Secrets of Succeeding at Test Automation

Test automation requires focus on the requirements of the software to be tested. When the process is aligned with business goals, the functional and non-functional needs of the software can be met effectively. Such a ‘requirement-driven’ approach can lead to comprehensive test coverage of codes, and a successful test automation initiative.

Success in test automation greatly depends on the testing code because the quality of the code governs the entire software testing process. Therefore, organizations using test automation should avail the services of expert who specialize at designing testing codes. A high-quality testing code does not only make the existing test automation initiative a success, but can also become an important asset for an organization in the future.

The number of software bugs or defects detected by the test automation process determines the effectiveness and success of the software. The defect-detection ability of test automation validates the robustness of the testing mechanism for an organization. The failure of test automation to discover bugs can be a cause of concern and can practically make the testing process redundant.

The test automation framework should have a modular design, so that it has the agility for changes or breaks in tests during the course of the testing process. A modular test plan, built using small and independent test cases, underscores a ‘layered’ automated testing system that facilitates the refactoring of code when required. Such a design can ensure that automation efforts match up with software development efforts of the developers.

To succeed in its test automation initiatives, an organization should integrate its software testing mechanism with the software development process. This integration can lead to better testing and quicker delivery of results since test automation would help achieve the core objectives of accelerating development, offering extensive code coverage, and assisting in keeping timeline overruns in check.

Automated programming has certain limitations because of which test automation may not be a complete testing mechanism on its own. Hence, it is important for a automation testing company to combine the expertise of automation engineers with that of manual testers and domain experts. Test automation can be successful if manual testers are also involved in some part of the testing process, especially since exploratory testing and certain other tests can be carried out only by manual testers.

A well-organized testing infrastructure is one of the key quality assurance assets of test automation companies. When a QA company has a good testing infrastructure, the quality of test automation initiatives can improve significantly due to better software testing and downtime management.

For test automation to be a success, it is important that testing teams identify the best candidates for automation before actually conducting automated tests. Largely, the best automation candidates are those who specialize in testing of several kinds – functional, unit, integration, regression, smoke, and performance.

The special software tools used in test automation process are expensive, and can increase the overall costs for an organization. Therefore, for test automation to succeed, it is important that the process is cost-effective in the long term. To achieve this goal, employing manual testing alongside automated testing makes business sense. In addition, the repeated use of test automation in regression testing can also make the process cost-effective.

The success of test automation largely depends on its ability to run software testing quickly and repeatedly. Automated testing would be a success for an organization if it is a more convenient, effective and time saving testing process as compared to manual testing. An organization aware of the secrets of succeeding at test automation can design and implement an excellent automated testing process, which can help software achieve its expected results. Connect with us to uncover all these secrets and more.