Pre-Sprint QA Readiness Gate (Onboarding)

Pre-Sprint QA Readiness Gate (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Inventory every client-facing surface that ships this sprint

   List marketing pages, authenticated app routes, checkout paths, and email templates in one sheet. Anything a client or their customer touches belongs on the list before test scope is agreed.

2. 02

   Assign a named owner per surface, not per tool

   One person owns the outcome for each surface even when three tools cover it. Shared ownership across a visual feedback tool and a test management suite is how tickets stall for a week.

3. 03

   Confirm the client's definition of done in writing

   Ask what 'ready to review' means to them: pixel match on two breakpoints, checkout completing with a test card, or email arriving within 60 seconds. Vague acceptance criteria are the root of revision loops on fixed-bid work.

4. 04

   Baseline the current state before any change lands

   Capture screenshots and a passing test run on the untouched build. Without a baseline, a regression flagged later cannot be attributed to this sprint's work.

5. 05

   Set the feedback window and the response clock

   State that client annotations are due within 48 hours and that the agency replies to each thread within one business day. Published clocks cut the silent-waiting tax that eats retainer hours.

6. 06

   Decide which checks run automatically and which stay manual

   Automate repeatable paths such as signup and checkout verification. Keep judgment calls like tone of a landing page headline in human review. Over-automation adds maintenance cost that outpaces the speed gain.

7. 07

   Log the QA scope, owners, and clocks in the project brief

   The brief becomes the reference when a client asks why a change was not caught. It also gives the delivery lead a defensible position on out-of-scope requests.