What is Test Automation?
Test Automation becomes more and more important in software development. Automating tests does not only help to reduce the time to market, it also helps in building more reliable software. But what is Test Automation exactly?
What is Test Automation?
Nowadays, Agile methods are broadly introduced in organizations. In the first wave this normally means new ways of working; e.g. using Scrum or Kanban. In the second wave, however, most efforts are invested in automation. This automation, or ‘Continuous Delivery’, means being ready to deploy to production whenever you want. To get to this point, all manual steps need to be fully automated. However, when implementing Continuous Delivery in practice, the first major impediment is often a total lack of Test Automation, which is crucial because automated deployment requires that a system is tested. As the Agile way of working uses short iterations, testing the same thing over and over manually becomes too expensive, if feasible at all.
The advantages of Test Automation
#1 Shorter time to market
By automating a large part of your testing environment, you will save a lot of time that you would normally use performing manual tests.
#2 Fast and early feedback
Validation by customers/business is still valuable and can take place earlier to fasten the feedback loop. This allows potential bugs to be updated immediately.
#3 Reduced costs
Because of the fast and early feedback, you can prevent bugs from going into production. As a result, better quality, a more stable product and reduction of costs.
#4 Increased accuracy
Even the most experienced testers will make mistakes during monotonous manual testing. Automated tests don’t have this problem. They will follow the test script precisely every time it is executed, and they always record the results. Because of this, testers have more time to create new automated tests and deal with complex features.
#5 Higher test coverage
Test Automation can and will increase the test coverage of your software. Automated software tests can look inside an application and track variables like memory, data tables, file contents, and internal program states. This will help you to determine if the product works as intended. With Test Automation, you can easily execute thousands of different test cases in every test run which provides a coverage that wouldn’t be possible with manual testing.
#6 No more barrier between developers and testers
Beside all benefits mentioned earlier, also the barrier between development and test can be broken down. Developers and testers need to work together to think about what and how to test.
How to start with Test Automation?
In the whitepaper Bottom up Test Automation, we advise the following seven steps to start with Test Automation:
- Team up with a colleague: Finding a solution for the challenges ahead is easier together than alone.
- Gain knowledge about Test Automation and which tools/frameworks to use.
- Create a list: Analyze the current test process and look for easy suspects to start with.
- Select one of the tests from your list, prepare the test environment and create your first automated test.
- Run the test as part of the build or release process.
- Monitor the test results: Validate the results of the tests that are run locally or during the build or release process. When they fail, analyze the problem and resolve the issue.
- Add new tests: When the first test is in place and part of the build and the results can be monitored, it is time to increase the number of tests. Take the next test on the list created in step 2. Incorporate writing automated tests in the Way of Working. For example by adding it to the Definition of Done.
Whitepaper
Our Test Automation services
DevOn helps organizations to radically improve their software development. We help them to reap the benefits of Test Automation through consultancy and training so they can stay ahead of their competitors.
Having trouble with finding enough experienced testers who can help you towards Test Automation? DevOn can also help your organization with this by offering additional capacity. If you would like to know more, please contact us!
