What is the difference between quality assurance and testing?

Quality assurance and testing are the processes that together keep up a control on the quality check of the software system or application. These two processes when implemented together ensure that maximum quality of the software system or application is maintained as much close as possible to the 100 percent.

There is no such software or application that can boast to have 100 percent customer satisfying quality. Well this article is focussed up on these two processes only and the differences between the two. We are discussing differences here because most of the people often confuse between the two.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

- The term “quality assurance” is a self justifying.

- By the term only we can make out that it must be some systematic and planned activities that are to be implemented in a quality system so that a check over its quality requirements is maintained.

- It involves the following processes:
1. Systematic measurement of the quality of the software system or application.
2. Comparison of the quality of the software system or application with the pre- defined quality standards.
3. Monitoring of the processes.
4. An associated feedback for conferring the error prevention.

- A typical quality assurance process also keeps a quality check on the quality of the tools, assemblages, equipments, testing environment, production, development and management processes that are involved with the process of the software testing.

- The quality of a software system or application product is defined by the clients or the customers rather than having a whole society do it.

- One thing that one should always keep in mind that the quality of a software system or application cannot be defined by quality adjectives like poor and good since the quality of one of the aspects of the system could be high and in some other aspect it could be low.

PRINCIPLES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
The whole process of the quality assurance is guided by the two following principles:

1. Fit for purpose:
The software product is deemed to fulfil the purpose for which it has been made and
2. Right first time:
The mistakes encountered for the first time should be completely eliminated.

TESTING PROCESSES EMPLOYED IN SOFTWARE TESTING & QUALITY ASSURANCE
Below we are mentioning the testing processes that are employed for both the software testing as well as the quality assurance:

1. Testing approaches:
(a) White box testing
(b) Black box testing
(c) Grey box testing
(d) Visual testing

2. Testing levels:
(a) test target:
(i) unit testing
(ii) Integration testing
(iii) System testing
(b) Objectives:
(i) regression testing
(ii) User acceptance testing
(iii) Alpha and beta testing

3. Non functional testing:
(a) Performance testing
(b) Usability testing
(c) Security testing
(d) Internationalization and localization
(e) Destructive testing

4. Testing processes:
(a) waterfall model or CMMI
(b) Extreme or agile development model
(c) Sample testing cycle

5. Automated testing using tools and measurements

In fact both the processes are just the same but with a different perspective i.e., the software testing is aimed at eliminating the bugs out of the software system and the quality assurance takes in to consideration the overall quality of the software system.

In contrast to the quality assurance, software testing is the way to implement the quality assurance i.e., it provides the clients or the customers with the information regarding the quality of the software system or application. The testing is done to make sure of the following points:


1. The product meets the specified requirements.
2. Works as intended.
3. Is implemented with the same characteristics.


The software testing can be implemented at any point of time in the development process unlike the quality assurance that should be implemented right from the beginning to ensure maximum quality.