Should a Business Analyst Be Open to Manual Testing?

Nov 2, 2024
2 min read

While manual testing traditionally falls within the QA team's role, Business Analysts (BAs) can significantly benefit from participating in manual testing. Involvement in testing allows BAs to validate that the system meets business requirements, identify gaps, and provide clarity to developers.

Why Should a BA Be Open to Manual Testing?

Improved Requirement Validation:
- Participating in manual testing allows BAs to ensure that the system aligns with the original business requirements. This hands-on involvement helps bridge the gap between documentation and implementation.
Gaining Deeper System Understanding:
- BAs can gain a deeper understanding of the system's functionality, helping them communicate more effectively with both stakeholders and the development team.
Enhancing Collaboration with QA Teams:
- By contributing to the testing process, BAs can collaborate better with QA teams, helping streamline communication around defects or inconsistencies found during testing.
Addressing Ambiguities:
- Engaging in manual testing helps BAs quickly identify and resolve any misunderstandings or unclear requirements, minimizing delays during User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Case Study: A BA’s Involvement in Testing in a Fintech Project

In a Fintech project aimed at building a mobile payment platform, the BA decided to actively participate in manual testing to ensure that key features such as payment processing and security matched user expectations. By running through real user scenarios, the BA identified several gaps that hadn’t been fully captured in the requirements phase. This involvement helped resolve issues early, avoiding delays in UAT and improving overall system functionality.

Conclusion

While manual testing is not a core responsibility, a BA’s involvement can lead to higher quality outcomes by ensuring that the solution aligns with business needs. Being open to manual testing allows BAs to bridge the gap between requirements and functionality while enhancing collaboration with QA teams.

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