What does quality assurance primarily ensure?

Quality assurance primarily ensures that the quality requirements are fulfilled. This involves establishing and maintaining a process-oriented approach to improve the development and test processes. The focus of quality assurance is not solely on identifying defects or bugs but on ensuring that the processes in place produce a product that meets the predefined quality standards and requirements. This includes aspects such as usability, performance, security, and compliance with specifications and regulations.

Through proper quality assurance practices, teams can systematically assess their processes, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments to enhance the overall quality of the software. By fulfilling quality requirements, QA plays a pivotal role in delivering a product that meets or exceeds customer expectations and adheres to organizational standards.

While aspects like being bug-free, meeting delivery schedules, and utilizing customer feedback are crucial in the overall development lifecycle, they are specific outcomes rather than the primary aim of quality assurance. The essence of QA lies in ensuring that the established quality criteria are consistently met throughout the production process.