QA Practice¶
The QA practice covers quality assurance, test engineering, and the broader discipline of building quality into everything CDS delivers — not as an afterthought, but as a core part of how we work.
What the practice covers¶
Quality assurance at CDS is not a phase at the end of delivery. It is a continuous, integrated discipline. The QA practice spans the full spectrum of quality engineering: test strategy and planning, automated testing at all layers of the stack, exploratory testing, performance, security, accessibility, and visual regression — and the cultural shift towards quality being a shared team responsibility rather than a dedicated function's concern.
The practice works closely with the Engineering practice to ensure quality is built in from the start rather than inspected in at the end.
Our approach¶
The QA practice's approach to testing is built on eight core principles — from automation-first and shift-left through to non-functional quality and shared team ownership. These are not aspirational statements; they are the standard we hold ourselves and our teams to on every engagement.
See Test Approach for the full detail.
Standards and techniques¶
The pages within this section go deeper into the specific practices that make up quality engineering at CDS: how we run exploratory testing sessions, how we approach test data at each layer of the test pyramid, and the tools we use across each area of testing and why. These are the practical standards a QA practitioner on a CDS engagement works from.
For accessibility standards, see Accessibility.
On client engagements¶
On every CDS engagement, the QA practice provides the standards, templates, and tooling guidance that the delivery team works from. From day one, a CDS tester is expected to establish or review the engagement testing strategy, assess the state of automation and pipeline coverage, agree the approach to exploratory testing, and ensure testing is integrated into the Definition of Done — not added at the end.
Development pathways¶
The QA practice supports consultants in building depth and breadth in quality engineering — from foundational testing skills through to test architecture, automation frameworks, and quality leadership.
Development pathway details are maintained by the QA Practice Lead and will be published here.
Get involved¶
Quality is a shared responsibility at CDS, which means QA practice sessions and resources are valuable across all disciplines. Everyone is welcome — whether you're a tester by profession or an engineer who wants to improve how your team approaches quality.