Quality Assurance
"We implement rigorous processes to ensure the highest possible quality in all of our engagements. We know how to be dynamic and innovative, and when to use tactical shortcuts to achieve strategic advantage."
Ted Smith, Chief Operating Officer
Quality Assurance and Testing
NavigationArts delivers quality assurance (QA) throughout an IT project lifecycle using a disciplined framework of reviews, audits, and tests. By employing established and recognized industry best practices, NavigationArts ensures that all testing phases are planned and executed through standard, repeatable processes tailored to specific client environments and resource constraints. The end result is a fully operational, high quality and valuable website or system, compliant with all business requirements and expectations.
Our QA lifecycle extends from the initial Master Test Plan, created to outline and confirm all roles, permissions, environments, tools, data and content, schedules and methods that will be included during all testing activities. QA activities include creation of test cases and scripts, aligned with the website or system design and fully traceable back to business and system requirements. Early test planning and scoping frequently relies on web prototypes developed to confirm visual and user interaction requirements.
Beyond individual program unit or component testing, most NavigationArts system and software testing includes functional or package-level testing (per business task or activity), and then more comprehensive system and process integration, performance and other end-to-end testing scenarios. Integration tests are coordinated among system and process owners as necessary, reflecting any interface standards, agreements or terms of service developed between the participants. This includes service level agreements for 3rd-party hosting services such as server and security management, network access and monitoring, and web content storage.
Regression testing occurs at every stage of code or release promotion, to the extent required to ensure environment and system stability. Test cycles are also run as necessary to ensure usability, accessibility and that platform compatibility requirements are met – including broad web browser and mobile device compatibility.
Our QA processes frequently intersect with those that already exist in a client or 3rd-party hosting environment, and normally include extensive User Acceptance Testing – i.e., engaging end users in real-life, multi-sensory scenarios to confirm the requirements of the IT solution are fully met.
Best practices include relevant IEEE standards and guidelines, such as:
- IEEE Standard 829-2008
- SEI’s Capability Maturity Model Integrated (CMMI)
- ISO quality management (ISO 9001-2008)