Creating a QA Department Out of Nothing
We will discuss the following areas that need to be addressed as you take on the opportunity. You could write the test cases in word or excel but why when there are so many free tools or minimally expensive tools out there. We will discuss the different tools available and how to compare and write a proposal to deliver to management. After a certain amount of time you will need help. Should you hire contractors, full time employees, or a mix of both? We will discuss the pros and cons. As you are hiring and then have the people secured it’s important to put the right people on the right projects. Match up the person’s skill set to the project needs. We will discuss the different possibilities and how to determine who is right for which project or task. We will discuss how to equip your team to work independently. This could require you to start documenting some Best Practices so everyone has a guide to follow. We’ll discuss the importance of getting everyone’s buy in on the Best Practices so that they will want to adhere to them. Make them living documents so no one feels trapped by bad guidelines and understands that the team can discuss and make changes.
Anna Ondrish has over 15 years of experience in the Quality Assurance field. She currently works for Orases in Frederick, MD as the Director of Quality Assurance. Twice in her career, she has been hired as the first Quality Assurance Lead for a company. Both times she made something out of nothing and given the opportunity to hire full-time employees, mentor them, hire contractors, and manage a team of offshore testers. Each experience opened doors to produce Best Practices and get them integrated into every other related department within the company.