01.06 – Roles in a Salesforce QA Team

Salesforce projects involve more than just "testers" — they include Test Leads, UAT Leads, and support roles that define how quality is delivered.
This lesson explains how these roles collaborate, where responsibilities overlap, and how testers can position themselves strategically within project structures.
If you want to grow professionally or understand team dynamics better, this lesson is essential.

1. Introduction

Salesforce projects are multidisciplinary environments involving consultants, developers, architects, business analysts, and project managers — but among all these roles, QA is the only discipline that touches every part of the solution.

Understanding QA roles is essential not just for your personal development, but also for effective teamwork.
A Salesforce tester must know:

• who is responsible for which decisions
• where to escalate issues
• how communication flows across the project
• what expectations each role has from QA
• how to provide value beyond executing test cases

This lesson explains the four core QA‑aligned roles you will encounter in Salesforce delivery:

• Tester
• Test Lead
• UAT Lead
• UAT Support

Even small differences in project structure can significantly impact test planning, communication, and responsibility boundaries. With this knowledge, you’ll navigate teams confidently and professionally.

---

2. The Tester — The Core Role of QA Execution

This is the starting point and the foundation of every QA team.

A Tester is responsible for:

• validating each requirement delivered to the test environment
• performing functional and end‑to‑end tests
• ensuring test coverage based on requirement analysis
• identifying gaps in documentation or business logic
• reporting defects with clarity and precision
• maintaining testing discipline (naming, data preparation, process consistency)

2.1 Daily Responsibilities

A tester must:

• execute tests efficiently
• prepare and maintain test data
• verify technical configuration (fields, permissions, layouts)
• follow testing levels and quadrants appropriately
• communicate blockers early
• support overall test quality and documentation

2.2 Responsibilities Beyond Testing

While testing is the primary duty, testers often support:

• Jira hygiene (statuses, defect lifecycle, comments)
• reporting progress to PM and Test Lead
• updating test cases
• clarifying requirements with consultants
• early risk identification

2.3 Collaboration Expectations

A tester communicates with:

• developers
• consultants
• business analysts
• PMs
• architects
• UAT representatives

They do not work in isolation.
Strong testers openly ask questions, request clarification, and proactively engage when encountering inconsistencies.

---

3. Test Lead — The Owner of QA Processes

A Test Lead appears in medium and large projects where multiple testers need coordination.
This role combines execution with leadership, planning, and process oversight.

3.1 Responsibilities

In addition to testing, a Test Lead is responsible for:

• defining and maintaining the test plan
• coordinating test activities across the team
• ensuring timelines are met
• supporting testers in requirement analysis
• reviewing test cases and documentation
• resolving daily testing obstacles
• representing QA in project‑wide discussions

3.2 Workload Balance

Depending on the project scale:

• Sometimes Test Lead spends 50–70% of their time on coordination and 30–50% on testing.
• In very large projects, hands‑on testing may drop below 20%.

This role requires balancing technical understanding with team management.

3.3 Communication & Escalation

The Test Lead is the first escalation point for:

• PMs
• Dev Leads
• Functional Leads
• Architects

If a defect is controversial or a process is unclear, the Test Lead is expected to handle the conversation.

---

4. UAT Lead — Ensuring Client Acceptance Success

UAT (User Acceptance Testing) is the phase where the client validates the delivered solution.
It is often the highest‑risk phase in the project lifecycle — and the point at which issues become visible to business stakeholders.

A UAT Lead acts as the bridge between the delivery team and the client during UAT execution.

4.1 Responsibilities

• planning the UAT cycle with the PM and client team
• preparing UAT strategy and timeline
• coordinating the client's testers
• monitoring UAT execution and progress
• analysing client defects and classifying them
• identifying duplicates, misunderstandings, or low‑quality defect reports
• determining whether a reported issue is:
• a real defect
• expected behaviour
• requirement misunderstanding
• missing test data on client side
• environment issue
• escalating critical issues to the development and consulting teams

4.2 Why QA Often Leads UAT?

Salesforce testers accumulate deep understanding of:

• business processes
• system behaviour
• edge cases
• risks
• dependencies between automation layers

This makes them uniquely equipped to guide UAT execution efficiently.

---

5. UAT Support — Reinforcement for High‑Volume Projects

Some UAT phases involve dozens or even hundreds of test cases executed by large client teams.
One person cannot coordinate this alone.

A UAT Support role is introduced when:

• the volume of reported issues is high
• multiple parallel UAT streams run simultaneously
• the client involves many testers of varying experience levels

5.1 Responsibilities

UAT Support:

• monitors UAT defects alongside the UAT Lead
• validates incoming defect descriptions
• reproduces reported issues
• performs initial classification
• supports communication between client testers and the UAT Lead

However:

They do not make independent decisions.
All final classifications, escalations, and directions must be approved by the UAT Lead.

---

6. How the Roles Collaborate in Practice

Salesforce projects are iterative; roles blend naturally:

Role	Key Focus	Works Closely With
Tester	Execution & analysis	Dev, Consultant, Test Lead
Test Lead	Coordination & quality	PM, Dev Lead, Architect, Testers
UAT Lead	Client‑side execution	Client, PM, Consultants
UAT Support	Scaling UAT oversight	UAT Lead, Client testers

They form a testing ecosystem, not isolated functions.

---

7. Common Misunderstandings About QA Roles

Misconception 1: Testers only click test cases

Reality: testers perform deep analysis, identify gaps, and prevent defects.

Misconception 2: UAT is the client’s job and QA should not be involved

Reality: Without QA facilitation, UAT stalls within hours.

Misconception 3: Test Lead = people manager

Test Lead directs the testing process, not HR responsibilities.

Misconception 4: One tester can handle everything

Not true on complex projects with large automation stacks.

---

8. Summary

Salesforce QA operates in a dynamic environment involving multiple roles that must collaborate smoothly to ensure quality delivery.

• Testers execute and analyse requirements.
• Test Leads coordinate QA and maintain process discipline.
• UAT Leads guide client acceptance and protect project timelines.
• UAT Support scales the team during high‑volume UAT phases.

Understanding these roles helps you communicate effectively, manage expectations, and position yourself strategically within a Salesforce delivery team.

This knowledge also lays the foundation for more advanced modules where we dive deeper into requirement analysis, scenario construction, tooling, and real‑world project patterns.

---

End of Lesson 01.06