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Methodologies in software development are processes, tips, and tools that allow you to create the right environment for development. Knowledge of different methodologies makes it easier to select the right technologies and optimize the development process. There are a dozen of software development methodologies, each with its pros and cons. Waterfall Model and the V-Model are the most commonly-used classic approaches. Scrum and Kanban are the most popular among Agile methodologies. So let's take a look at the pros and cons of the most popular methodologies. Waterfall Model Although widely-known, this model will not suit every project. Nevertheless, it is relevant in case timing and compliance are the priority, and a team commits to finishing each stage with a correct and completed solution. The highlight of this model is the sequence of stages. Each upcoming phase starts only after the previous one ends. From the QA engineer’s perspective, this model contradicts one of the core p...

SaaS is short for Software as a Service, but you must know that already. Every cloud-based solution that functions mostly online via web browsers can be defined as a SaaS. Such applications are convenient, available anytime, easy to access and come with a variety of payment options. SaaS is only one of the variations of cloud services. Together with PaaS (Platform as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), DaaS (Desktop as a Service), and other solutions driven by similar logic, they are united by an umbrella term XaaS (“you-name-it as a service”). But let’s focus on one of its types for now :) SaaS solutions are very diverse in terms of their features and purpose. We are speaking of: email services (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.); office suites (Office 365, Google Suite, etc.); CRM systems (HubSpot, Zoho, etc.); cloud storage services (Dropbox, IDrive, etc.); and many more. The functionality and complexity of SaaS vary from product to product. But there’s one thing ...

This post is co-authored with Olha Hladka, a former QA Engineer at QA Madness. QA specialists familiar with test design techniques find it much easier to create efficient test suites. By employing a particular technique, we get guidelines on what to test and how to define test conditions. In other words, each test design technique helps to convert available data into efficient test cases. In this post, you will learn about 5 commonly-used test design techniques that will help you ensure maximum test coverage and reduce time spent on testing activities. Originally Published: Jan 22, 2021 | Last Updated: March 14, 2026 How Can You Define the Test Design Process in 2026? Let’s start with the basics. Test design is a stage of the quality assurance process, during which we create test scenarios and outline the structure of testing activities for the project. A QA team decides on how to escalate test coverage with minimum effort. In 2026, when digital products are more complex than eve...

Chatbots have become a popular way to enhance customer support. There’s no need to go deep into the benefits. Customers don’t have to wait until a human assistant is available to get the answers they need. Meanwhile, companies can increase satisfaction rates, simultaneously reducing costs required for a customer support unit. But like it always happens with technologies, there’s one “but.” You need to make sure that a chatbot will be a decent alternative for a human assistant – an equivalent for one. The truth is, a bot can communicate with lots of customers simultaneously, but the value of this communication will depend on a number of tech aspects. In other words, you will need to build a smart chatbot that covers major user requests. And for this, you’ll need a well-thought-out business logic, accurate implementation, and thorough testing. In this article, I’ll focus on the latter – chatbot testing and quality assurance activities that will bring you closer to re...

This post is co-authored with Olha Hladka, a QA Engineer at QA Madness. Interviewing for a QA job position is always a two-step process. At first, an HR specialist checks whether your profile matches the described quality assurance job requirements and discusses work-related moments. After that, a tech specialist comes for a technical interview, where a candidate is to prove to fit the QA position requirements in practice. While QA roles, skills, and responsibilities are described in Software Testing Engineer’s job requirements, you won’t find a list of questions that help to prepare for a tech interview. So how should you prepare for it? Is there anything specific to repeat? As a rule, Junior specialists can expect the general questions, like “What's the difference between QA and QC?” Senior QA Engineers and QA Lead should expect similar queries, but with some twists and turns. Most likely, an interviewer would require specific examples based on the previous experience. The...

Outsourcing services are not a new trendy type of collaboration anymore. Businesses have gotten used to delegating some of the activities, fully or partially. It is a wise and cost-efficient tactic or/and strategic decision. It has already become a usual thing to delegate HR, legal, accounting, financial, QA, and other business tasks to third-party companies. Outsourced software testing services are especially growing in demand. Why is that happening? The main reason is the demand for flawless application and website performance. And in this case, users dictate new standards for the “flawless,” adding to already tough competition on the IT market. As product development is always an investment, QA services should ensure the potential user would be satisfied with an end-product and the experience it delivers. That’s the cornerstone of success that drives project profitability. Earlier, we’ve discussed the differences between outsourcing, outstaffing, and freelance in software ...

This post is co-authored with Olha Hladka, a former QA Engineer at QA Madness. There are some subjects in the QA world, an approach to which can vary from company to company. Specialists’ grades in software testing are one of those. To be more specific, the differences between Junior, Middle, and Senior QA engineers often become a subject of heated discussions. We’ve already shared some ideas on the QA Engineer role and responsibilities recently. So this time, we decided to focus on the distinction between QA grades – a Trainee, a Junior/Middle/Senior QA Engineer, and a QA Lead – and tell more about their proficiencies and responsibilities to help tech companies hire QA engineers effectively. In 2026, these grades have evolved to include expertise in AI-augmented testing and cross-platform ecosystems. As a professional quality assurance & testing company, we see a rising demand for specialists who can handle both manual software testing and complex automation testing service...

Software testing is a science full of specific terms and classifications. Black box and white box testing are two of the most common terms you'll hear when talking to a software testing company. Usually, a specialist from an outsourced QA company doesn't have access to your code and doesn't know how features work on the backend. They perform black box testing, interacting with functionalities via the frontend while everything "in the box" remains a secret. The opposite approach, white box testing, gives the software QA services team full access to everything in the app. To build a resilient product in 2026, you need to know how these different QA services work together to protect your bottom line. Originally Published: Dec 11, 2020 | Last Updated: March 10, 2026 What is Black Box Testing and How Does it Help Your Business? As the name suggests, black box testing means running a quality check without knowing the internal architecture or having access to the code. A QA specialist do...

This post is co-authored with Olha Hladka, a QA Engineer at QA Madness. Today, we’d like to share some thoughts on the role of a QA Engineer in the team. It seems to be a simple subject to cover, but let’s try to dig deeper. Here are some questions we’re going to answer: Who is a QA Engineer / QC Engineer / Tester in software development? And what role does a QA Engineer play in the team? Do their areas of responsibility vary depending on the team size? What skills do you need to work in a small and in a large team? What are the QA Engineer’s responsibilities in a dedicated QA team? It’s time to find out the answers! QA Engineer, QA Engineer, or Tester? You might have already seen a well-known scheme that clearly shows the relations between these three positions – a Quality Assurance Engineer, a Quality Control Engineer, and a Tester. If you haven’t, take a look at the image below. To be more specific: A Tester goes through the planned test cases and si...