QA: Friend or Foe to Development?
If there is one common idea that is usually thought of when it comes to describing the relationship between developers and QA, it is that it is often contentious. This is due to misconceptions regarding the role of QA in the development life cycle. In the current world of development, where most teams have adopted […]
Homestar Financial Corporation IT Team accelerates delivery
Background: The client in this case study is a rapid growing financial services business focused on delivering an end to end digital solution for the mortgage industry. CelticQA Solutions has been a partner with Homestar Financial (the client) for three years, providing strategic and tactical Adaptive Risk Management (ARM) QA services and guidance. Homestar Financial […]
Twelve Tips to Avoid Ransomware
The recent high-profile ransomware attack on Garmin has once again highlighted the need for cyber security vigilance. This security breach left the majority of Garmin products and services inoperable for up to five days and the company allegedly facing a ten-million-dollar ransom demand. There have been countless similar incidents, with the most well-known being the […]
Does your QA function help your organization win ‘CHAMPIONSHIPS!’
I have to admit, I was not fully aware of how much ‘Bear’ Bryant had achieved until I started researching for this article. Now I know Coach Bryant is the winningest college football coach leading the University of Alabama to 6 national championships. I believe business and IT leaders can learn a lot from successful […]
Our CEO’s response to Covid-19
No one was prepared for the full effects of a global pandemic. Originally, we were planning for a couple of weeks disruption to our lives. We responded to our new reality and adopted new routines to adjust to life with COVID-19. Our attention now turns to defining our ‘New Normal’. Our whole world has shifted […]
Accelerate the digital workforce with RPA
COVID-19 is teaching us all lessons about ourselves, our businesses and our communities. Businesses are flexing their resilience muscles in order to maintain business continuity. Companies who have invested in building their digital workforce capability have improved their ability to perform in the face of volatility. At the core of any digital workforce strategy is […]
Managing Remote Teams
These are challenging times we find ourselves facing. A lot of organizations and government bodies now find themselves managing bigger than normal remote teams. We at CelticQA Solutions have been delivering our services remotely to clients in the UK, US, and Ireland for the past 15 years. Over that time, we have developed routines and […]
Test Estimates
So, how long do you need for testing? How many times have you answered this question? We are all aware of the Pareto rule, 80% of the outcome is dictated by 20% of the effort! or as Benjamin Franklin would say “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” Let me share some […]
Ranorex – a user’s experience
Benefits of Automated Testing There are situations in which manual testing is most appropriate for a particular testing scenario. In other circumstances, there are significant advantages to implementing automated testing. Benefits of automated testing include the following: Increased testing efficiency from the automation of time-consuming, repetitive tasks Reusability of automated tests, making automation particularly applicable […]
The Importance of Performance Testing
So, what is performance testing and why do you need to do it? Whether its ecommerce, CRM, ERP etc. The IT systems provides the platform on which most technology enabled businesses operate, and they are critical to allowing organisations to run in an efficient and successful manner. You may have developed the […]
Continuous Integration Roadmap
In today’s IT ecosystems, you see a lot of development shops that want Automation and Continuous Integration (CI) and they want it NOW! A common pitfall of Test Automation is setting unrealistic objectives. How often have you heard, “Let’s automate everything!”. Interestingly, according to the state of Testing report 2019, 37% of respondents have between […]
Four main components of Quality within a QA framework
A reliable Quality Assurance (QA) Framework can be key to a project’s success. There are seven essential elements to help you build a strong dependable QA Framework, which are as follows: Life Cycle Process and Practices Asset Information Support Systems Data and Knowledge Service Delivery Organisational Issues People Issues Total Asset Management Plans Quality throughout […]
Source Control and QA Automation
The increased rate of technological development has led to a greater reliance on automated testing. For automated testing and development to be successful the following key elements are required: A test automation tool A form of source control, to store and manage changes to automated tests A functional continuous integration, continuous delivery or deployment system […]
Automation Frameworks and why they are important
As the use of QA Automation continues to grow, the need for a strong framework is more essential than ever! Company demands on software QA are increasing exponentially with the development of new languages, platforms, applications and websites. Implementing QA Automation helps reduce the stress on the QA team, speed up delivery and ensure a […]
Laying the Foundations for Automation
Before you even start automating test cases you need to consider what are the right Automation/CI tools for your environment. With so many open-source and licensing options to choose from this can be a daunting task. Likewise, considering the skillset of your resources is important. There needs to be expertise in the tool if you […]
Slow down to go fast
This is what my music teacher kept telling me, usually while I’m embarrassing myself trying to show off with some fill or walking bassline I’ve just come up with! Technique with an instrument isn’t just one thing. If I want to play fast and well then, I need to slow down and practice the basics […]
The humble test case…
QA of software has rapidly become a complex industry with: Automation tools, DevOps, CI/CD, test strategies and test plans, agile methodologies, source control, and performance tools. Yet, at the heart of it all is a basic skill that gets overlooked, the art of designing test cases. As we focus on the various approaches, tools, and […]
Excellence in the Basics
Aligning trained people with effective processes will allow your QA teams to deliver superior performance. Developing Software is a creative enterprise that requires constant human interaction and reviews to achieve success. Investing in getting the BASICS right ensures the QA function is built on terra firma. Often, the BASICS are enough to save the day. […]
“Its the real thing” ! QA delivers growth
In September 2013, I dropped my 3 boys off to their first day at school. It was a highly anticipated moment. 8 weeks later I began my role with CelticQA solutions. I was originally hired for my HR knowledge but as a start-up company there was much to be done and few hands to do […]
4 things I learned on the way to CTO
1. You know more than you think you do. “I don’t know how to do that’” How often have you had that thought? For me, it was usually just before I had to do it. It pushed me to learn. Each new task asked something more of me. Mobile telecoms, banking, insurance, e-commerce, test management, […]