AI Magazine Issue 2 2018- Boyas Drafting & Design, LLC

Acquisition International - Issue 2 2018 73 Raising the Bar services, public seminar services, and e-learning courses via our QA Mentor University. Also, we have unique services not offered by anyone else, such as our Architecture Inspection Testing Services that ensures a client’s architecture is solid and scalable so that it can easily handle expected growth. Another aspect is that we also have our own Test Management Platform, QA Coverage. All of these things allow our clients to learn how to manage their own testing as they see fit, with guidance from our professionals.” When giving an overview of the technology industry that QA Mentor operates within, Ruslan reflects on just some of the challenges the sector faces. “As we see it, these are some of the primary challenges that our industry faces: Decreased Profits – We see headlines all the time about companies making big bucks, but the truth of the matter is that many do not have a very high ROI, or return on equity. To meet shareholder requirements, technology companies are pushed to innovate and that means more development and more testing. Extremely High Customer Expectation – Customers these days are fickle creatures and all companies feel the pressure of this. If a customer’s experience is poor – especially when it comes to technology – they don’t hesitate to find another source. Some companies are still using poorly maintained legacy systems that cannot keep up with the increasing expectations of the customers. Competition – Related to the last issue is competition. In this high technology age, customers can see, hear, and experience competition daily. Start-up companies are building specifically for today’s customers and this presents a huge challenge to companies stuck in the past. Increased Regulation - Budgets must be continually increased just so that tech companies can be compliant with ever increasing regulations.” Working within such a fast-paced technology industry, it is important that a company develop techniques and employ them to stay ahead of emerging developments. For QA Ruslan, notes on how the company deal with developments within the market and how they keep up with industry trends. “Things are moving so quickly these days and it almost seems as if things become obsolete just shortly after they’re introduced. If your company can’t keep up with the trends, it will be left behind in no time. In addition to hardware and software advances and changes, customers are also changing. They’re far less tolerant of slow application performance and glitches. With the immense competition out there, one problem with your software could cause them to switch to a competitor immediately. Our clients need to keep up with their own clients’ needs, and in turn we need to be able to help them do so. “I’ve long championed R&D in testing Big Data and the Internet of Things. After collecting data points and conducting research, I plan new service offerings in Big Data and IoT to be launched very soon. “While some of our staff are dedicated to keeping on top of trends, most of our staff do it voluntarily since it’s interesting to them and significant part of their livelihood. Keeping up is exceedingly difficult and advances don’t seem to be slowing or getting any easier any time soon. While those of us in technology get excited about advances, they can also make our job more difficult at every turn. Learning seems to be a never-ending endeavor.” It’s no secret that behind every great business is a team of dedicated, innovative, talented individuals who make the company what it is. That is no exception as Ruslan provides high praise to the talented staff who form the backbone of QA Mentor. “The staff is the reason that QAMentor is successful. Their skills and attitude can make or break the company. Because of that, I dedicate a good deal of time and resources for internal training programs, not only for the benefit of the company but for the good of my employees. I create an environment that encourages testers to lead projects, take initiative, and make project-level decisions. We challenge our staff to improve themselves by helping them to set goals and objectives, such as passing ISTQB and Agile Testers certification exams, as well as becoming more technical and learning project management skills. “Whether it’s a junior resource or an intern, I treat everyone equally and encourage them to speak to me directly with any issues. The entire company is very transparent and lacks the politics seen at some organizations. Every month we highlight an employee’s great efforts and our employees are active in charities across the world. All of this is not only because I care about my employees, but also because I know they are the keys to the success or failure of the company. I think the way I manage is attractive to people who want to grow and challenge themselves in a comfortable, encouraging environment.” Looking ahead, Ruslan notes on the wider technology market, the developments that he anticipates and how the company will adapt around these whilst highlighting what the future holds for QA Mentor. “With evolving technology, QA Mentor is ready to support new trends and technologies. For example, we’re already working on a performance testing strategy for the IoT (Internet of Things) domain. Big data is another booming area where we already have our own methodology to support testing for it. “As for our future, we are continuing to expand and increase our footprint with a goal of having a presence in every country in the world. Our e-learning and remote training options will educate individuals and companies around the globe. We’ll also continue to invest in Research and Development and develop new products to meet ever-changing needs. Next quarter we will release a new product called – QAMometor which is a Metrics/KPI tool which will help QA Organizations to monitor quality, make intelligent decisions based on the metrics, determine why defect leakage changed, or why certain deadlines were not met. It will also will provide a historical view where you can make some comparisons between previous releases.”