QA Functionality Survey: Intuit Real Estate Solutions (formerly MRI)

Which quality standards do you follow?
Since Intuit Inc acquired our organisation in 2002, we have been in the process of developing a set of quality standards to align our already comprehensive QA procedures to Intuit's established and proven quality standards. This involves a series of extensive and detailed Quality Assurance procedures, as outlined below.

What processes do you have to ensure that software releases are bug free?
We run extensive QA testing procedures, as outlined in the questions below, and also use a number of third-party application testing products to ensure all new releases are bug free.

In addition to this, we aim to revolutionise the way that software and enhanced and developed, though our Software Testing Labs: Representatives from our product development and product management teams, alongside existing clients extensively test the software, and run detailed analyses on the number of keystrokes required to run key day-to-day operations. The aim is to ensure that our products are as user-friendly and efficient as possible.

To what extent are your testing staff qualified to ISEB foundation or practitioner level?
Whilst not all of our QA staff are qualified to ISEB foundation or practitioner levels, we ensure that every member of the team has extensive QA experience. This includes anywhere between 4 to 15 years experience of domain knowledge and in supporting and testing the MRI product.

What advice and services do you offer to users about user acceptance testing?
In order to help us further evaluate the release of new products and developments, our QA process includes a User Acceptance or “Controlled” release phase. This takes place after our internal QA department have completed their testing processes (outlined in the question below).

The new product development is sent to a selection of clients who are willing to participate in the testing process. This is also sent to our internal product managers, support and sales personnel. The Controlled release is tested for a 30-day period, and a team from our QA department works with these participants on any issues they may encounter. Any reports generated as part of the Controlled Release process are sent to their assigned “Controlled” release contact at Intuit Real Estate Solutions, and after completion of the Controlled release testing, the test data is returned to us.

Any major issues that may surface as a result of this phase of testing are thoroughly reviewed by QA and product development personnel, and, where necessary, a product fix is incorporated.

How do you test the quality of products of development bought in?
Each year a team from Intuit Real Estate’s development, sales, marketing, product management and quality assurance teams determine the delivery dates on new products, full releases and product enhancements. When these release dates are determined, the QA department creates schedules for the testing process.

This begins with a series of unit tests, which are run by our QA team on any enhancements or new developments created by our product developers. The QA process then moves onto the 2nd testing phase, where each QA representative is assigned an application for in-depth testing. Tests are run on every major program and report within their assigned application.

If any issues are encountered, an Incident Report is created and our product development department will make any necessary changes, in order to incorporate them into the final release. Each change is then returned to the QA team and is again put through all testing phases.

Weekly meetings are held in our QA department in order to answer questions and concerns about the product and to ensure the release deadlines are met.

This is followed by the User Acceptance testing phase (outlined above). If all results from this testing phase are acceptable, a final version is created and tested before copies are created. A random sample of the copies is tested and, if there are no problems, this is distributed as required. All relating documentation is updated as required by our documentation team.