In software development, it’s often said that the journey from idea to delivery is rarely a straight line. At Lemax, we are actively learning that navigating this path effectively requires more than just technical expertise—it demands collaboration, flexibility, and a clear understanding of each team member’s role in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). While we strive to follow a structured SDLC approach, the reality of software development sometimes means adapting and refining our processes as we go.
In this blog, we want to share how our core team—made up of Product Managers, Developers, and Quality Assurance (QA) Engineers— while using agile methodology and successfully Shift Left approach works together to build better software.
By involving everyone early on and aligning our efforts throughout each phase, we catch potential issues sooner and enhance the overall quality of our product. However, collaboration is not without its challenges. Sometimes, when we are all involved in all phases, there can be confusion about who is responsible for the successful completion of one phase.
So, we should be clear that our involvement does not mean all members have the same responsibility in each phase of SDLC. By this, I mean that one person in each phase is primarily responsible for ensuring that this phase is completed successfully, while the rest help this person achieve this goal.
High level visual representation of our SDLC process
Drawing from a QA Engineer perspective, we’ll take you through our approach to new feature development at Lemax, focusing on the key phases where collaboration truly makes a difference. Whether in design, testing, or development, understanding how each role supports the other is essential to delivering high-quality features on time.
The Design Phase: Collaboration for a Better Product
The Design phase at Lemax is where ideas for new features truly begin to take shape. It is a crucial stage that sets the foundation for successful development. In this phase, the Product Manager (PM) plays a central role in creating a solution that aligns with the product’s vision and the client’s specific needs. However, this is not a task that can—or should—be done in isolation of other team members.
Creating a solution that satisfies internal product goals and client expectations can be challenging. The initial vision is often ambitious, but practical constraints, like technical complexity or deadlines, must also be considered. This is where the collaborative efforts of Development team and QA team become invaluable. By involving them early in the Design phase, the team can draw upon their technical expertise and hands-on experience to refine the proposed solution.
For instance, the Development team can identify potential technical challenges and complexities right from the start. This early detection of development obstacles allows the PM to adjust expectations, modify requirements, or negotiate timelines with stakeholders before these challenges escalate into bottlenecks. It also means that any risks related to implementation can be communicated promptly, keeping everyone in the loop and reducing the likelihood of surprises down the line.
Meanwhile, Quality Assurance (QA) Engineers contribute their unique perspective by anticipating areas where requirements might be vague or prone to misinterpretation. They leverage their experience in testing to ensure that no critical details are overlooked, helping to prevent issues that could arise later during development or testing. By actively participating in the design discussions, the QA team can highlight potential pitfalls, ambiguities, or overlooked scenarios, thus ensuring that the solution is more robust.
This early cross-functional collaboration does more than just streamline the process—it prevents costly rework and helps align the team with a shared vision for new feature development. When the Design phase is approached as a team effort, we create better solutions and reduce the risk of delays or misalignment later in the project lifecycle. Ultimately, involving all members from the beginning enables us to deliver well-thought-out, technically feasible features and align with clients’ needs while staying on schedule.
The Testing Phase: QA’s Role with PM and Developer Support
The Quality Assurance Engineer is the main person responsible in this phase; responsible for creating and documenting test scenarios and test cases, ensuring that all requirements are verified, for finding issues before delivery, documenting issues, preparing for regression testing, and meeting the release deadline. However, achieving success in this phase is not a solo effort—it requires the active support and collaboration of the Product Manager (PM) and the Development team.
The Product Manager’s role is crucial at this point of SDLC. Before testing can even begin, the PM needs to ensure that requirements are clearly articulated, documented, and communicated. During our Kickoff sessions, the PM presents the business logic behind each feature so that QA Engineers and Developers can fully grasp the client’s expectations. This clear understanding is vital; without it, QA would be testing in the dark, leading to potential misunderstandings or misaligned testing efforts.
The PM also plays a key role in continuously updating documentation, answering questions that arise during testing, and communicating with stakeholders when unexpected roadblocks are discovered. This ongoing support ensures that the QA team can confidently focus on their testing responsibilities.
But the collaboration doesn’t end there. Developers play an equally essential role in supporting the QA team during the Testing phase of SDLC. Even before the Testing phase formally begins, Developers perform unit testing to ensure the code is stable and secure.
This proactive approach helps catch issues early, minimizing the risk of critical defects being discovered later. Additionally, Developers document the scope of the new functionality, identifying which parts of the system have been affected by the latest changes. This documentation is invaluable for QA, allowing us to focus our testing efforts on areas most likely to be impacted.
Beyond this, Developers are also on standby during the Testing phase to assist in resolving any issues or bugs that QA may uncover. This active support ensures a more efficient testing process, as questions can be clarified and defects addressed quickly, reducing the risk of delays. Without the close collaboration of Developers, QA team would be left to verify features without a full understanding of the system’s inner workings, potentially missing critical edge cases.
In essence, the testing phase is a collaborative endeavor in which each team member’s input is vital. The QA team can confirm that the development is ready for release, but this assurance is only as strong as the support they receive from both the Product Manager and Developers. By working together, we can meet our deadlines and ensure that we deliver a high-quality product that meets our clients’ expectations.
In this phase, it becomes clear that to be successful, you need other team members to be active in “your” phase. The same applies to the other phases.
Collaboration is a key
Creating a high-quality product that aligns with internal goals and client expectations is no small feat. As we’ve explored throughout this blog, success is driven by more than just individual expertise; it results from intentional, cross-functional collaboration at every phase of the Software Development Life Cycle.
By involving key team members—Product Managers, Developers, and Quality Assurance Engineers—early on and maintaining this collaboration through all SDLC phases, we are able to identify potential challenges before they become critical issues. This proactive approach ensures that we’re not only meeting our deadlines but also delivering solutions that are robust, efficient, and aligned with client needs.
While each team member has distinct responsibilities, it’s the combination of their insights and efforts that truly elevates the quality of our work. Whether it’s the PM clarifying requirements, Developers highlighting technical complexities, or QA ensuring comprehensive testing, each role plays a crucial part in turning ideas into reliable, high-performing software.
Ultimately, collaboration is the key. It enables every development team to adapt, refine, and continuously improve processes, allowing them to build better software together. If this approach resonates with you, check out our open positions—we’d love to hear from you!
