What’s the difference between QC and QA: Answering the ultimate question

Having robust quality assurance and quality control processes is no longer an option — if you want your product to operate smoothly and gain customers’ love, these steps are an absolute must. Did you know that the global software testing and quality assurance services market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6% during the forecast period, from its estimated USD 38,385 million in 2024 to USD 99,190.18 million in 2032? These numbers prove that most global organizations recognize the value of modern, diverse QA and QC mechanisms, and invest much of their resources to enhance them. Other data shows that development budgets are beginning to prioritize Quality Assurance (QA), which is estimated to account for about 40% of the total cost.

Now, although software testing is an essential part of any development lifecycle, Quality assurance and Quality control terms are often confused. In this article, we’ll explain the difference between the two, provide benefits, and show how important it is to invest in both. Ready? Let’s begin!

What Exactly Do Quality Assurance and Quality Control Mean?

Both processes are meant to improve product quality, but they are not alike.

Quality assurance, or QA, makes sure that all required methods, standards, processes, and techniques have been followed to ensure that the final product is free of defects. Quality control, or QC, on the other hand, refers to a validation procedure that makes sure the product has fulfilled the preceding specifications. This procedure, to put it simply, guarantees the product's anticipated level of quality.

QA focuses on the quality of the verification process and preventing defects while the QC considers the entire end product and fixes flaws.

At Yojji, every software development project can’t be done without QA and QC. Want to learn more about how we contribute to best-in-class products? Read more about our software testing solutions.

The Importance of QA and QC For example, when you go to a grocery store to buy some apples, you would want to see the products at their best quality, right? Of course, the first things that attract your attention are visual. You judge an apple by its size, color, ripeness, etc. But you can’t bite a piece off before you buy it. So only when a purchase is made and you taste the apple, you can tell whether it is good or bad. After all, even the best-looking apples can be with a worm inside.

The same can be said about software products. Let’s say, you go on the Internet and search for an online candy store. You pick the one with the most attractive design. However, while examining the site, you find tons of bugs: a cart doesn’t show several chocolates you want to buy, every time you try to enter your contact details, an error notification pops up, and things like that. Chances are, after several tries, you will just leave this e-store and find another one.

The described situation makes the importance of QA and QC processes crystal clear. Thanks to these procedures it is possible to avoid defects in software products before they are released and assure the best outputs.

We are all humans. To make mistakes is in our nature. However, some flaws in software development can have significant consequences. It would be wise to double-check everything to avoid getting into a situation like this. For this reason, the saying "Look before you leap" is used.

If you think choosing only one of these essential processes will be sufficient for your product’s success, think again. Having experienced testers work on QA and QC will inevitably contribute to better software that is easy to navigate, feels and looks nice, and outcompetes others. At Yojji, we always implement both strategies, because failing to do so doesn’t just eat up customer’s money, but affects our reputation.

Yevhen Piotrovskyi CTO and Founder

QA vs QC: The Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, there are several differences between quality assurance and quality control processes. The two terms shouldn’t be mistaken for one another. We have singled out the key differences below:

• QA is a list of proactive measures oriented on a process of preventing defects from appearing whereas QC is a list of reactive measures oriented in a process of finding and fixing defects.
• QA procedures are performed by all members of a development team during the software development life cycle while QC is the job of a team of testers only and it is done during the software testing life cycle.
• QA puts a focus on a process whilst QC puts a focus on an end-product.

In conclusion, we’d like to point out that at Yojji we utilize both QA and QC as they are essential parts of software development and help us deliver effective IT solutions in a wide array of industries.