for a test.</li><li>SQA auditors are responsible for the overall organization, human resource planning, and devising a training plan.</li><li>SQA auditor is entrusted with monitoring and controlling the collected metrics.</li><li>Another work product that an SQA auditor will review and audit is the report on issue management.</li><li>An SQA auditor will also review and audit the test report documents.</li></ol>



<h3 id="h-create-the-schedule-to-perform-the-sqa-tasks">Create the schedule to perform the SQA tasks-</h3>



&nbsp;The Test Manager should emphasize&nbsp;SQA activities&nbsp;and the work output for each job when they describe the functions for the SQA auditor to complete in this step. The project development timetable often determines the SQA schedule.



<h3 id="h-define-the-standards-methodology">Define the standards/methodology: </h3>



There are specific methods that ought to be followed in the&nbsp;software quality assurance technique:&nbsp;



<ol><li>Defining the policies and methods that are intended to avert defects that occur in the management process.</li><li>Documenting and compiling the procedures and guidelines.</li><li>Informing and training the staff to use the policies and guidelines.</li></ol>



<h3 id="h-review-the-process">Review the process</h3>



The entire&nbsp;SQA techniques&nbsp;should be reviewed periodically to ensure the guidelines and policy procedures are duly met. There are five significant reviews:



<ol><li>Reviewing the project planning</li><li>Reviewing the analysis done for software requirement</li><li>Reviewing the <a href="https://testsigma.com/testplan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test plan</a> and <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-design/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test design</a></li><li>Checking the entire process before the final release</li><li>Reviewing the closing of the project.</li></ol>



<h2 id="things-to-remember-while-creating-a-quality-assurance-plan-best-practices">Things To Remember While Creating A Quality Assurance Plan (Best Practices)</h2>



Alright, let&#8217;s continue our quality assurance journey and dive into the other important elements of a well-crafted plan. Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll be exploring:



Setting Procedures and Policies for All: 



Establishing clear processes and regulations ensures everyone is aware of expectations and upholds quality standards, ensuring everyone follows the appropriate standards.



Schedule Roles and Responsibilities: 



During the quality assurance process, team members will be aware of their roles and duties, akin to actors knowing their lines and cues.



Documentation in Different Phases: 



Documenting our quality journey through project phases, similar to taking pictures, will help us develop, learn, and make adjustments, providing valuable resources for future initiatives.



Review and Audit: 



Routine quality inspections assess and audit quality assurance initiatives to ensure they align with goals and are worthwhile. This process is similar to a strategy checkup to ensure soundness and functionality.



Testing Phase: 



The action takes place here! To find any bugs or problems, we&#8217;ll put our goods and services through a thorough testing process. To make sure they are top-notch, it&#8217;s like taking our inventions for a test drive and pushing them to their limits.



Troubleshooting Problems: 



Address obstacles head-on, examining underlying reasons, devising cures, and implementing them like sleuths to maintain proper functioning and address issues effectively.



Project Control: 



Imagine yourself as the leader of our quality project, monitoring key performance indicators and making wise decisions to ensure we&#8217;re heading in the right direction.



Training: 



Fund training initiatives to enhance team members&#8217; abilities and expertise, fostering a high-quality culture and thriving in their professions. Provide necessary tools for success.



Risk Management: 



Proactively identifying potential dangers and developing plans to reduce them serves as a safety net, ensuring quality issues are mitigated and preparing for outstanding achievements by controlling risks.



Proactively identifying potential dangers and developing plans to reduce them serves as a safety net, ensuring quality issues are mitigated and preparing for outstanding achievements by controlling risks.



<h2 id="why-is-a-quality-assurance-plan-important-for-software-companies">Why Is a Quality Assurance Plan Important for Software Companies?</h2>



A quality assurance plan is crucial for software companies due to the following reasons:



1. Assures product dependability through extensive testing and validation.



2. Keeps customers satisfied by providing high-quality items.



3. Reduces risks and expenses by detecting problems early on.



4. Ensures industry standards and laws are followed.



5. Encourages ongoing improvement and efficiency in development practices.



Overall, a quality assurance plan is vital for software companies to deliver reliable, high-quality products, maintain customer satisfaction, reduce risks and costs, comply with industry standards, and drive continuous improvement.



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Any business, regardless of size, relies on&nbsp;Software quality assurance techniques&nbsp;and plans used by Software testers, Project managers, and Quality assurance professionals to produce successful and smooth deliveries without any defects. 



Software Quality Assurance Plan is essential when fulfilling the promises made to the customers and clients.  It must be noted that creating a schedule for the SQA task is the most critical step in implementing it as it assists in the time management and timely delivery of the software development project, which produces customer satisfaction and sustains the name of your business in the market. 



<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions">Frequently Asked Questions:</h2>



<h3 id="what-is-the-quality-assurance-plan-process">What is the quality assurance plan process?</h3>



The&nbsp;quality assurance (QA) plan&nbsp;process involves developing and implementing a document that outlines the strategies and activities that will be used to ensure that a product or service meets certain standards of quality. The specific steps in the QA plan process can vary depending on the needs and goals of an organization. Still, a typical approach might include the following efforts: Define the plan&#8217;s scope, Identify the stakeholders, establish a testing strategy, Create test cases, review and report on test results, etc.



<h3 id="what-are-the-components-of-a-quality-assurance-plan">What are the components of a quality assurance plan?</h3>



The components of a QA plan can vary depending on an organization&#8217;s specific needs and goals. Still, some common elements include Quality objectives, Scope, Quality standards, Quality control processes, Quality assurance activities, <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/software-testing-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Software Testing Strategies</a>, Training and education, Quality metrics, and Continuous improvement. Read More on <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/testing-vs-quality-assurance-vs-quality-control-whats-the-difference/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quality Control VS Quality Assurance</a>



<h3 id="where-is-sqa-used">Where is SQA used?</h3>



Software quality assurance (QA) is used throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC) to ensure that a software product meets specified requirements and is fit for its intended purpose. QA activities may involve verifying the software&#8217;s functionality, testing its performance and scalability, and checking for security vulnerabilities.



<h3 id="what-is-sqa-software-testing">What is SQA software testing?</h3>



Software quality assurance (SQA) is the testing process of evaluating a software product or system to determine whether it meets the requirements and standards. QA testing aims to identify and fix the defects before they are released to the users.&nbsp;

Creating a Comprehensive Software Quality Assurance Plan for your Project