Although QA and software testing are closely related, they accomplish slightly different focuses in the software development life cycle. Software testing helps explore the entire product to check operations, detect errors, and test the software application during the final stage of releasing the product. Quality assurance is a preventive and process-oriented procedure that enhances the product by focusing on statistical data throughout the different development stages. Quality assurance adheres to definite procedures at all levels to ensure the smooth development and maintenance of the product. When it comes to software testing, it checks and ensures that the product satisfies compatibility, design, and functionality standards. It’s a process requiring continuous verification and validation with many tests to offer the client a better product. When we mention quality assurance, its main focus is on maintaining the product’s integrity, functionality, service, and other meaningful elements of quality management.
Software testing is more like a part of quality assurance processes with the intent to find software bugs or defects to guarantee the software corresponds to the specified requirements and functions. Quality assurance is a bit broader, aiming at reaching an effective software development process while not only finding bugs but rather preventing them properly. QA defines quality standards, creates procedures, and implements methodologies to enhance clarity, completeness, quality metrics, and best QA practices.