How a Quality Engineer can add more value to an agency

As per Capgemini’s World Quality Report, quality engineering is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of sustainable IT strategies, with 42% of participants linking QE directly to improved customer satisfaction. 

And yet, Quality Engineers (QEs) are still associated with bug detection and testing. While these remain critical tasks, they’re only the tip of the iceberg, or shall we say, the tail end of the process? QEs bring far more—bridging gaps between teams, optimizing workflows, and ensuring that every aspect of a project meets business and user expectations.

In this blog post, we argue that QE is not a cost center, but a strategic value driver – driving customer loyalty, brand value, and revenue growth. We will talk about the current perception of QE, what it should be, and how reimagining QE functions can add strategic value to agencies.

How Quality Engineers turn experience into strategic value?

The true value of a Quality Engineer (QE) shines when their expertise extends beyond detecting issues to delivering insights that enhance project outcomes. With every project completed, QEs accumulate knowledge about domain-specific challenges, platform intricacies, and industry nuances. 

By the time they’re working on their fourth or fifth project in the same domain, their experience begins to shape how they interact with stakeholders—asking smarter questions, identifying potential development blind spots early, and tailoring solutions that align closely with business goals.

For instance, consider a QE working on multiple projects involving a configurable content management system like Drupal or WordPress. Over time, their understanding of platform capabilities allows them to collaborate effectively with architects to design solutions that minimize hard-coding and offer clients maximum flexibility. This approach not only reduces maintenance overhead but also ensures the final product scales effortlessly to meet evolving business needs.

By adding more actionable insights than they consume, QEs transform from being perceived as a cost center to a critical strategic partner—one that drives efficiency, innovation, and client satisfaction.

Current perception vs real scope & role of QEs

When agency owners think of a Quality Engineer (QE), the image often aligns with someone who executes test cases, finds bugs, and ensures the final product meets client requirements. While these tasks are essential, this perception vastly underestimates the true potential of a QE in an agency setting.

Current perception of QEs	The real scope of QEs
QEs are bottlenecks Seen as obstacles to rapid releases.	QEs are enablers Streamline processes through automation, CI/CD, and strategic testing, ensuring faster, reliable deliveries.
QEs only find bugs Tasked primarily with detecting defects.	QEs prevent bugs Involved early to define clear requirements and pre-empt defects, saving costs and time.
QEs are less technical Viewed as less demanding than development roles.	QEs are technically proficient Experts in automation across the system comprising APIs, microservices, frontend component libraries, performance monitoring, and advanced testing methodologies.
QEs work in isolation Focus solely on testing post-development.	QEs collaborate strategically Act as liaisons between teams, bridging gaps between business goals and technical execution.

Reimagining QE for strategic value addition in an agency setting

QEs are integral to the success of any project, bringing unique skills that extend far beyond traditional testing, here’s how:

Proactive involvement from day zero

Imagine having a quality engineer anticipate challenges before they arise. When involved early in the project, QEs can clarify requirement definitions and identify risks. This helps keep the stakeholders aligned and reduces rework – saving precious time and money. 

For example, imagine migrating a high-revenue eCommerce site without proper planning, only to face checkout failures mid-migration due to incompatible payment gateways. 

Now, picture a proactive QE involved from day one—auditing systems, resolving compatibility issues, and planning SEO-safe URL redirects. This ensures zero downtime and preserves customer trust when going live.

Evolving beyond testing: Risk-based testing approach

Instead of going for blanket coverage, a strategic QE knows that time and resources are finite. Risk-based testing prioritizes the most business-critical functionalities that directly impact business outcomes.

For instance, in a WooCommerce setup, testing payment gateways and cart flows will be prioritized over less-used features like blog archives.

Hybrid roles of a Quality Engineer

Beyond skills, quality is an outcome of clarity and collaboration among all stakeholders.  To ensure just that, a versatile QE team plays multiple roles: 

Business Analyst (BA)

A QE professional can act as a bridge between stakeholders and developers, helping ensure that business goals are translated to technical execution.

For example, imagine a project involving Figma designs for a WordPress application. The QE actively questions stakeholders about specifics such as how many columns the card layout should feature, what happens if the content exceeds the designated space, or whether the cards should dynamically adjust to screen size.

Here’s another example, consider a project to reduce checkout abandonment and improve customer retention. Acting as a BA, the QE collaborates with stakeholders to pinpoint issues and suggests adding multiple payment options and reducing form fields. These insights are translated into prioritized development tasks, ensuring a seamless checkout experience.

Project Manager (PM)

In their role as PM, QEs ensure timely delivery by managing communication between developers, designers, and other teams while empathizing with their challenges.

