DevOps processes have become critical for organizations to release software as quickly as necessary in today’s fast-paced economy. The very name of “DevOps” calls out developers and operations. But where does QA fit into that mix? The answer is that QA plays an equal role in DevOps, and a shift to DevOps actually presents an opportunity for QA teams to play a more strategic role than previously alongside development and operations.

1. Get Strategic with QA
in DevOps
Dave Denver
Senior Solutions Consultant, Applause
Chris Doucet
Solutions Consultant, Applause

2. Speakers
2
Dave Denver Chris Doucet

3. DevOps processes have become critical for organizations to release software as quickly
as they need to in today’s faced-paced economy
DevOps Today
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Software quality
engineering is a rare high-
tech profession whose
growth rates is projected to
be slower than average
(source: Bureau of Labor)
54% of DevOps adoptees
say their current QA
automation is a bottleneck
(source:Vanson Bourne)
But where does QA fit
into that mix?
Many DevOps shops are not hiring
QA professionals like they used to
54%
QA

4. How Does A QA Team’s Role Fit Into A DevOps Landscape?
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3 ways to create a better relationship with QA and DevOps
Versus
Dev and Ops Overshadow QA QA Is An Equal Partner In DevOps
Strategizing around
automation
Being proactive
with design
Strong definition
of quality
How DevOps will impact QATesting?
The DevOps system
Continuous Delivery
Continuous Integration
Version Control Systems
Release Controls
Analytics & Performance
Trust
Cross-Functional Support
Continuous
Communication
Feedback Loops

5. Key No. 1: Define Quality
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Align definitions of
quality early
Quality needs to be well-defined
in order to meet requirements.
There can’t be disagreements
between teams on what the
criteria is to make a go/no-go
decision on a release
As you’re defining your goals, the QA team can play a role in
prioritizing the goals
What can quality mean?
• Business Goals
• Number of bugs
• Something else
Different teams have different
measures, but it’s important for a
business to define their version of
quality upfront — and QA can play
an important role in that

6. 6
How Does QA Help to Codify Quality?
Tips to implement a more structured approach to releases:
• implement a quality gate
• perform time-box exploratory testing
• have a standardized bug triage process
Example: Regression testing should still be done in a DevOps environment

7. Key #2: QA Should Be Proactive In Identifying Oversights
And Overall Chances Of Failure In Design
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QA teams shouldn’t only assist the dev
team to identify, fix and verify defects
• QA teams can also help prevent mistakes
before developers even code them
• Get QA teams involved in sprint meetings early
on (i.e., they become part of the DevOps team)

8. The product design team will often build a workflow that provides an overview and layout of how a function
flows within the app.The app must integrate with a database, APIs and other apps. Since each interaction
could be a point of failure, QA can help identify where potential disconnects lie in the design plan between
apps
How Can QA Help Identify Oversights?
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Example 1:
The product design team is considering a new feature in an existing product.
• QA can bring user-centric thinking and usability upfront.
• The QA team can help identify where users might get tripped up and avoid design changes that will
be more time-consuming and costly to make later
Example 2:

9. Key #3: QA’s Involvement In Automated Testing
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QA & testing should focus more on
automated regression testing on critical
areas such as key software functionality.
If a software development team creates
automated tests in the code, a QA engineer
should verify that the team has considered
every test condition. The tester's knowledge of
the full spectrum of the system enables them to
spot conditions or integration scenarios of which
the developer is unaware.
QA Engineering

10. 10
Strategizing For Automation
When it comes to QA in DevOps, testers must significantly shape the
team's automation strategy.Whether to review scripted tests or formulate
a plan for test development and execution, get QA involved from the
beginning to ensure customer-focused, valid test scenarios.
Think back to the example about integrating your database,API and other
apps
• Can automation help with this? How can QA help?

11. 11
How Applause Can Help
Incorporate customer feedback into your QA
• Your customers are the ones who ultimately determine your quality
• Applause sources testing from our globally diverse community of vetted
QA professionals
Shift your testing to the left
• Applause can help you start your testing earlier in your SDLC
• Identify bugs earlier in the process, when they’re cheaper and easier to
solve

12. Q&A