Quality Assurance Even the best Latest Mailing Database development teams create code that has "bugs," which is why quality assurance (QA), whether development is completed Latest Mailing Database onshore or offshore, is important. A major risk when outsourcing to an unknown vendor is whether they have adequate QA/testing processes Latest Mailing Database in place. Waiting for product release to find out what bugs Latest Mailing Database are present is not the best scenario. You can reduce this risk by taking time to check on the QA processes a vendor uses. The three main reasons that QA isn't done, or is done Latest Mailing Database inadequately, are: o The service provider lacks its own QA/testing team and assumes the client will complete this in-house. o The project has a tight deadline Latest Mailing Database, and so QA testing is done rapidly or set aside to give development a priority. o The vendor doesn't fully understand the system requirements, and so testing doesn't cover them. How to Reduce the Risk One of the first things Latest Mailing Database to evaluate in a possible software vendor is what QA processes they have in place. The better vendors have their own QA teams in place that work in conjunction Latest Mailing Database with the developers to implement a test plan for your software. Things to check include: o Is there a system for tracking issues/bugs or system changes in place? o What processes are in place for Latest Mailing Database fixing bugs? o What standards for monitoring and quality compliance are in place? o Do the developers use industry-standard unit tests and regression tests to test each build? o Is the software being tested for load, performance, integration and the real world end-user experience? (This last is key.) QA is Critical o Check that the vendor has its own QA/testing team. o Carefully evaluate the vendor's QA processes, including tracking and documentation.