Creating Test Plans and QA Strategy Before Development Starts

Anatolii Ivaniuk /

31 July 2025

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Development Outsourcing

Starting QA early saves time, money, and headaches.

Involving QA during the initial stages of software development - before coding even begins - identifies issues in requirements, design flaws, and missing edge cases early. Fixing bugs during the design phase costs up to 6x less than during implementation and up to 15x less than after launch. This approach also ensures clear acceptance criteria, reduces risks, and aligns teams for smoother workflows.

Key takeaways:

• Early QA reduces costs and defects: Catching issues early can cut defects by 50% and save 30% on project costs.
• Clear acceptance criteria: QA helps define what "done" means, preventing scope creep and miscommunication.
• Parallel workflows: Testing and coding can happen side by side, speeding up delivery.
• QA in Agile: Early involvement integrates QA into every phase, reducing production defects by 25%.

Software Testing Tutorial #40 - Test Plan vs Test Strategy

Benefits of Starting QA Planning Early

Getting QA involved early in the process isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a game-changer. From managing risks to improving clarity and streamlining workflows, early QA planning can make a huge difference in how smoothly a project runs and how well it performs.

Reducing Risks and Rework

Did you know that integrating QA into risk assessments can increase the chances of delivering projects on time and within budget by 67%? That’s what the numbers say. Plus, catching defects during the development stage is far cheaper - about 10 times less expensive than fixing them during the requirements phase, and up to 100 times less costly than addressing them during testing or production.

When QA gets involved early - during requirements gathering or design reviews - they can spot unclear specs, overlooked edge cases, and potential integration headaches before they spiral out of control. This proactive approach can cut defects by as much as 50%, reducing the need for post-launch patches and emergency fixes. Starting with a risk-based testing strategy ensures that the most critical features are prioritized and handled with care.

Setting Clear Acceptance Criteria

One of the biggest wins from early QA planning is nailing down what "done" really means. Clear acceptance criteria help everyone - developers, product owners, and testers - stay on the same page. Without them, miscommunication can lead to scope creep, misunderstandings, and expensive revisions.

When you define acceptance criteria upfront, tracking progress becomes much easier. Each criterion acts as a measurable milestone, giving everyone a clear view of where the project stands. QA engineers play a key role here, especially during requirements and user story refinement sessions. They can ask the tough questions that uncover ambiguities long before development kicks off.

Supporting Agile and Faster Feedback Loops

In modern development, speed and adaptability are everything. Early QA involvement allows testing and development to run in parallel, rather than waiting for one to finish before the other begins. Companies with strong QA practices report 25% fewer defects in production.

What Goes Into a Test Plan

A test plan serves as a detailed roadmap for the entire testing process. As Randall W. Rice puts it:

"Think of a test plan as a project plan for your testing process."

This document lays out everything - what needs to be tested, who is responsible, and how tasks will be carried out. Clear planning helps avoid last-minute surprises and ensures a smoother testing process.

Scope and Objectives

Start by defining the scope of your testing. This means outlining what will be tested and, just as importantly, what won't. Setting these boundaries early can help avoid confusion and prevent the project from ballooning beyond its original goals.

For example, if you're testing a streaming platform, focus on critical features like user registration, playback functionality, and subscription management. Prioritize these based on their importance to the business and their impact on users.

Objectives should be specific and measurable. Instead of a vague goal like "test the system thoroughly", aim for something concrete. For instance, you might target 85% code coverage or ensure that critical defects are identified and resolved before production. If you're testing a document management system, a clear objective could be ensuring it can handle files up to 100MB without performance issues.

Also, explicitly state what is out of scope. For instance, if you're testing a web application across multiple browsers, specify which browser versions and operating systems will be included and which will be excluded. This clarity helps manage expectations and keeps the focus on priority areas.

Once the scope is defined, identify the types of tests needed to meet your objectives.

Test Types and Coverage

A well-rounded test plan should include a variety of test types, such as functional, performance, security, and usability testing, depending on the system's requirements.

• Functional testing ensures that core features and workflows operate as expected. For example, in a mobile gaming app, you might test for issues like crashes, slow loading times, or confusing menu navigation.
• Performance testing assesses how the system performs under different conditions, such as varying loads or network speeds.
• Security testing is vital for applications handling sensitive data. For instance, a mobile banking app should be tested in a sandbox environment to protect real customer information.
• Integration testing becomes critical for systems that interact with external platforms, like banking applications. This ensures accurate data exchange, proper error handling, and secure communication.

Testing priorities should align with risk levels. High-risk areas, such as payment processing or data security, may require exhaustive testing, while less critical features might be tested less intensively. Document these decisions to ensure all stakeholders understand the approach.

With the test types and coverage outlined, the next step is to assign roles and responsibilities.

Roles and Responsibilities

Clearly defining roles ensures accountability and smooth execution of the test plan. Typically, QA engineers handle writing and executing test cases, while automation engineers focus on creating and maintaining testing scripts. Developers often manage unit testing and initial bug fixes, while product managers provide acceptance criteria and help prioritize issues based on business needs.

