• by Lucas Radomski , Op-Ed Contributor, June 22, 2017

The era of digital transformation is here and with that comes the opportunity to rethink how things are done. “Things” is a pretty broad term, but a definitive process to work alongside the changing tech landscape can be equally as ubiquitous. Technology transforms how we work, but the constant challenge is keeping up. And the solution to keeping up is to craft new processes that keep projects on track and on budget.

“How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.” – Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, Inc. 

Process ensures more than just on-time delivery

Let’s be honest: web development is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. How difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, though, is determined in part by the processes we create. Different methodologies exist to define requirements and keep us on schedule. And while pretty much anyone you talk to in the digital space will tell you, while we’d love to be the brazen explorer setting sail for an uncharted adventure, the reality is we’re project managers, not Ponce De Leon, and we have a responsibility to our clients and our team. From my perspective, the success of a project is defined by how well deliverables are conveyed, an efficient gathering of requirements and assets, and communication. And at the root of all of this are great processes. Without them, a team is exposed to the risk of shoddy delivery and, maybe most detrimental, developer fatigue.

Like all great pairings in history — Abbot and Costello, salt and pepper, brick and mortar — process must be partnered with good quality assurance (QA). Using one without the other is to forgo the idea of data-backed improvements. It’s the QA of projects that should be the catalyst for change. 

Why you need goodQA

A strong development process is a tool for project teams. It’s not an AI (yet) that you can set and forget. Having a reviewable systematic approach and subsequent QA on not only the deliverable but the process itself, is, plainly, the scientific way to promote change and improve. But this is often overlooked in the effort to shorten a timeline or under-promise and over-deliver. Not a good idea.

So how do you over-deliver with confidence while also knowing your process worked? How do you know you’re using your resources appropriately? You test. You assure quality. And most importantly, you make sure the right amount of time is allotted to perform those tasks. No cutting corners here.

Rushed QA does more damage than not catching bugs before delivery. Cutting corners could create an avalanche of inefficiencies including everything from lost client faith to shrinking project margins. Those inefficiencies cascade across an organization and create business cancers that affect your ability to attract quality talent and an inspired workforce. And let’s not kid ourselves, these things really, really matter. 

Perhaps the most human reason for requiring QA is simply a matter of the pride you must take in a project that your name or organization is attached to. Without it, what else is there?