Why is defining acceptance criteria important in QA?

Defining acceptance criteria is essential in Quality Assurance because it establishes a clear set of conditions that a product must satisfy to be considered complete and acceptable from the perspective of the user or customer. These criteria serve as a benchmark for both the development and testing teams, ensuring that the final product aligns with user requirements and expectations. By having well-defined acceptance criteria, teams can prevent scope creep, maintain focus on the essential features, and facilitate better communication between stakeholders, which leads to higher quality outcomes.

In contrast, while increasing the number of features, reducing testing time, or minimizing documentation efforts may seem beneficial, they do not directly address the critical need for clarity regarding user requirements and expectations during the QA process. Focusing solely on feature count can lead to a product that is feature-rich but not user-friendly. Also, attempting to reduce testing time or documentation without a clear understanding of what is acceptable may compromise product quality and customer satisfaction.