Establish a clear bug triage process. Define who will review defects, assign severity levels, and escalate critical issues. This is especially important for outsourced projects where team members might work across different time zones.

Also, specify communication protocols. Outline how often status updates should be shared, the format for defect reports, and who has the authority to approve changes to the test plan. These details help keep everyone on the same page.

Entry and Exit Criteria

Entry and exit criteria act as checkpoints to ensure testing starts and ends at the right time. Entry criteria are the prerequisites that must be in place before testing begins. For example, ensure the test environment is set up, a stable build is available, and all necessary test data is ready.

Exit criteria define when testing is complete and the software is ready to move to the next phase. These should be specific and measurable. Examples include resolving all critical defects, fixing 95% of high-priority issues, and achieving the required test coverage.

Here's a quick overview of how entry and exit criteria might look for different testing phases:

These criteria ensure that testing efforts are thorough and that the software meets quality standards before moving forward.

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Creating a QA Strategy for Outsourced Teams

Collaborating with remote or outsourced QA teams requires a tailored approach. Physical distance, time zone differences, and varying work styles can lead to communication gaps and mismatched expectations. But with a solid strategy from the outset, these teams can deliver excellent results.

The trick is to treat your outsourced QA team as an integral part of your internal team, not just an external vendor. This mindset shift transforms how you communicate, collaborate, and plan for success. Let’s dive into how to address the unique challenges of working with outsourced QA teams.

Aligning QA and Development Teams

To get QA and development teams working in harmony, start by defining roles and responsibilities clearly. Document these details upfront so everyone knows their tasks and boundaries. Your in-house development team should understand what the outsourced QA team will handle, and the QA team needs clarity on escalation paths and limits to their scope.

Keep the QA team aligned with your internal development sprints by sharing product roadmaps and timelines. When QA teams understand the broader context - not just their immediate tasks - they can offer more meaningful feedback and identify potential issues earlier.

Frequent communication is another game-changer. Research shows that increasing communication frequency can boost team performance by up to 25%. Schedule regular syncs, use shared dashboards, and establish clear reporting formats to keep everyone on the same page.

"Companies that stay engaged and treat their QA partners as an extension of their own team see better results." - Joanna Carter, Author

Track performance with actionable metrics like defect detection rates and test execution speed. Organizations that use defined performance metrics report a 12% higher project success rate. These numbers help both internal and external teams identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Equip your QA team from the start with staging environments, APIs, and testing tools. Delays in providing access or setup details can slow down outsourced teams significantly. By aligning early, you ensure consistent quality across distributed environments.

Adding Testing to CI/CD Pipelines

Once your teams are aligned, the next step is incorporating automated testing into your development pipelines. Integrating testing with CI/CD processes from the beginning helps maintain speed and quality. Companies that adopt CI/CD practices experience up to a 30% reduction in deployment failures.

Start by deciding which tests to automate and which to keep manual. High-performing teams deploy code 106 times more frequently than their peers because they automate the right parts of their testing process. Focus automation on regression tests, smoke tests, and critical user journeys that need to run with every build.

Using tools like Docker to create consistent environments across development stages can cut errors caused by environment differences by 50%. This is especially crucial when teams are working from different locations.

Adopt modular pipeline designs for easier debugging and maintenance. Modular pipelines can reduce deployment times by up to 40%, allowing both internal and external teams to quickly isolate and resolve issues.

Set up automated triggers for testing based on repository events, version tagging, or branch protection rules. Teams that commit code daily experience 30% fewer merge conflicts. Clear trigger conditions ensure outsourced teams know when to run tests and what success looks like.

Centralize logging and monitoring with tools like ELK Stack or Splunk. A robust logging system can reduce troubleshooting time by as much as 50%, enabling both teams to access the same data and resolve problems faster.

Planning for Non-Functional Testing

Non-functional testing - like load, security, and edge case testing - requires early planning. These testing types demand specialized knowledge and tools, so it’s essential to give your outsourced team enough time to prepare.

Load testing ensures your system can handle expected traffic and usage patterns. Develop realistic scenarios with a safety margin based on your traffic projections and business goals.

Security testing becomes even more critical when outsourced teams access your systems remotely. Incorporating security testing early can reduce vulnerabilities by 30%. Set clear security requirements, including data handling protocols, access controls, and compliance standards, to guide your outsourced team.

Edge case testing uncovers system flaws that may not appear in typical scenarios. Work with your team to identify potential edge cases by analyzing requirements together. Use techniques like boundary value analysis to test input limits and prioritize edge cases based on their potential impact on users and business goals.

"Edge cases can reveal flaws in a system or process that may not be apparent in typical scenarios." - Kiruthika Devaraj, Author

Develop detailed test plans for these non-functional areas during the discovery phase. Specify tools, environments, and success criteria for each type of testing. By planning ahead, you ensure your outsourced team has everything they need to execute these tests effectively.

Document security protocols and data handling requirements thoroughly. With 80% of data breaches linked to exposed credentials, it’s critical that your outsourced team understands and follows your security standards from day one.

Incorporating these non-functional tests early strengthens the quality framework established during the initial planning stages.

