What Is the Difference Between a QA Analyst and a QA Engineer?
One recurring mistake in software development is to bypass Quality Assurance (QA). This key software testing process is commonly postponed until an app has already hit the market. Companies come to realize the hard way that QA is not a nice thing to have but rather an essential part of the app development process.
When companies do decide to perform QA tests, they often forget the importance of having the right people in charge. There is a common misconception that a QA Analyst is the best role to take care of an app’s quality issues. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, it should be taken with a grain of salt.
In reality, the best role for anything QA related is a QA Engineer. This might sound like a trivial thing, but it can make a whole lot of a difference when it comes to making sure your app runs smoothly and keeps your users engaged.
Due to the importance of this issue, in this post we discuss the difference between a QA Analyst and a QA Engineer. We also highlight the importance of the latter and why your app needs the best QA it can receive.
Why App QA Matters
Bugs and mistakes are inevitable, that’s a fact. No matter how good an app development team is, some issues will always pop up. The problem is that they aren’t all the same. Some issues are more expensive to fix than others depending on the development stage in which they are detected and addressed.
It is not the same to fix an issue at an early stage of development than it is to fix it once an app has hit the market. This can be measured not only in economic terms but also in time to fix and the reputational hazard it might pose to an app. When a user downloads an app and encounters a problem, it is likely that the app will be deleted by the user. Making sure that the majority of issues are addressed before hitting the market is the best way for an app to reduce the risks associated with low engagement.
The overall idea of a successful QA is to prevent risks. By pairing up your app’s development with a prevention-based approach, you are guaranteeing that your app will be ready to make users fall in love with it.
QA Analyst vs. QA Engineer
One of the most common mistakes when it comes to QA is assuming that a QA Analyst is the same as a QA Engineer. All QA Engineers can be referred to as QA analysts, but not the other way around. Some development companies offer QA services without making this difference clear to their customers, and that is a big mistake. While the job description of each role seems similar to the other, there is an important gap between QA analyst vs QA engineer.
The main difference between a QA Engineer and QA Analyst is that the former has a more robust background in quality assurance, engineering, and computer science. Typically, a QA Analyst is someone with a background in a non-computer related field that ends up testing software quality issues; this happens a lot in the financial world. When it comes to testing software there are important differences regarding the background that is needed. Having strong fundamentals in engineering and computer science is a good thing.
Due to their limited knowledge, a typical QA Analyst will be restricted when it comes to finding solutions to problems. That is, a QA Analyst will most likely be unable to go beyond the client’s requirements. In a process as important as QA, it is essential that the person doing QA can see various steps ahead. By doing so, the development team can make sure that future mistakes are addressed at an early stage.
A QA Engineer is able to assess technical risks even before an app’s development begins. At Koombea, for example, we help our customers identify risks at very early stages. A QA Analyst, on the other hand, is not able to do so due to a lack of knowledge on technical issues. This occurs mostly because not every QA Analyst has a background in engineering. QA Engineers are able to verify APIs, integrations, interpret performance test results, suggest the right quality tools, and more.
In general, a QA Engineer has a more important role to play in terms of project scope and what can be done. They can deliver better results on a larger pool of issues when it comes to preventing potential app problems.
Look for a Team of QA Engineers
The best decision when building an app is to look for a team of QA Engineers. A knowledgeable QA Engineer maximizes results by making sure that potential risks are detected at an early stage of software development and by addressing very specific technical issues.
At Koombea we have an expert team of QA Engineers. This allows us to give our clients the support they need to make sure that their app hits the market in the right conditions.
Our more than 12 years of experience building world-class apps has taught us that, when it comes to QA, nothing is better than having the right people in charge. That’s why we make sure that everyone in our team is qualified and certified on some of the industry’s best practices.
Contact us for a free consultation and see for yourself why Koombea’s QA approach is the best alternative for your app.
