Download our new survey report, The 2023 State of Mobile QA, for the latest insights and trends from 500+ mobile leaders

As leaders in software development, we find ourselves in the midst of a glaring paradox. On one hand, we stand on the brink of the automation era, with its allure of increased efficiency and reduced error. But on the other, we grapple with the persistent need for manual QA—a crucial yet resource-consuming process.

Our recent survey throws this conundrum into sharp relief. Despite rapid strides in automation, a whopping 67% of respondents in our survey indicated that at least a quarter of their developers and engineers are mired in manual QA tasks. This goes over and above the dedicated efforts of their in-house QA teams.

Take a moment to consider the implications. What if those engineers could focus more on feature development, system architecture, or even critical bug fixes instead of getting bogged down in QA tasks?

Around 75% of respondents acknowledged that if they could automate more test cases, they would significantly boost their release cadence, increase their capacity for exploratory testing, and enhance automation scripting output. The reality is clear: manual QA places a tangible burden on our resources and hampers strategic initiatives, yet we struggle to find a dependable solution to strike the right balance.

The answer to this conundrum, it seems, lies in looking beyond the walls of our own organizations. Over 70% of leaders expressed a preference to leverage outsourced resources for manual QA tasks rather than extend their internal teams. Outsourcing solutions offer the potential to alleviate the strain on our in-house teams while ensuring high-quality manual testing coverage. These services are not just capable of providing top-notch QA services, but they also do so in a highly cost-effective manner.

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Imagine the scenario where you outsource a significant portion of your manual QA. It opens up a treasure trove of time and resources that can be redirected towards the core development tasks, the strategic imperatives that shape the trajectory of your organization. Your engineers are free to innovate, optimize, and create, while your QA is handled by a dedicated team whose primary task is ensuring the robustness of your products.

Take your engineers who have been debugging UI glitches, for example. Now, they can focus on developing and refining features that improve the user experience. The result? Your release cycles accelerate, product quality improves, and customer satisfaction skyrockets.

However, it's critical to find the right outsourcing partner. The ideal QA service provider doesn't just unburden your team but aligns seamlessly with your objectives, methodologies, and company culture. That's a conversation for another day, though.

In conclusion, it's apparent that while manual QA continues to be an essential element of our software development process, it doesn't need to be a burdensome obligation borne internally. Outsourcing this responsibility to specialized external teams and services can free our engineers to do what they do best—design, develop, and deploy innovative solutions that push our organizations forward.

The future of software development demands a new balance, and with the right external QA partners, we can begin to tip the scales in our favor. The paradox might be glaring, but it's far from insurmountable.

Download our new survey report, The 2023 State of Mobile QA, for the latest insights and trends from 500+ mobile leaders