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Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) are two terms that play a huge role in bringing the perfect software products in the market. However, they are increasingly being used in place of each other, which can be a reason that springs due to confusion between these two terms.

The biggest reason for this confusion is that both QA and QC are integral aspects of the overall quality management of the under-development software to generate sophisticated and cutting-edge deliverables. Software testing and quality assurance services revolve around the idea that every product coming out should stay in line with the highest levels of quality.

Everything taken into consideration, there are quite a few differences between Quality Assurance and Quality Control, which we will come across as we proceed ahead.

But first, before coming to terms with the differences, there’s a need to understand the basic concept of Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance refers to a process through which companies ensure the proper quality of software before delivering it over to the customer. QA focuses mainly on the entire development process of software to make it seamless and as efficient as possible.

QA also keeps the software in tune with the latest guidelines for quality that are defined for software within the industry.

The entire process of QA goes by the name Deming Cycle and is mainly into four steps-

1- Planning- A company needs to bring in proper planning to set up the objectives related to the multiple processes that play an integral role to bring a quality software product to the market.

2- Doing- This stage involves the development and testing of those ‘planned’ processes, while also making intelligent changes in them for better and streamlined subsequent steps.

3- Checking- The checking stage marks the constant supervision of all applied processes, while also implementing changes in them so that they stay on track for achieving the pre-defined objectives.

4- Acting- Any QA tester will always need to act upon the processes and make sure that they are constantly improved for a better overall development experience.

These steps are part of a constant process in a company to ensure that the product gets created through spot-on procedures. If they get followed regularly, the final product will have minimum errors and problems.

Quality Control

While QC is very closely connected with software testing and quality assurance, it's a very different aspect as a whole.

QC is a set of processes that are created with the purpose of ensuring that any manufactured product or provided service sticks by the quality guidelines and meets the user or customer requirements.

Where on one hand, QA ensures that every one of the requirements has been met, QC is the actual monitoring or inspection of the associated elements within every single requirement.

Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control

QA- A Strategy Aimed At Prevention

In the broadest sense, QA is the method that brings about the planning and development of certain steps or guidelines that will ensure a semblance of overall quality in the product. The entire QA process gets lined up before the start of a project and involves an insight to both- the software requirements as well as the company/industry standards.

The usual outcomes involve test plans and inspection plans and also training the workforce in the finalized processes and methods.

If QA takes place right before the beginning of any project, it helps in minimizing the risks that have been identified so far in the planning stages. To cut down on these risks, it’s important to ensure crystal clear communication of the hurdles as well as the corrective action needed to take care of them.

QC- A Strategy That Facilitates Detection

Right on the other hand, QC encompasses all the activities that are undertaken to assure proper levels of quality of all the delivered solutions. It includes all the necessary techniques that are needed to satisfy every single requirement for perfect quality.

These techniques are mutually agreed upon between the customer and company before work actually begins on the project.

QC happens throughout the different checkpoints in the SDLC (software development life cycle). Ultimately, the output needs to conform to the requirements decided in the beginning.

Consagous Technologies is one of the leading software quality assurance providers who ensure that your product is top-notch in terms of overall quality.