Early QA Planning vs. Late QA Involvement

Getting QA involved early in a project isn't just a good idea - it’s a game-changer. When QA is part of the process from the start, everything improves: costs go down, quality goes up, and teams work together more effectively.

Here’s why timing matters: fixing bugs gets way more expensive the later they’re caught. In fact, bugs found during later phases can cost exponentially more to fix. Early QA involvement helps avoid those costly surprises that can throw projects off track and blow up budgets. Research shows that catching issues early can save up to 30% on total project costs, thanks to less rework, fewer emergency fixes, and smoother project management.

The financial benefits are clear, but the impact goes beyond dollars and cents. Early QA involvement creates a more cohesive and proactive team environment. When QA engineers are included from the beginning, they help refine requirements, assess risks, and establish clear acceptance criteria. This approach prevents defects rather than just detecting them later. On the flip side, bringing QA in late often leads to a reactive, blame-focused culture.

Here’s an eye-opener: nearly 50%–60% of bugs originate during the requirements gathering phase. That means involving QA early is crucial for catching and addressing these issues before they snowball. By integrating QA from the start, teams can build quality into the software, reducing defects and the need for rework. Companies that adopt structured QA processes report far fewer post-release problems. In contrast, late QA involvement often results in unstable releases, which can erode customer trust and hurt business opportunities.

"Most defects cost more to fix later not just due to the fix itself, but also due to damage to customer trust and lost opportunities while issues persist." – Kent Beck

The transition to agile QA practices highlights this shift. In the past, developers would finish their work and then hand it off to QA, often allowing defects to sneak into production. Agile QA flips the script by integrating testing into every phase of development. Continuous testing ensures that every change is checked, leading to smoother, more reliable releases.

Catching bugs early isn’t just smart - it’s economical. A bug fixed early in the lifecycle costs 30 times less than one addressed later, while errors that slip through to production can cost up to 100 times more to fix.

"Catching bugs in the early stages of a project is the cheapest way to ensure software quality. There is a dilemma in software development: defects are expensive, but eliminating them is also costly. However, the number of bugs in the post-release exceed the funds that would have been spent on their prevention." – Kent Beck and Cindee Andres

The evidence is overwhelming: early QA planning isn’t just a cost-saving measure - it’s a cornerstone of building better software. Teams that treat QA as an integral part of the process from day one consistently deliver higher-quality products and outperform those that treat testing as an afterthought.

Conclusion: The Long-Term Impact of Early QA Planning

Incorporating QA into the early stages of software development reshapes how products are built. When QA is part of the discovery phase, teams can deliver software that’s both dependable and more in tune with customer expectations. Addressing bugs early in the process is not just efficient - it’s cost-effective too, with fixes costing up to 30 times less compared to later stages. This makes early QA involvement a smart and impactful move for any development team.

Early QA planning fosters a collaborative culture where quality becomes everyone’s responsibility. By catching potential design and code issues early, teams end up with cleaner, more maintainable codebases. As Igor K. from Testfort explains:

"Early testing allows you to spot potential issues with the product before they have a chance to embed in the codebase, saving time, money, and effort."

This principle applies to outsourced projects just as much as it does to internal ones. Early QA planning helps close communication gaps, which is critical in outsourcing relationships. With the IT outsourcing market expected to hit $144.65 billion by 2031, companies that prioritize early QA integration will position themselves ahead of the competition.

At Scimus, we’ve embraced this philosophy by embedding QA into every stage of development. Our approach to custom software development ensures that testing is not an afterthought but a fundamental part of the process from day one. This proactive strategy helps our clients avoid costly surprises, especially in industries like healthcare, fintech, and e-commerce. Early QA planning allows us to deeply understand product requirements, improve communication, and collaborate on scalable, high-quality solutions.

FAQs

Why is involving QA early in software development more cost-effective?

Getting QA involved early in the development process can make a huge difference. When issues are caught during the design or requirements phase, they’re much cheaper to fix compared to addressing them after development is done. In fact, studies indicate that tackling problems early can cut rework costs by as much as 20%.

By prioritizing quality from the start, teams can sidestep expensive delays, keep development cycles on track, and deliver software that’s more dependable - without the last-minute headaches.

How does involving QA early improve collaboration and project success in Agile development?

Getting QA involved early in Agile projects creates a stronger sense of teamwork by promoting open communication among developers, testers, and stakeholders right from the beginning. This approach allows teams to spot potential problems, clarify requirements, and agree on quality standards before any development work kicks off.

Bringing QA into the process early also ensures continuous feedback, which helps catch bugs sooner and minimizes expensive rework later on. By including QA in sprint planning and backlog grooming, teams can produce better software more efficiently and with greater assurance.

What are the essential components of a test plan, and how do they ensure a successful project?

An effective test plan lays out the objectives, scope, test environment, resources, schedule, entry and exit criteria, roles and responsibilities, and risk management. These details spell out what needs to be tested, how testing will be carried out, who handles each task, and the conditions for starting and ending the testing process.

By establishing these elements upfront, teams can minimize bugs, prevent miscommunication, and uphold quality standards. This clear structure keeps everyone on the same page, leading to smoother workflows and dependable project results.

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