Separating QA from Development: A Strategy for Better Software and Risk Management

If you worked in QA for awhile, you’ve probably run into crunch time. Developers have taken more time than expected, because the feature is complex. The release date was set by a product owner/sprint board, and now QA is pressured to approve the feature quickly, at the expense of accuracy. At one place I worked at, the pressure one time was so high the product owner was telling QA to not log defects so the feature could be released.

While small and mid-size teams usually have more and better communication across business resources and IT resources, even small teams can feel a crunch. Companies across industries are racing to get new features and products out to market, but this drive for speed can sometimes come at the expense of software quality. In these crunch-time scenarios, quality often takes a backseat as the focus shifts entirely to meeting deadlines. This is where having separate QA contractors becomes invaluable—ensuring that quality doesn't get lost in the rush to release features.

The Unique Skill Sets of QA and Development

Software development and QA are fundamentally different disciplines, each requiring a unique set of skills. Developers are tasked with building features, writing code, and solving complex problems that bring products to life. Their focus is naturally on creation, optimization, and the technical aspects of software development.

This results in different recruitment and hiring skills. Some companies are large enough they can handle both, but usually to save money they hire developers and hope the same process works with QA professionals.

QA professionals, on the other hand, bring an entirely different mindset. Instead of building, their goal is quality. QA contractors have a critical eye for potential vulnerabilities, user experience issues, and edge cases that developers might overlook because they’re so deeply involved in the creation process. This complementary focus is essential for catching bugs and defects that could be catastrophic if they slip through to production.

When you have separate QA contractors, they can operate independently of the development cycle, providing an unbiased evaluation of the software’s functionality. They aren’t invested in the success of any one feature—they’re invested in the success of the product as a whole. This leads to a higher quality end product, where every feature has been thoroughly tested and validated before reaching the end user.

Even in high-pressure situations, surfacing defects doesn’t have to stop a release—it allows decision-makers to make informed trade-offs, balancing risk and deadlines more effectively. Counterintuitively, if brought to light, they may provide more confidence in the release.

Flexibility and Scalability with QA Contractors

For companies that have fluctuating software development needs, especially small to medium-sized businesses or legacy software projects, having separate QA contractors offers valuable flexibility. Many projects don’t require full-time QA staff throughout the entire development cycle. By contracting QA professionals separately, companies can scale their testing efforts up or down as needed without maintaining a permanent in-house QA team.

QA contractors also provide a fresh perspective, untangled from the development process. They can evaluate the product without the biases that can affect teams working too closely to the project, ensuring a more objective analysis of its quality. This model also allows businesses to tap into QA talent without the burden of human resource management. Since QA contractors can be brought in on a flexible basis, companies can optimize their budgets while still ensuring high-quality software releases.

Risk Mitigation and Improved End-User Experience

The separation of roles also plays a critical part in risk management. QA contractors provide an extra layer of protection by identifying issues before they impact users. A software defect in production can lead to downtime, data loss, anger users, and damage to a company’s reputation. By employing dedicated QA contractors, you reduce the risk of critical bugs reaching production, leading to a smoother, more reliable user experience.

Moreover, independent QA contractors can advocate for the end-user perspective. They focus on usability, functionality, and performance from the perspective of those who will interact with the product. Developers might know the expected behavior of the software, but QA teams ensure that it works as intended in real-world conditions, under various user scenarios.

Conclusion

While it may seem efficient to combine software development and QA roles into one team, the benefits of keeping these functions separate are clear. Dedicated QA contractors bring an independent, specialized approach to testing that ensures accountability, enhances quality, and reduces risks. In a fast-paced development environment, having a separate QA contractor also provides the flexibility to scale testing efforts as needed, ensuring that quality doesn’t take a back seat to speed.

For businesses, especially those working on smaller projects or legacy systems, separate QA contractors provide a cost-effective way to maintain high-quality standards. Ultimately, this division of labor between development and QA contractors creates a system of checks and balances that results in a superior end product—one that meets both business goals and user expectations.

By prioritizing a strong, independent QA process, companies can build trust with their users, avoid costly production failures, and ensure that their software stands up to the highest standards of quality.