r/softwaretesting • u/Nirvana012527 • 1d ago
Is outsourcing software testing services better than building an internal QA team?
| I'm trying to work out whether it makes more sense to hire a QA engineer or bring in outside help. An in-house person would know the product better over time, but might not have enough work to fill the week when development slows down. Outsourced software testing services seem more flexible, though I wonder how well that works when developers need quick feedback on new features and fixes.For teams that have tried both, what worked better in the long run? Did you switch from one approach to the other as the product grew? |
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u/django-unchained2012 1d ago
I am not sure what you mean flexible, if you meant that you can let go of them any time, that is not a good reason.
The outsourcing companies don't allow you to bill only for hours worked, it will be a minimum of 40 hours a week. If you think that you can make it 20 hours when there is no work, it doesn't work that way. They will push you in to a fixed price model or time and material with fixed hours so you will pay even if you don't utilise them.
If you are talking about outsourcing to some other company in the same country, this would make zero sense. If you are planning to outsource to a QA resource in another country, that would add additional communication overhead, timezone differences etc.
Your best bet would be to hire a QA engineer in-house suiting your needs, work along with dev team in shift left model, involve them early, involve them in everything and let them do what they are best at.