Why Quality?

Practical Benefits for Your Brand

The fundamental reason for focusing on quality issues is the potential for an increased profitability of the project. Although there may be more philosophical answers to why quality is important, the bottom line is that consumers recognize quality, and are willing to pay for it.

The number one reason for quality awareness is the benefit that it brings to your brand. The tendency of consumers to gravitate towards certain brands stems from the value proposition of the brand and from the ability of the product to live up to it. Users demand and expect quality in return for their money, and they are quick to criticize the product as well as the brand if they feel let down by their purchase. In order to build a brand that will take off in the market, it is important to guarantee a positive experience immediately when the user starts using the product. Consumers who download poor-quality applications may be disappointed to the point that they will never chance another download. Whereas positive consumer delight would lead to additional sales. So application quality makes the difference, not only for the individual developer, but for the total business potential of the mobile application market.

The second one, brand loyalty, is at least equally important. Gaining the consumers trust and building a lasting brand loyalty is the key to continuous growth. If the users are already eagerly waiting for the next version of the product or for the new product from the same company to be launched, you have successfully gained a loyal consumer base. While the purchase decision can happen on the basis of the feature list, a quick trial, or – in the case of mobile applications – even after seeing nothing more than a screenshot on a web page, the decision to favor a brand and keep on buying the products carrying the same brand develops over time – provided that the product functions smoothly and flawlessly. 

Profitable Projects and Dependable Deliveries

A well planned project equals a profitable product. The culture of Q & D (quick and dirty) produces products that have fresh ideas and they are often the first to hit the market. The sad truth is, however, that these products are lacking in many ways when it comes to quality. The notoriety of the version 1.0 comes from the experiences that we all have had with Q & D. However, by acknowledging and understanding the process by which quality is built and combining this with the fresh product idea, your product’s v1.0 can already be a success! By following a proper process, the pieces of the quality puzzle will all fall into place. One other thing to keep in mind is that a process does not necessarily have to be a clumsy and bureaucratic ball and chain. All steps in the process can be completed in the spirit of efficiency, and your “quality engine” can be tuned up to ensure speed and accuracy.

In the mobile application business the key element is right timing. The development of 3rd party applications and services is closely connected to the launch of new devices with the latest capabilities. Therefore, it is crucial to hit the market with the complementary mobile application offering at exactly the right time. It may not be immediately obvious, but the issue of right timing is very closely connected to the quality assurance process. The reason is very simple: if the application development follows a proper process and utilizes the necessary quality assurance methods, there will be fewer surprises and delays. The reason why projects fail to be completed in time lies often in poor planning and in having virtually no quality assurance. Surprises tend to pile up when the plans, documents and the code are not properly reviewed or when some steps in the project are skipped in order to save time.  The likelihood of having a timely delivery is greatly enhanced when the project is well managed and quality is being monitored.

Read more

S60 Platform: Development and Quality Assurance Process Guideline
A practical approach to the S60 application development process including insights into how quality aspects can be integrated into the S60 application development process.

S60 Platform: Requirement Creation Guideline
A useful guideline that explains the significance of generating concise requirements for an application as well as describes the process of requirement definition.

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