Buyer’s Guide: Five perspectives into test automation

Is it a good idea to let a robot handle software testing? Test automation means assigning a portion of vital testing tasks to a software robot and optimising the work efforts of a human expert at the same time.

Test automation has become a daily part of cost-efficient high-quality software production. As such, we decided to collect five perspectives into test automation that can be useful to those running a software project – read our tips below!

1. What benefits can be reached through test automation?

The testing conducted by a software robot is fast, easily reproducible and comprehensive. In the time it takes a person to click their way through a user interface or check data flow in a system for a single test case, a robot can tear through several test cases effortlessly.

A test robot can be easily set to test multiple development environments simultaneously and, for instance, carry out integration or acceptance testing. If necessary, automated tests can be run many times a day or at one-hour intervals, for example.

As a result, test automation speeds up the workflow, helps everyone stick to the project schedules and improves the quality of the end product.

2. What cases does test automation serve best – and are people no longer needed?

Test automation is the perfect tool for routine software testing on basic functions and the most common instances of use. These can include logging in to an online service through an interface or data transfer within a system.

Even after the deployment of test automation, the role of the testing specialist will remain crucial. In addition to maintaining the automation (e.g. adding new test cases), the expert can focus on solving more demanding test cases that are difficult to automate.

Typically, expert efforts are also required when the test automation reports a fault. At this point, the professional tester focuses on the issue to find out why it occurred and how it can be rectified.

3. Is test automation a good alternative or a practical necessity?

In professional software production, test automation is well on its way to becoming a de facto standard and a part of day-to-day work efforts. Tightening demands regarding cost efficiency and high quality practically require test automation even for smaller software projects.

Test automation is also vital for agile work methods, continuous integration and DevOps. If new software versions or features are released constantly, test automation helps the development team keep to the schedule and publish high-quality updates.

4. How do you get started with test automation?

Before you and your development team roll up your collective sleeves, you should go through what you want to achieve with test automation, at least on a general level. Examining the current situation is also useful. For example, listing existing manual test cases and marking cases that you want to automate is very helpful to those tasked with the actual implementation of the test automation. This will make it easier to monitor and control the automation work and its progress.

While it is of course possible to learn test automation from scratch, the fastest way to get started is with the help of an experienced professional. In addition to installing the test environment, a professional can select the necessary tools, such as the open-source Robot Framework.

The practical progress involves installing the selected tools on the workstation and in the continuous integration environment. Once the tools and version management have been configured, you can proceed to the practical implementation of the automated test cases. It normally takes no more than a few days to get everything up and running.

5. What to consider when choosing a test automation consultant?

If your own organisation or development team lacks the expertise or time to deploy the test automation, hiring a third-party testing specialist is a fast solution to fill that specific need.

When selecting a consultant, remember that testing is always a team effort. This means that communication skills and the ability to engage in continuous discussion are important elements in an expert’s toolset and personality. The tester is a member of the development team, which is why open, honest and solution-oriented cooperation is important.

Moreover, you should not hesitate to ask for references from a consulting firm or individual specialist. Describe your testing needs openly and ask if the service provider has the skills and experience that are relevant to you.

Testimate provides software testing services for even the most demanding projects. Get in touch with us today, let’s find out how we can help you!