Shift-Left Testing Webinar: Key Insights and Full Recording

by Inna M.

on Oct 2, 2025

Late bugs cost more, delay releases, and put pressure on teams. In our recent webinar, QA leaders Michael Tomara (TestFort) and Aarti Tewari (Virtuo), moderated by Bruce Mason, shared real-world strategies for making shift-left testing work, from its benefits to the cultural changes it requires.

If you missed the live session or want to revisit the discussion, we’ve gathered the main takeaways below. You’ll find practical tips, lessons learned, and advice on adopting shift-left in Agile environments. Plus, you’ll find the full webinar recording at the end of the article.

What Shift-Left Really Means

Shift-left is about bringing QA into the earliest stages of the software development lifecycle — requirements, design, and coding — instead of waiting until the end. This approach lets teams spot and fix issues when they’re faster and cheaper to resolve.

Words by

Aarti Tewari, QA Lead, Virtuo

“The further left we shift, the quicker defects will be found, and the cheaper they’ll be to fix.”

Cost Savings and Faster Delivery

One of the strongest arguments in favor of the shift left testing approach is the impact on budget and speed. Bugs caught in production can cost up to 10× more to fix compared to catching them during development. Early QA prevents expensive rework and keeps delivery schedules on track.

Culture Is the Hardest Challenge

Tools and automation matter, but culture is often the real barrier. Teams need shared ownership of quality, better communication, and a mindset shift away from “QA as gatekeeper” toward “quality as a shared goal.” The speakers also highlighted the importance of detailed, well-kept documentation for the success of the shift-left transformation.

Words by

Michael Tomara, QA Lead, TestFort

“Teams may often skip on documentation, and that makes it hard to implement shift-left effectively. Good documentation and clear definitions of done are essential.”

Automation Helps, But Don’t Start Everywhere at Once

While automation supports shift-left, the panel warned against automating too early or too broadly. Start with stable, high-risk, and critical flows first, and hold off on areas that are still evolving. Shift-left encourages automation, but it doesn’t mean you need to automate from day one.

How to Start the Shift-Left Adoption

The speakers emphasized taking a strategic, gradual approach rather than trying to “shift everything left” at once. Here is a quick breakdown of their suggestions:

Begin with a pilot on one feature or team.
Involve QAs in backlog refinement and requirements.
Use TDD/BDD where possible and design tests during sprint planning.
Build strong unit test coverage (around 70%) and use static code analysis.
Foster Dev-QA pairing and celebrate early bug detection.

Metrics That Prove Success

To show the impact of shift-left and win leadership buy-in, measure results clearly. Useful metrics include:

Bug escape rate
Defects found in requirements/design
Cycle time reduction
Test coverage and speed of coverage creation
Time-to-market improvements
Rework percentage

Watch the Full Webinar Recording

If you want to hear the complete conversation, including live Q&A and real-world examples, you can watch the full recording right now:

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Written by

Inna M., Technical Writer

Inna is a content writer with close to 10 years of experience in creating content for various local and international companies. She is passionate about all things information technology and enjoys making complex concepts easy to understand regardless of the reader’s tech background. In her free time, Inna loves baking, knitting, and taking long walks.