This is how we guarantee quality in our software development
- Future Insight
- Sep 11
- 5 min read
At Future Insight, we go beyond simply developing and implementing software; we strive for excellence in every project. In a world where software forms the backbone of integrated digital collaboration, quality is not an afterthought, but a prerequisite. That's why we employ a carefully structured development process and collaborate with professional partners. Our partnership with Levi9 and the role of Ed de Later, our Development Lead , are essential in this regard.
To give you an insight into how we approach this, we spoke with Ed. He plays a vital role in ensuring the quality of our software. In this article, we delve deeper into our carefully designed development process and the crucial collaboration with Levi9, where Ed's expertise is indispensable.
The essential role of the Development Lead
As Development Lead, Ed fulfills a unique role. He's the crucial link between our internal product owners and Levi9's external development team.
While a product owner, fully knowledgeable about the business case, defines the customer's needs, Ed ensures that these needs are translated into concrete, technical tasks for the developers. "I know what our developers are capable of, and I understand what the customer and my colleagues mean. My role is to make that translation as carefully as possible," says Ed.
From customer request to delivery: a transparent and controlled process
The development process at Future Insight is structured and transparent, which is crucial to preventing quality and information loss. When a customer submits a development request, the process begins with our product team. Each product team consists of a project leader, product owner, and business developer. The product owner of this product team forwards the development request to the development lead (Ed). Ed then translates the request to the development team. This process involves four steps, from the initial customer request to the final development.
That might sound like a long chain, rife with information loss. We see every step as an opportunity to delve deeper into customer needs and perfect the product. Our goal? To discover the hidden, real need behind the initial inquiry and anticipate it. This is how we bridge the gap from a good idea to a perfect solution.
Development requests also arise internally, for example, from our product team, which is developing our products. These requests are carefully assessed using a decision tree to ensure they align with our corporate strategy, mission, and vision. Ed ensures that management has full insight into the impact and consequences of each development decision.
The actual development process begins with a pre-refinement . During this phase, the product owner and Ed prepare the technical details of the development request. Ed's job is to gather all the necessary information for the developers in a targeted, technical, and comprehensive manner. This minimizes questions during development and ensures the most efficient process possible.
This is followed by the actual refinement , in which the functionalities to be developed are fine-tuned together with the development team.
This entire process is incorporated into a structured nine-step plan in our project management platform, which ensures complete transparency of the development request for everyone involved.
Quality assurance through the testing process
Once the development requirement has been clearly defined and the development team has worked out the functionalities to be built, the product goes through a rigorous testing process.
We start with the product test, which is carried out by the development team, who checks whether there are any errors and whether it does what it is supposed to do through a technical test.
Next comes the acceptance phase, in which the product owner of the product in question performs the acceptance test. Based on acceptance criteria defined in a ticket, the product owner assesses whether the development requirement has been met. The "I accept this" or "I do not accept this" judgment is based on two crucial types of quality.
The first is the technical quality (is the code good and secure?), the second is the functional quality (does it meet the customer's needs, does it look nice and does it do what it is supposed to do?).
After this, a new release is prepared. The development team's product tester performs another regression test to ensure there's no negative impact on existing functionality. If no issues arise, the release is rolled out.
Every three weeks we deliver a new release. The project manager, part of the product team, then handles the delivery to the customer.
The power of collaboration: Levi9 as an extension of Future Insight
At Future Insight, quality assurance is paramount, and integrated collaboration with the Levi9 development team is crucial in this regard. We don't just view them as a supplier, but as a direct extension of our own team.
Ed emphasizes this: "We share our roadmap and strategic goals, which allows Levi9 to look beyond just execution. They actively contribute and feel co-responsible for the end result. By providing them with continuous insight into new projects and broader business developments, they can make well-considered decisions throughout the development process. This is deeply rooted in one of our core values: trust. It empowers our developers not only to perform tasks but also to proactively contribute, see the added value of their work, and ask essential questions that improve the entire process. This makes them a true part of Future Insight."
Ed continues: "Every day at 9:00 AM, I have a daily stand-up meeting with the Levi9 development team. We discuss what was done yesterday, what's planned for today, and any challenges they're facing. This allows us to respond quickly to unexpected developments and optimize the schedule. One week we review the schedule, the next we prepare tickets. At the end of each sprint, we have a retrospective where we look at what went well and what can be improved in future sprints."
Levi9 is a valuable partner in developing our high-quality products and services because they are reliable and actively contribute ideas, both technologically and commercially. They have the clout of a large company and specialize in cloud technologies like Azure and AWS, where we run our services. They possess all the qualities we need and keep up with the latest trends (AI). Despite the development team being based in Serbia, the collaboration doesn't feel like working with an external party, but rather as if they are an integral part of our team!
At Future Insight, quality isn't an afterthought, but a fundamental building block. Thanks to the structure of our processes and the trust we place in our partners, we can deliver sustainable digital solutions that matter.
Mirella Hilgenkamp, General Manager Future Insight
Want to know more?
Want to know more about our development process or collaborating with Levi9? Feel free to contact us.
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