Product and Quality Control

Our collaboration with the Distribution pillar focuses on providing products, services, and strategic support. Recurring meetings with Product Managers help identify growth opportunities, address challenges, and enhance efficiency. This partnership highlights our commitment to achieving distribution excellence.

• Desk
  • Meeting frequency: Monthly
  • QC Support provided: Addressing client feedback to align solutions with user needs, Brainstorming analytics initiatives to enhance data tracking, and Beta testing and feature evaluation support to improve usability.
• APIary (Connectivity)
  • Meeting frequency: Quarterly
  • QC Support provided: Providing feedback on third-party platform integrations (e.g., Viator, GYG), supporting strategy development for connectivity enhancements and Beta testings for API features to ensure accuracy and usability.
• Watermelon (Strategic Partnership)
  • Meeting frequency: Monthly
  • QC Support provided: Developing guidelines for project execution and stakeholder alignment, collaborating on feature rollouts and incorporating client feedback, aligning on goals for strategic initiatives, and offering user feedback and insights on client creation and migration features.

• QC supports design through ad-hoc requests submitted via the Design Request form, bookmarked in the #qualitycontrol slack channel.
• QC should be involved as early as possible in the process. As a small team, adequate time is required to plan and allocate resources effectively. While later requests will be accommodated when feasible, the team’s capacity may be limited. Early involvement increases the likelihood of providing timely and thorough support.
• Using the form will help the Quality Control team better track and understand requests, plan, and manage the workload internally. This ensures that your request is addressed efficiently and promptly.
• Examples of good use cases:
  • Asking QC to sit in on a validation testing or other testing/notetaking needs;
  • Bounce design ideas/brainstorm with QCA;
  • Scoping support (help pulling specific reports, and/or scoping dashboards/sites);
  • Reviewing specific documents (QC feedback/Best Practice expertise);
  • Support finding examples of specific setups;
  • Implementing changes to dashboards/sites required specific feature implementation.
• Once the form is submitted a post will be generated in the channel and used for communication on the request.
• Response times can vary based on the complexity and urgency of the request, as well as current workload. We aim to reply to all requests within 5 working days and will provide an estimated timeline for completion, but the usual response time is within 24-48 hours of submission.
• Several factors determine the assignment of QC Analysts to projects, including their availability, bandwidth, knowledge, experience, and personal interest. This ensures that the most suitable POC is assigned to handle your request effectively.

• QA communicates known bugs that impact QC in #qc-and-qa.
  • All bug reports are also accessible via the Bug Dashboard in Airtable.
• Discussions and meetings between QC and QA occur on an ad hoc basis as needed.

• QC supports FH.me and FHS in 3 main ways:
  • By testing new and updated features and fixes (see detailed Process for releasing Features or Fixes for FHS)
  • By assessing idea box submissions for our FareHarbor sites product (see detailed Idea Box Review Process)
  • By performing requested checks for our clients sites
• QC POC attends biweekly FHS sprint meetings to get updates on features/bugs/idea boxes
• Additionally the FH.me PM participates in the Squad’s weekly meeting to detail their needs and collaborate as needed.

• Product Managers and QCAs from the Capybaras Squad participate in monthly meetings to discuss exchange updates and discuss potential collaboration/needed support. QC works as a stakeholder in the discovery phase of features within the product roadmap where applicable.

• Work together to develop, communicate and evolve our dashboard and website best practices through the Product Champions channel
• Collaborate ad hoc on updates needed to the changelog, help pages, training, product updates room, etc.
• Collaborate on beta testings as needed (best practices development, build and/or sanity checks support, etc)
• Beta Testing’s FAQs and Additional Information
  • Is QC involved in all releases and betas?
    • Preferably yes. It’s ideal for QC to be aware of all releases to provide support in the form of product feedback, best practice development, beta testing and anything else the PM might need. QC actions will likely be different feature to feature but initial awareness is critical.
  • How do we ensure QC is involved in all releases and betas?
    • After PM initial communication to QC POCs or QC Management, QC will work with PM to decide QC actions and responsibilities.
  • What is the expectation of QC during beta?
    • Product POCs
      • Assess Product needs and loop QCA thoughtfully and timely
      • Assist in project management or product specifics as needed
    • QC Beta Owners
      • Project Management – Timeliness, thoroughness, communication
      • Thinking big picture about best practices or product feedback (not just QC checklist)
      • Opportunities to maintain quality during beta and after (monitoring first usages, schedule feature audit)
      • Taking initiative and ensuring your own confidence
      • Getting hands on through beta process and/or through own deep dive
      • Stay engaged throughout the beta process (Slack room, updates, changes, etc.)

The QC team plays a key role in the Idea Box submissions, contributing to both the review process and the submission of ideas to Product.

Role in FH.me Submissions: QC is directly involved in the review and categorization processes developed by the Conversion Crew squad. These processes (detailed here) help identify recurring submissions and accelerate the prioritization of ideas for inclusion in the roadmap.

Contributions Beyond FH.me: QC also plays an active role in submitting ideas across various areas of Product. By working collaboratively on submissions, the team ensures ideas are high-quality, relevant, and aligned with organizational goals.

To maintain alignment, avoid repetition, and ensure quality in submissions, QCAs should follow the steps below when submitting:

• QCAs should elevate their ideas to their manager for support and awareness
• Managers will help identify if other subject matter experts or resources could help strengthen the submission or provide any other support needed as QCA prepares idea for submission
• QCA will submit the idea, notify manager, and add to our Idea Box Submission AT
• QCA will inform manager and update AT record with any communication/answer from Product regarding the submission