For instance, during the development of a role-based access control feature for a web application, a QE might notice that the feature document for “Admin Role Permissions” lacks clarity on what specific privileges should be included. Acting as an advocate for developers, the QE collaborates with stakeholders to refine the documented features, ensuring it details the exact privileges (e.g., access to user management, analytics dashboard, or billing settings). 

Tester

A quality engineer ensures quality benchmarks through manual and automated tests. On top of it, they also influence development practices from a testing perspective. 

For example, during a project involving sweepstakes functionality on a client’s website, a QE analyzed the feature’s user flow. They worked closely with developers to ensure edge cases—such as duplicate entries or invalid submissions— create a robust, testable solution.

By thinking like end-users and clients, QEs create more clarity for developers, and bridge gaps that traditional testers might overlook.

Scrum Master

A quality engineer’s eye for detail can ensure any gaps in the information are resolved, and processes are improved to keep the team productive and goal-oriented.  

For example, in sprint retrospectives, a QE could help uncover blockers that slow development. For instance, if developers face unclear requirements for a new API integration, the QE facilitates conversations to resolve gaps, ensuring the team remains aligned and productive.

Fostering team synergy

A great QE doesn’t work in isolation. They create a culture of collaboration, where developers, designers, managers, and clients align towards a common goal: delivering exceptional quality. By encouraging best practices and fostering open communication, QEs transform teams into well-oiled machines.

Strategic quality engineers are integral to agency success. With their ability to drive quality, manage risks, and add value at every stage, they play a pivotal role in ensuring that projects are delivered with confidence and excellence.

How agencies can unlock real potential of QEs

In an agency setting, delivering exceptional client experiences often comes with its share of challenges. From managing complex client requirements to ensuring timely project delivery, agencies face a balancing act. This is where Quality Engineers (QEs) step in as invaluable team members, bridging gaps and enhancing overall efficiency. 

Challenges faced by agencies	How hiring a QE adds value
Handling diverse client requirements Agencies manage multiple projects with unique goals and technical needs, often leading to misaligned expectations.	Enhanced requirement analysis QEs act as hybrid Business Analysts and Testers, identifying edge cases early and ensuring the product meets client-specific goals with minimal rework.
Bridging communication gaps Miscommunication between teams and clients often results in delays and unmet requirements.	Improved collaboration QEs translate technical details for non-technical stakeholders and vice versa, ensuring smooth communication and alignment throughout the project.
Ensuring faster and reliable deliveries Tight deadlines often compromise quality, leading to unreliable outcomes.	Risk-based testing QEs prioritize testing critical features, optimize test coverage, and deliver high-quality products within stringent timelines.
Mitigating scope creep and late-stage changes Unplanned changes during development disrupt workflows and inflate budgets.	Flexible testing frameworks By maintaining clear documentation and adaptable testing strategies, QEs accommodate changes with minimal disruption.
Navigating technical complexities Advanced features and integrations introduce higher risks and potential conflicts.	Technical expertise QEs conduct API testing, compatibility checks, and integration validations to resolve conflicts and ensure seamless functionality.
Building long-term client trust Inconsistent quality and lack of transparency erode client relationships.	Consistent quality assurance QEs provide transparent reports, consistent quality outputs, and a focus on business goals, fostering strong client relationships.

By addressing these challenges, QE professionals do more than just test software—they become strategic enablers, ensuring that agencies deliver value consistently and grow their client base.

Wisdom from experience: Shweta Sharma on the role of QEs in agencies

Shweta Sharma, rtCamp’s Quality Engineering Director with over 18 years of experience believes that Quality Engineers (QEs) are the unsung enablers of modern agency settings. 

Her philosophy centers on QEs as not just testers, but strategic collaborators who bridge the gap between technical teams and business objectives.

“Quality is a shared responsibility. When QEs step beyond testing—helping teams conceptualize, document, and anticipate risks—we unlock true potential in any project.”

Her advice to agencies? 

Invest in QEs who bring domain expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to align testing efforts with your project’s success goals. These qualities make QEs indispensable, especially in projects requiring complex workflows or multi-role adaptability.

FAQ: Breaking the mold—QEs beyond testing

Quality Engineers (QEs) have the potential to transcend traditional roles and become indispensable contributors to your team’s success. Yet, many agencies fail to unlock this potential, often treating QEs as mere testers. 

Let’s address some common questions and misconceptions about maximizing the role of a QE and explore how they can be strategic enablers for your agency.

Redefine Quality Engineering with rtCamp

Whether you’re scaling your projects or solving unique challenges, rtCamp’s Quality Engineering service offers unmatched expertise tailored to your needs. Our solutions empower agencies to deliver exceptional outcomes, backed by a team that deeply understands the complexities of modern development.

Want to explore our approach in more depth? Check out our Quality Engineering Handbook, which shares insights and methodologies that help agencies and enterprises thrive in diverse business environments.

Let’s create something extraordinary together—get in touch with us today.