Test solutions for the software industry
Competitive × Effective × FAST
Part of the Codebase community
Where are we?
Pre-pandemic, our offices were located within CODEBASE in Edinburgh which is the UK’s largest tech scale-up incubator, but we’ve since adapted to working from home and have no imediate plans to return to the office. One of the greatest benefits has been that when recruiting new hires we no longer have to limit our catchment area to those applicants within comuting distance from the city.
Who are we?
Founded in 2011 by industry veteran Nick Barrett, Proper QA is a quality assurance provider for the tech industry specialising in QA testing of apps, games, websites fintech, medtech and interactive media. Our testers go through a rigorous induction and training program before being assigned to projects that best suit their individual skill sets.
What do we do?
We provide independent QA software testing on iOS, Android, Windows and Amazon platforms. We tailor the testing to fit your requirements: no two projects are the same.
We can provide the testers, the hardware, the bug database, the test cases, the focus groups, or any combination of these.
What do we test?
We have the facilities to test a wide variety of tech but we specialise in mobile, PC, and browser based projects. We have an extensive inventory of handheld iOS and Android devices, along with a PC compatibility lab that can cover all operating systems & browsers,
Contact
enquiries@properqa.com
Location
Argyle House, 38 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH3 9DZ
The client: na:gne (pronounced nog-nuh) is an Edinburgh based development agency who offer services spanning the whole spectrum of a project from discovery, design and business strategy, through development to marketing. Their approach to helping new (often start-up) clients steer through the common pitfalls so they end up with a product they love and that actually works.
Term of engagement: 2020 - current
What we did/do for them: Created a custom test strategy covering end to end user testing, compatibility testing and failure testing for mobile and desktop apps.
Their QA needs: We started on an ad hoc basis but as their workload has grown their QA requirements have increased and we currently have 2X testers assigned to them for a day each week testing across multiple projects. This matches their sprint delivery schedule but the specific days often change so we adapt each week, often with little notice.
Their challenge: Up until 2019 na:gne had been testing their own code and were encountering a lot of the reasons why it’s an expensive, quality deficient and time consuming approach to QA.
They needed a QA service to jump in at short notice, complete the testing, feedback the results fast, and then stand down until needed again.
The results: Instead of hiring a couple of in-house QA specialists (who aren’t needed full time), then training them, monitoring progress etc, they now simply fire the QA cannon whenever it’s needed and once the test execution is complete, we stand down until needed: same cannon every time too… because we use the same testers on the same project unless some fresh eyes are desired, in which case they can choose to have 4X testers work concurrently for one day instead of the same tester working for 4X consecutive days in a row.
It also helps counter the phenomenon whereby in-house testers can become stale and lethargic on a project that’s gone on too long or when there’s not enough to occupy them full time.
The cost: The price they’re paying for our QA service is under half the cost of hiring a solo tester full-time to their internal team and when put side by side, the comparison those two options offer is heavily weighted toward the outsourced option, bringing greater contribution and best of all - test independence. This makes it an easy pitch to their clients because when it comes to QA, a client’s preference is always for independent testing at a transparent cost. In this case study specifically, the QA spend is about .05% of the total dev costs. I’m yet to meet a client who doesn’t prefer that the devs have their code tested independently for a transparent fixed cost, rather than have the devs test their own code and pay for it at dev rates.
The client: Screenmedia is a Glasgow based dev agency we’ve been working with for many years. They have a small in-house QA team which we support with independent external quality assurance testing.
Term of engagement: 2018 - current
What we did/do for them: We work alongside Screenmedia’s QA team. Typically, they ask for one or two of our testers to work exclusively for them for a few months at a time.
Their QA needs: Depending on whether it’s an app, an Alexa skill or a website, we’ll select the best suited of our testers and lock them in for the duration of the project. There’s never any downtime or holidays etc, because if our tester isn’t available, (covid for instance) we can assign another tester to the project.
Typically, they require a single tester for 2-3 months at a time, then a break, then it’s back on again, often at short notice. Occasionally there are pauses in the middle of a project where we have to stand the tester down for a while. At no cost to Screenmedia… it’s an as-required service.
Their challenge: Hiring a larger in-house QA team to cover all their needs is definitely a possibility for a company the size of Screenmedia. I’m sure this option has been internally discussed at length but because of the relative sporadic nature of their current QA requirements, choosing to have an internal QA manager who looks after a small in-house team and also outsources to us to cover both the expansion aspect, alongside the added benefits of an independent eye on the code, is ticking a lot of boxes.
The results: We’ve tested a delightfully diverse range of software for Screenmedia and continue to do so. We cover any of their internal absences and bolster their QA team whenever required.
The cost: We offer a discounted day rate to Screenmedia because of the volume of testing we do for them.
The client: Since we began testing for C4, it’s been very apparent that they’re heavily committed to engage with small and medium sized dev studios to create a significant portion of the content they release and have pledged to continue doing so in the future.
Term of engagement: 2013 - current
What we did/do for them: We’ve been working with C4 for a long time, testing apps, websites and games. We work directly with their chosen developers, testing their projects and providing independent feedback on the software. It’s a pretty standard: Publisher - Dev studio - QA team relationship and we report any bugs found directly to the devs and C4 simultaneously. There’s lots of transparency and the testers chat directly to all parties.
Their QA needs: Predominantly we’re tasked with compatibility testing to make sure the software works on the whole span of target devices. That makes up about half the workload, the rest of the testing is verification & failure testing against the software to ensure it’s working as-designed and can survive exposure to the userbase and that it’s bug free. (Or as close as possible)
Their challenge: Their userbase is huge and the list of popular devices changes with each project. Our task is to make sure it works on the ever-expanding list of hardware
The results: We tell them what it works on, what it doesn’t work on and how we managed to get it to fail in novel ways. Our goal is to force the software into a situation from which it struggles to recover. Armed with those test results, the devs can fix it before it’s released to market, which keeps C4 happy and keeps them returning to the same dev houses for repeat/future/ongoing projects.
