How do QA engineers contribute to ensure quality standards in improving software products?

I believe QA engineers contribute in different aspects to improve software products by providing feedback based on different scenarios. QA engineers are usually known by ‘breaking’ the software and ‘criticize’ it which is partially true, but not fair at all. Instead, QA engineers are here to expose any flaws or undesired behaviors in the products, it is about playing with the software product, think from a customer-experience point of view, do unexpected things and then see the outcome, which normally can be surprising and most of the time undesired.

Just think about a moment where you install an app on your phone, you open it and you try to use it but after 2 or 3 minutes you get frustrated, you close it and you start browsing for another different app. I believe there are a lot of apps facing this issue, they do what they need to do, but people is not using them because of an ugly design, maybe because a poor performance or even because it is not easy to navigate between the screens.

QA Engineers contribute as simply as their initials suggest: Quality Assurers in many different ways by making sure the product meets quality standards, user expectations and business needs.

QA engineers play a key role in improving software by checking how well it works, how easy it is to use, and how it performs in real-life situations. They test the product from a user’s point of view, find bugs, and give helpful feedback to the team. This helps catch problems early, avoid major issues later, and make the product more reliable, smooth, and enjoyable to use. In simple terms, QA engineers help make sure the software meets quality standards and keeps users happy.

QA teams verify that software meets performance, security, and usability standards. QA engineers define and enforce testing strategies and best practices. They write test cases based on requirements to validate each feature. They identify defects early, reducing rework costs and delays. QA ensures proper test coverage through functional, integration, and regression testing. They ensure compliance with standards like ISO or regulatory requirements.
Continuous feedback from QA helps improve product quality.

From analysing requirements to suggesting process improvements, QA ensures quality is built in from the beginning. They design effective test strategies, automate where necessary, and maintain clear communication across teams. By reporting actionable insights and collaborating closely with developers, QA engineers help in continuously refining the product.