The cost: The same fixed day rate we charge everyone else.
That’s probably the reason they’ve returned to us for dozens of separate projects and presumably the reason so many of those independent dev houses we’ve worked with have reached out to us for help with their own QA on subsequent projects when they’re not developing for C4.
The client: Novarum is a diagnostic software company specialising in connecting patients to doctors as part of a mobile eco-system. They make incredibly clever software that transforms smartphones into rapid diagnostic devices for the medical field. They use the smartphone cameras to read cartridges (you’ll be familiar with the Covid lateral flow cartridges) The camera reads the test result more accurately and consistently that a human eye and uploads the results to a central repository. It’s really cool software and a real privilege to work on.
Term of engagement: 2017 - 2021
What we did/do for them: I’m occasionally guilty of simplifying what we do by saying that the approach to testing any piece of software is pretty much the same. Broadly speaking though, that’s true. The standards, quality and application are the same, the difference is that the volume of test coverage for the sort of products that Novarum develop is greater than that of your average website or app where the risk of your users encountering bugs potentially commands a lesser priority for the business. When it comes to medical tech, the QA approach has to be at the highest level of meticulousness.
Their QA needs: Novarum have in-house QA testers but need additional unbiased, independent, non-native quality assurance that every aspect of every build is tested in a traceable, systematic way that leaves nothing untested. It’s the most in depth testing we execute and frankly, it excites me more than it should! I wish all our testing was like this, but dev budgets normally dictate otherwise.
Their challenge: Novarum develops their software for their clients under the governance of their parent company who demands perfection. Accomplishing this with an in-house QA team is an incredibly difficult ask, if achievable at all. They look to us to provide objective, unbiased test results needed to produce the kind of medical software that their market requires.
The results: We’ve tested 12 individual apps for Novarum so far. They’re all successful. If there were any bugs in them, you would probably have read about it in the news.
The cost: The price of the testing is unchanged. The fact that we’re applying more coverage means more resources focused on each product, but the cost is the same regular day rate per tester per day. We don’t charge more for med-tech than we do for an app or a videogame or a piece of software that runs an ATM machine or an Alexa skill.
These are high budget projects and the QA spend when compared to the overall project cost is tiny, but it’s still money, and we need to think carefully before we allocate it. We’ve caught bugs that, had they been present in a live release, might have caused a recall, shutdown, redevelop and rerelease. That scenario can quickly turn a bug that cost £100 of QA resource to find, into a £50,000 fix left undiscovered.
“We cannot thank you enough for saving the day. We need a Proper QA clone to come live in the USA!”
“Thank you all so much for coordinating the testing! It is a huge relief to me to be able to rely on actual QA experts”
“You guys have been an absolutely essential and valuable part of this project and we’re looking forward to working with you again. If only every company was so focused on goals and easy to work with”
Pricing
Our day-rates start from £194 per QA tester
Pen testing day rates start from £478 per day
Placements and Recruitment: We can hire and train permanent or contract staff for your company. The fee is 10% of their first years salary payable 90 days after their start date.
(All prices are subject to VAT)
Our 3x primary test approaches.
Verification testing – Working from a list of test cases we write for each project; we test that the software is working the way it is supposed to be. This involves running a series of user-path scenarios against the software, aiming to achieve full coverage of all features/functionality/content/navigation. Our cumulative test coverage percentage is measured using a combination of: bug capture rate, knock-on rate, test cycle frequency per version, and test case coverage.
Failure testing – We stress the software, executing tests against it with the intention of forcing it into a state from which it struggles to recover. This is a more aggressive approach and aims to highlight vulnerabilities.
Device compatibility testing – We have a large inventory of popular platforms and handheld devices.
At the end of each day of testing, we provide feedback with a summary of our coverage progress and any bugs encountered are uploaded to a bug database (that we supply free as part of the service) for your review/triage.
What resources do you need?
Predicting how much QA effort your product needs is not an easy job. We can assist in scheduling the test effort so that it best supports your development cycle. We can help answer your questions about how many testers to assign, for how long, what they should focus on and on which platforms.
Why use an independent testing company?
In-house testing is significantly less objective than an unbiased outsiders view. Devs who test their own code are even less effective, and this practice is a poor use of an expensive resource
In-house QA comes with resource overheads whereas we can be booked for as little as 4 hours of testing at short notice and we supply all the tools and hardware required to do the job.
Testing saves time and money. The earlier we find a bug the cheaper it is to fix. The QA spend on a project usually represents a small fraction of the total development budget but releasing a piece of software that gets slated for being buggy or not working can sink a company.
Concerned about outsourcing?
If you’d prefer to hire your own QA tester(s) but are perhaps wary of using a recruitment agency, we can help. Having trained over a thousand testers we know what we’re doing and can recruit and train folks specifically to meet your requirements.
Pen testing
ProperQA can provide bespoke Penetration Testing services to test your security measures in place. We focus on providing Web-Application assessments and Infrastructure assessments. We work with trusted & certified Ethical Hackers (or Security Professionals) who are able to simulate actions that an adversary would adopt when attempting to exploit a system or person to gain access to your data. Our experts work with you to under your goals of requesting a Penetration Test to ensure we cover exactly what is requested.
Penetration Testing assessments can highlight vulnerabilities in your applications or systems and show you gaps in your controls, allowing you to remediate the security risks before a malicious attacker exploits them.